44
IRN SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2013
CHINA INTERVIEWS
Murray Pollok visited four
Chinese aerial platform
manufacturers in early
August to get an update
on their activities and to
discuss the Chinese rental
market.
MANTALL
I
f Dingli and Sinoboom are the two leading Chinese
AWP manufacturers, Mantall aspires to be at the
same level, and is starting to get close.
Only established in 2005 – things happen fast
in China – the company moved in 2009 to a small
facility in Qidong, a coastal city not far north
of Shanghai, and last year relocated to a new,
73300 m
2
factory in the city, employing 200 staff. The
new facility is conveniently located for port facilities
and also to serve the Chinese rental heartland.
Mr Lee Shen, Mantall’s president, says production
last year was less than 2000 units, although in
the Chinese style he has aims for 3600-6000
unit production within three to five years. A third
assembly line is currently being built at the facility.
Around 35-40% of its products are exported, mainly
to Eastern Europe, South East Asia and the Middle
East. Selling in Western Europe and North America
remain medium or longer term projects.
Mantall’s product line encompasses both booms
and scissor lifts, with its early products developed in
conjunction with Beijing access rental company XYZ,
although the two are now separate businesses. Its
range includes scissors from 8 m to 14 m - with an
18 m rough terrain model now under development
(see photo) – and 20 to 42 m booms.
Mr Lee says Mantall aims to develop four new
models every year, and employs 20 staff in its
research and development department. He
acknowledges that there is still a gap between the
Scissor production line at Sinoboom’s
new production facility in Changsha.
China
This is an 18 m rough terrain scissor being developed
by Mantall. It will be powered by a Kubota engine.
DINGLI
T
he biggest of the Chinese AWP manufacturers,
Dingli continues to invest in its manufacturing
capacity with a third production facility now
under construction.
That factory, not far from Dingli’s current head
office, will become its headquarters and assembly
facility when it is completed in the middle of next
year (
IRN
visited the new plant under construction
and it is clear that that timescale is realistic).
The 150000 m
2
facility, which will give Dingli at
least double its current production capacity, will
allow it to rent its existing factories 1 and 2 to its
main seven sub-suppliers.
Dingli is also preparing for a significant event in
its evolution, with a flotation on the Shenzhen Stock
Exchange now on the cards. The official process was
due to begin in August and Shenzhen was chosen
because it is favoured for IPOs of small and medium
sized companies (Shanghai for bigger concerns).
Mr Xu Shugen, Dingli’s CEO, says a flotation, would
raise the company’s profile in China, provide it with
growth funds, and give it easier access to resources
such as government owned land.
With the IPO looming, Mr Xu was unwilling to say
too much about the company’s current business.
He said the slowdown in China had not had a major
impact because 70% of its sales were exported – to
markets like Australia, Russia, India and Brazil – and
that total sales last year had risen by 15%.
The company was happier to discuss some of its
newest ‘small’ products, two of which reflect the
company’s background in warehouse and logistics
equipment, and a third that sees it go head to head
with a major western manufacturer in the ‘Toucan’
niche segment.
In the warehouse sector, there is a new combined
forklift and stockpicker, with a maximum platform
height of 3.5 m and separate forks with carrying
capacity of 500 kg. This unit has been designed for a
very large US retailer.
The other warehouse unit is a smaller, 2.1 m
platform height stockpicker for a European retail
client.
Finally, Dingli is bringing its own ‘Toucan’-type
platform to the market, competing head on with
JLG Industries, who acquired the Toucan range
many years ago. Dingli says the difference with its
model, which will have a working height in the 11.5 to
12.0 m range – will be an automatic pothole
protection system.
In its main access product range, coming soon –
perhaps before the end of this year - will be a range
of 12 to 16 m battery powered articulated booms,
filling a gap in its range.
A combined 500 kg capacity forklift and stock picker, destined
for a large US retailer.
This 2.1 m platform height
scissor has been designed for
a European retail customer.
Dingli’s new ‘Toucan’-type platform under development.
