WOLFF WHISTLES FOR AN UPTURN

With Thailand among the countries worst hit by the currency crisis, MAN Wolffkran has particular reason to be despondent, for Thailand had become fertile Wolff territory.

It has sold about 70 cranes there, and in 1995 it set up sales and rental company Wolffkran Thailand Ltd in joint venture with local partner Handling Way Service.

There have been no sales since the crash of July last year, will certainly be none this year, and very probably not even any sales next year either, says Christoph Hoene, MAN Wolffkran’s general manager, sales.

Wolffkran Thailand’s rental fleet of 16 units is not all standing idle in a yard, as may be imagined. Some towers are still busily working away on site. The problem is the lack of projects following on after current orders are worked out. “The downturn has not come to an end,” Hoene says.

But it is not all gloom. Singapore still “looks okay”, says Hoene, and this month a tower crane is shipped to its Singapore distributor, L&M.

The overall impact of the region’s problems on Wolffkran is that instead of South East Asia providing 40% of worldwide turnover, as it did in 1997, it will be something like 25% to 30% this year.