Pyroban has officially opened the Pyroban South China Tech Centre in Guangzhou.

UK explosion-proof specialist Pyroban has officially opened its Pyroban South China Tech Centre during a seminar in the Four Points by Sheraton hotel, in Guangzhou, last month.

"Pyroban's strength in [the] China market depends on our 40 years of experience in this specialised technology, our people, [and] our technology and know-how," says group managing director Ian Ratcliff.

He says Pyroban will continue investing in China, especially in the Pearl River Delta Region.

"Pyroban South China Tech Centre is the first one-stop technical service centre supported by Pyroban Suzhou's factory. It offers a fast and professional service to customers [in the] Guangdong region and southern China, and provides a quick response to customers' requirements," he says.

Ratcliff; Max Goh, general manager of Pyroban Suzhou; and Wang Weixiong, president of the Guangzhou Academy of Special Equipment Inspection & Testing, chaired the opening ceremony and gave speeches. More than 100 representatives from equipment manufacturers, industrial experts, end-users and journalists attended the event.

Wang said in his speech that he appreciated Pyroban's contribution to the explosion protection industry.

He said the Chinese were increasingly paying attention to safety in hazardous areas. "I think every [party] plays a role in safety management, including the equipment designer, manufacturer, inspection agency, end-user, policy-maker and supervisory institution."

Experts and scholars from the China National Supervision & Inspection Centre for Quality of Construction Machinery Products, and the China University of Mining and Technology, gave presentations on the development of the explosion-protection industry, the application of explosion-protection technology and safe management of equipment.

Customers visited the Pyroban South China Tech Centre, in Huangpu Economic Development Zone in Guangzhou City, at the end of the ceremony. The centre, supported by Pyroban Suzhou, offers a complete explosion-protection service for the gas, nuclear, military, marine, mining and oil industries.

Separately, after last month's announcement that Pyroban Group joined the Caterpillar Group on 31 August, Pyroban has affirmed its commitment to the materials handling industry and reports plans to grow globally by up to 30% over the next three years (Forkliftaction.com News #531).

The group, which had been privately owned for 40 years, says it continues to operate as normal under the new ownership, with no change to the products and services it offers worldwide.

"We are committed to building on Pyroban's long history," Ratcliff says. "Pyroban will remain a strong global brand and operate as an independent business unit."

Mark Towell, director of markets and business development, says: "We plan for 30% growth over the next three years as we increase our global footprint in Asia and Europe and bring market-specific solutions to customers in each region according to local legislation and customer needs."

Pyroban has announced the acquisition of Adex Zonex, in Singapore, to help support its customers in the region. In the UK, Pyroban recently bought Broadland Radiators, in Norwich (Forkliftaction.com News #528).