The Hindu Business Line : Macneill Engg unveils diesel forklift range

These forklifts, manufactured at the company's Kolkata factory in technical collaboration with a Taiwanese firm, would find application in businesses where materials are moved, stored and containerised, according to Mr Pradip Churiwal, Chairman & CEO of the company.

Mr Churiwal told Business Line the new range of forklifts would be "economical", and backed by one-year after-sales warranty and countrywide service back up.

Depending upon the capacity, these forklifts are priced in the Rs 4.5-9 lakh range.

The company is hopeful of selling "at least" 100 forklifts within the next 12 months. The company expects to sell after three years 250 forklifts annually.

Besides the Indian market, enquiries have come in from buyers in SAARC countries and the UAE.

Distributor for Linde

Mr Churiwal said Macneill has been appointed exclusive distributor for products of Linde, the German global equipment handling major, in eastern, northern and North-eastern regions and Nepal.

For hand pallet trucks, Macneill has been appointed Linde's exclusive distributor for the whole of India.

Already, Macneill sells its own branded hand pallet trucks in India and accounts for a 10 per cent share of the domestic market for hand pallet trucks.

While the company manufactures around 40 forklifts every month at its factory here, with the introduction of the new range of diesel forklifts, the production is expected to go up to around 50 units every month.

Macneill's manufacturing unit here is equipped to manufacture 850 forklifts annually.

Diversifies

Macneill has also diversified into leasing, operations and maintenance of material handling equipment, with clients such as ITC at Guntur, Gas Authority of India Ltd at Pata in Uttar Pradesh and Airports Authority of India in Chennai.

During the year ended March 31, 2007, Macneill Engineering recorded a turnover of Rs 37 crore, up from the Rs 24 crore in 2005-06.

The turnover target for the current fiscal has been pegged at Rs 55 crore, Mr Churiwal said.

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