A global leader in conveyor technology and bulk materials handling has announced final plans for a new 10,000 m2 facility in Kunshan, in the Jiangsu Province of China. Scheduled to open in late 2011, the new Martin Engineering building will house 8,000 m2 of manufacturing and warehouse operations and the rest will be office space, making it eight times larger than the company’s existing space. When construction is completed on the recently-purchased 1.6 ha property, the site will produce a variety of systems used to improve efficiency and reduce fugitive material in bulk material handling, including belt cleaners, impact cradles, skirtboard seal systems, air cannons, and industrial vibration.“The new facility will allow us to greatly expand operations, improving our supply and service to the Asian region,” said Martin Engineering China Managing Director Eric Zheng. “And the enhanced manufacturing capabilities will allow us to do an even better job engineering customised solutions for bulk material handlers.”
The large production area will incorporate a full range of manufacturing operations, including laser cutting, metal fabrication, painting, assembly and testing. The building itself has been designed to meet the silver level of LEEDS certification, and will be built in two phases, with approximately 50% of the manufacturing and warehouse to be completed in each stage.
Martin Engineering’s existing China facility began operation in Kunshan in 2005, and quickly outgrew the 1,200 m2 leased space. Zheng said the new facility will give Martin Engineering China greater capabilities for developing products specifically for the regional market, and could eventually give the company the ability to serve Asian customers outside China. “This will be an attractive and extremely functional building,” he added, “which will help strengthen our organization and facilitate future business development.”