Haitian seeks lead in Russia and former CIS countries.

11 December 2006 – Ningbo Haitian Group says that it is aiming for market leadership in Russia and the former CIS countries by 2010, improving on a claimed present number three position with 140 machines sold in 2005 in the region, behind the leader Demag Plastics group and the Korean supplier LG in second position.

Ningbo Haitian says that it will form a sales, technical and service joint venture with Plastic-Centre in Moscow by the end of 2006, through a shareholding by its Haitian Europe subsidiary in Italy, in order to strengthen its market position in Russia and the CIS. Ningbo Haitian board member Prof. Helmar Franz will be appointed to the board of the new JV company.

Plastic-Centre is a company with several years of sales and service experience with Haitian injection moulding machines and ancillary plastics processing equipment, that Haitian says will “consolidate the former work of different independent agents operating in the Russian market”.

Alexander Dokouchaev will be CEO of the new company and Hu Bo will be CTO. Bo has experience as a member of the Haitian international after-sales service team in China and has also been employed by Haitian Europe’s headquarters in Cazzago, near Brescia.