Denis Babushkin

Bolzoni Auramo and Meyer have established a subsidiary in Moscow, Hans H Meyer OOO LLC, to strengthen their positions in the Russian market.

Hans H Meyer OOO will offer the full range of forklift attachments, lift tables and forks from the Bolzoni Auramo and Meyer ranges, and customer-oriented product consultation.

Denis Babushkin, 32, the managing director of the new company, says Hans H Meyer OOO is aimed at bolstering service levels for Russian customers.

"It is planned to actively develop, alongside our continuous sales activities, a broad variety of after-sales and service elements, offering more than just product advice to our customers for the entire life of our products," he explains.

The company will supply spare parts, provide repairs and attachments rentals and refurbish used attachments. It will also co-ordinate the business activities for Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova and the Baltic states.

Hans H Meyer is still in the start-up stage. It plans to hire one or two field service engineers this year.

The financial investment in the company is confidential.

European forklift attachment makers Bolzoni Auramo and Meyer claim to have a leading position in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) market.

According to Bolzoni Auramo, about 20,000 forklifts were sold in the CIS market in 2007. In 2008, the market volume was expected to be the same or even bigger, but the global economic downturn strongly impacted on numbers at the end of the year. Forklift sales in 2011 are predicted to return to 2007/8 levels.