Shangli is back in business, in a new factory

A week after breaking its silence over its "terrible period", Chinese manufacturer Shangli has revealed some of its restructure plans.

A company spokeswoman tells Forkliftaction News Shangli is back in production. The company is ramping up for exports at its new factory in Suzhou, near Shanghai.

Among the company's priorities are re-engaging with its dealer network which was impacted by the six-month hiatus.

The spokeswoman notes that "we have worked with most distributors for more than five years". She believes Shangli's quality and service initially won distributors' trust and it will be possible to get them back into the fold in the company's "second start-up".

Another urgent priority is service. "As you know, the most important (factor in) international business is after-sales service. Only (when) you can do the service well ... can you sell forklifts well."

Shangli is reverting to its original product lines, admitting that its H series, planned for launch last year, was a failure. "We will focus on the business of the regular model S series in the future," she says, adding that the range will consist of 1-10 T diesel forklifts, 1-7 T LPG forklifts and 1-5 T electric forklifts.

Last week, we shared a company apology for the lack of communication over the past six months and an assurance from Shangli owner Ye Zhongdao that "Shangli is not breaking down".