Tadano to raise capacity by 30%

An investment of Yen 7.5 billion (US$63 million) over the next four years will see Tadano increase production capacity by 30% at three factories in Japan. The focus is on crane production at the Tadotsu and Shido plants and on aerial platforms at the Takamatsu facility. The company said that “an increasing demand for cranes at a steady pace in both domestic and overseas markets” has driven the plan to have existing plants refurbished and a new one built and operating by the end of 2008.

At the Shido plant production capacity will be increased for rough terrain cranes, booms and cylinders. These components will also be supplied to Tadano Faun in Germany for the mobile cranes manufactured there. Assembly lines for truck crane carriers will also be installed at the Shido plant and other equipment will be refurbished and renewed.

A new two-storey 18,000m² truck loader crane factory will be built at the Tadotsu plant where these cranes are already built. Other equipment at the existing plant will be refurbished and renewed. Construction starts in April for completion in January 2007.

• Tadano will also invest US$10 million (subject to government approval) in its Chinese truck crane manufacturing joint venture, BQ- Tadano (Beijing) Crane Co. Demand for cranes in China has grown from 4,000 units in 2001 to an estimated 10,000 for 2005, Tadano said, continuing that, “Most of the demand, however, features truck cranes by domestic crane manufacturers to the extent that those with a 25 tonne capacity or less account for as much as 90% of it.”