For three years Joe Huang has been Proplate’s man in China, the world’s second largest economy.
“We work professionally and forge ahead with our concept and our turnkey offering. This gives us a definite competitive edge on a market that has tremendous potential.”
Express rate development
China has developed into the world’s hub when it comes to business and establishing new enterprises. Partly because the market is so big, but also because things are developing at such breakneck speed in virtually all sectors, and especially construction and infrastructure. “Many companies want a share of this rapid growth, and it’s important to have a presence in China to ensure the right contact with customers,” Joe explains. Based in Shanghai, Joe is the man who oversees Proplate’s sales work in China. And it’s going well. Joe explains why: “Our customers have understood the meaning of the Proplate Totalcut Concept. They can see the benefits of it, and they know that the products we deliver are of the highest quality. Consequently, we are regarded as the most professional supplier in our industry and our niche.”
Planning own factories
Max Björk, CEO of Proplate, agrees with the description. He says: “The major crane manufacturers are our customers. They find it hard to do what we do without having problems with efficiency and good overall economy.” Some of the world’s biggest crane manufacturers have a presence in China, and jointly they make up around 90% of the market in the country. “We currently deliver straps to three of them,” says Joe, and he sounds optimistic about the future. That future includes strengthening Proplate’s organization in China by increasing the sales force, and planning has also begun for the first factory in China. In the longer term there could be even more Proplate plants. As Max Björk puts it, it would be ‘a natural progression’. Like Joe, he anticipates continued strong growth on the Chinese market.
Expansion in other industries
“We will continue to be the leading supplier of cut material to manufacturers of construction machines. I also foresee developments in other sectors, such as recycling.”
Joe Huang: “We have laid a stable foundation for our business in China. We are a strong, reliable company with good customer relations. We will benefit greatly from our experiences and advanced expertise as we begin the job of cultivating new customers as well.”