The Kion Group has taken full management control of the joint venture company Kion Baoli (Jiangsu) Forklift.
The joint venture was launched established in January 2009 with Jiangsu Shangqi Group and Jingjiang Baoli Forklift.
Kion Baoli will be fully integrated into the global operations of Kion Group with immediate effect.
As the group’s fourth brand, Baoli is positioned in the economy segment worldwide. The product range of Kion Baoli includes diesel/LPG, electric trucks and warehouse trucks with load capacities of 1 to 10 tonnes. The group’s other brands are Linde, STILL and OM.
Kion Group chief executive Gordon Riske said: “With the additional investment in Kion Baoli we further strengthen our position as the number one international supplier of material handling equipment in China, one of the fastest growing markets for our industry. In addition, Kion Baoli with its highly competitive product portfolio is an important pillar of our strategy to expand our activities in the emerging markets.”
Kion has had a wholly-owned subsidiary, Linde (China) Forklift Truck Corp, in Xiamen since 1993 which employs more than 1,700 people in 80 locations all around China. The Linde brand in China operates mainly in the higher-end forklift truck segment but has also developed vehicles especially for the Chinese market.