Shantui prepares truck crane launch

China's Shantui - best known for its bulldozers - is to enter the truck crane market later this year with a new range of Chinese produced models.

Mr Li Dianhe, a vice president of Shantui, said at Intermat that Shantui would use Shantui Fushun Crane Co - a company is bought two years ago - to manufacture the new crane line. Fushun is already experienced in producing truck mounted aerial platforms for the fire fighting and utilities markets in China.

"We will enter the truck crane market before the end of the year - for the global market", he said.

The company has already moved into the crawler crane market, launching a prototype 150 t crawler at the BICES show in Beijing last year.

On Shantui's main business - selling bulldozers, excavators, road building and concrete equipment in China - he said the slower market seen last year was being continued this year but that "we are maybe at the bottom now".

He said Shantui was confident that government efforts to stimulate demand would have a beneficial impact after October.

The company is planning to expand its operations internationally, with the top priority a factory in Russia to produce bulldozers and road machinery. He said a facility could be opened in 2013.

Shantui is also looking at potential acquisition targets in western Europe; "Acquisitions is a way for Shantui to expand its business abroad - it is our strategy. We have some potential targets in Europe that we are negotiating with."