GJJ plans assembly plants in India and Brazil

Chinese hoist manufacturer GJJ (Jing Long Engineering Machinery Co., Ltd) said it is planning to open assembly plants in India and Brazil during 2013 through joint ventures with local partners.

Mr Wang Hua Long, president of GJJ, told AI that the Indian partnership had still to be concluded but that it was GJJ’s intention to be assembling hoists in the country next year.

GJJ has already been active in Brazil for several years with partner Grupo Orguel. Mr Wang said an assembly plant could be opened next year in Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais.

This factory will provide hoists for Group Orguel and for the wider Latin American market.

GJJ remains China’s largest hoist manufacturers, although is now seeing increased domestic competition from Zoomlion.

Mr Liu Yue Jin, GJJ’s general manager and business partner with Mr Wang, said the slowdown in China’s economy had impacted on sales of its tower cranes, but that sales of hoists will be similar to the 4000 units made in 2011.

He said smaller Chinese hoist manufacturers were facing greater problems, related both to the slowdown and also to changes in hoist regulations, which are designed to limit the use of steel rope hoists.

At Bauma China in October the company showed a wide variety of new hoists, including a four column, 30 t capacity hoist designed for use in factories and mines for transporting heavy equipment.

Also on show was ‘concept’ 2 t hoist powered by battery, with a regenerative system to recharge the batteries when the hoist is lowered. This hoist, which has a maximum speed of 40 m/min, is being developed in particular for Latin American markets where power is not always available on site.