Kobelco Cranes, in its first full year since becoming an independent company within the Kobe Steel Group, says it took more than 30 per cent of the worldwide crawler crane market in 2004.

In the absence of officially collected statistics, Kobelco estimates that the world crawler crane market was in the region of 700 to 750 units in 2004, of which it claims to have sold more than 250.

Sales were helped by Kobelco’s strong presence in the booming China market, and also by its OEM agreement with Manitowoc, through which Manitowoc Crane Group sells Kobelco cranes in North America in Manitowoc colours. Sales have also been strong in the Middle East. Since Kobelco Cranes Co. Ltd. was established on 1 September 2003, it has opened offices in Shanghai and Dubai to provide marketing, sales and engineering support services.

Kobelco says that its presence at Bauma China in Shanghai in November, where it displayed a 250t class CKE 2500, resulted in firm orders.

In Europe, Kobelco Cranes had its best year for more than a decade, taking significantly more than 30 per cent of the market, with sales of the CKE 2500 and the 80t class CKE 800 particularly strong.

Jos Verhulst, sales manager for Kobelco Cranes Europe, said. ‘The new strategy of Kobelco Cranes as an independent company with accelerated decision making, local initiative, determined action, personalised service and global business operations is really paying off.’

Verhulst added that a significant order for Kobelco Cranes Europe was an agreement with Belgium company Sarens and Dutch companies De Kil, Adrighem and Nebem for delivery of 10 units of the CKE. This followed delivery of two additional units earlier in the year.

For a joint-venture operation in China between international rental companies Mammoet and Hovago, Kobelco Cranes Europe also delivered two CKE 2500 units in black-red Mammoet colours to Shanghai.

— Kobelco Cranes’ strong performance contributed to a 20.7 per cent year-on-year rise in November 2004 in the value of shipments of Japanese-made construction machinery, up to Yen141.3bn. This was the 26th consecutive monthly increase, according to Japan’s Construction Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (CEMA). Exports rose 43.7 per cent on the November 2003 figure, to Yen76.1bn, the 32nd consecutive monthly rise