Peter Staack

Bolzoni Auramo has reorganised its sales network in east Asia by appointing new dealers in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Marketing and sales director Carlo Fallarini said Bolzoni had an exclusive importer in Indonesia in the past but representation in Singapore and Thailand was new.

The Italian forklift attachment maker first entered the east Asian market in the mid-1990s through a dealer network.

"After the deep Asian [economic] crisis, the group had to re-establish the organisation. The first step was China in the late 1990s, thanks to co-operation with the Tiger group, our partner in our Shanghainese sales subsidiary," Fallarini said.

The new dealers are PT Auratech Best Western, in Jakarta, Indonesia; Fluid-Tec Engineering & Trading Pte Ltd, in Singapore; and CPT Technology Co Ltd, in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

A Bolzoni statement said its Shanghai factory would support the new sales network. Bolzoni established the Shanghainese production facility in 2005, which opened opportunities for co-operation with Chinese forklift dealers and customers. It allowed Bolzoni to supply the east Asian market with Chinese-manufactured products through a more efficient logistics operation.

Bolzoni board of directors member Peter Staack said it was important for Bolzoni to be more active in east Asia.

"The opportunity to conclude dealership agreements with local companies gives us the possibility to work together with experienced, skilled organisations to promote and support Bolzoni Auramo products."

Fallarini estimated the east Asian market size at about 190,000 counterbalanced forklift units. It grew 19 per cent in 2006 over 2005. China was currently the biggest market, at about 86,000 units, followed by Japan (64,000 units). The estimated value of the east Asian forklift attachment market was about EUR26 million.

He said the company had covered the most important east Asian markets but was working hard to find local partners in "a couple of countries" there.

Bolzoni's other east Asian dealer representatives are in Taiwan and Malaysia.