Released on: April 1, 2008, 6:10 am

Press Release Author: Sarah A. Chase

Industry: Industrial

Press Release Summary: By creating an independent business unit, Linde Material
Handling aims to boost its heavy truck business and occupy a stronger position in
the global market. This was underlined by Theodor Maurer, Chief Sales Officer (CSO)
at Linde Material Handling GmbH, and Roland Hartwig, Managing Director of the Linde
Heavy Truck Division, during a press event at the Merthyr Tydfil production site in
the UK.

Press Release Body: LONDON, 1 April 2008 - By creating an independent business unit,
Linde Material Handling aims to boost its heavy truck business and occupy a stronger
position in the global market. This was underlined by Theodor Maurer, Chief Sales
Officer (CSO) at Linde Material Handling GmbH, and Roland Hartwig, Managing Director
of the Linde Heavy Truck Division, during a press event at the Merthyr Tydfil
production site in the UK. In order to achieve this goal, Linde Material Handling
will invest a total of roundly EUR 21 million in new product development and
production facilities over the next three years.

The market is booming and customers are demanding tailor-made solutions

The decision to expand the scope of the business is justified by many years of
consistently strong demand for port handling technology and the continued favourable
prognoses for global container traffic and the container handling business. The
Linde Heavy Truck Division is determined to take full advantage of the major growth
opportunities this presents. Theodor Maurer said: \"In the past 14 years, the number
of containers being transported has quadrupled. We believe that over the coming
years container transport will undergo further significant growth.\" He went on to
say that the principle drivers behind these trends will be international supply
relationships, relocation of production to low-wage countries, an increase in global
sourcing and global sales strategies. In his opinion, Asia will in the future
continue to be the most dynamic region for global container handling.

New management at the Linde Heavy Truck Division

It is not just the considerable financial assets to be invested that demonstrate how
seriously Linde is taking the expansion of the heavy truck business. At the Merthyr
Tydfil site development, production, sales, marketing and service departments are
cross-linked ideally. Managing Director of the Linde Heavy Truck Division is Roland
Hartwig. Micheal Gröbner has responsibility for production, while Michael Wuttke
heads up development management. John Haden is responsible for sales, Mark Timothy
presides over the marketing department and Davide Bertozzi is representing business
development. The new division reports to Kerry McDonagh, Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Linde Material Handling (UK).

The key strategic goals to be achieved by the powerful new unit are high levels of
customer proximity and flexibility. Theodor Maurer, Chief Sales Officer of Linde MH,
offers a simple explanation: \"It is our customers who help us to grow. But they can
only do so if we know their exact requirements, position ourselves to meet those
requirements with our products and at the same time act with speed and agility in
the local markets.\"

Modular product design

In order to be able to offer specific product solutions to meet the various customer
demands and special requirements in this highly diversified market, the heavy trucks
and container trucks will in the future be built on the basis of a modular design.
This means that the individual components and modules are developed and produced
independently of each other, before the relevant components are assembled to create
the end product. For example, this means a chassis can be used in combination with
different cabins and different cabin layouts. The benefit for customers of the
modular design is that trucks can be adapted more quickly to meet the demands of new
applications. Linde Material Handling is therefore able to shorten development times
and reduce complexity of production. At the same time, this frees up additional
production capacity which will be used to meet the ambitious growth targets. The
plan is to supplement the product range over the next few years, starting with the
production of the C90 empty container handler with a 9-tonne lifting capacity. This
will be followed by other empty container handlers and new heavy forklift truck
models with lifting capacities of 18-37 tonnes, plus one with a 52-tonne lifting
capacity. Reach Stackers with higher lifting capacities are also in the pipeline.
The Linde Heavy Truck Division aims to have completed the entire product drive by
the end of 2009. \"We want to offer the full range of heavy forklift trucks in the
market segments that matter to us,\" emphasises Mark Timothy, Head of Marketing at
the Linde Heavy Truck Division. Kerry McDonagh is also looking to expand the sales
and service departments: \"We will need to appoint more regional sales managers and
additional sales experts for the planned increase in market coverage. More service
experts and spare-part availability of 95% should ensure immediate assistance when a
truck requires maintenance.\"

In order to achieve these ambitious targets, Linde Material Handling will be
investing EUR 21 million over the next three years, with almost 17 million going
towards research and development and more than 4 million being spent on optimising
production.

In 2007, the Linde Heavy Truck Division generated sales of EUR 173 million. More
than 90% of the trucks produced in Merthyr Tydfil are exported. The Merthyr Tydfil
site produces Reach Stacker, Container handlers, Heavy Diesel Forklift Trucks and
Sideloaders.

In 1989, Linde AG acquired the British truck manufacturer Lansing, thereby expanding
its product range to include empty and laden container handlers and sideloaders.
Linde moved to the production site in Merthyr Tydfil in the year 2000, taking it
over from the Korean industrial truck manufacturer Halla Ltd., which had set up the
site in 1996. The site covers some 240,000 m² and includes a production hall with an
office wing that extends over almost 21,000 m². Previously, the heavy trucks and
container handlers were built 24 km away in the Lansing Linde Ltd. plant in
Blackwood, but there was no opportunity for expansion at that site.


Web Site: http://www.imageline.co.uk

Contact Details: For further information, contacts, interviews or related images .
please contact:
Sarah A. Chase
Head of PR
Image Line Communications Ltd.
Unit 1A Zetland House
5-25 Scrutton Street
London
EC2A 4HJ

(t) + 44 (0) 20 7689 9009
(f) + 44 (0) 20 7689 8008
(e) pr@imageline.co.uk
www.imageline.co.uk

Visit our press centre at any time for further news, photos and information!
http://www.imagelinepr.co.uk/imageline/press-centre.php