The machinery firm has built a technical centre and production facility in Shanghai

The machinery firm has built a technical centre and production facility in Shanghai

Over the last three years Husky’s Asia business has grown three-fold and it is expected to triple in the next five years, according to Marcus Sutch, Husky’s president of service & sales in Asia-Pacific.

Asia is the injection moulding machinery manufacturer’s smallest but fastest growing market, Sutch told PRW.com at the T-Plas show in Bangkok. The company recently completed the first phase of construction at its technical centre and production facility in Shanghai, at a cost of $15m (E12m). The second phase of construction will double floorspace from 11,500 sq metres to 24,000 sq metres and cost another $10m to $15m (E8 to E12m).

Sutch said Asian customers were sensitive to response as well as price, and having a production facility in Asia greatly reduces delivery time. For example, a hot runner system manufactured in Canada takes about four weeks to be delivered to China, but with a production facility in China, it will only take one week. Sutch said over 100 hot runner systems have been produced in a temporary facility in Shanghai to date.

Husky has sold 30 units of its recently-launched HyPET system. Of these, two were sold to Chinese customers. One will be on display at the coming Chinaplas in June and the other will be installed soon. The firm will also be promoting its Thixomolding machines at this year’s show.