Asia’s shipping industry is thriving. According to a current report by the Maritime Information Market, Asian-Pacific waters have been witnessing higher levels of trade in the last few years. Many new ports are popping up, while existing ones are expanding. Hot spots are China, Korea, Japan and Malaysia. Parallel to this, PALFINGER registers a rising demand for deck equipment- and lifesaving appliance (LSA) services globally and even more so in APAC.
Key player for crane and LSA-services in APAC
“For the last two years, we’ve been working very hard to consolidate our position in APAC”, says Chan Chang-Hae, “and it paid off. These days, PALFINGER counts among the strongest service providers on the market”. Chan, Managing Director APAC for PALFINGER’s marine business, knows how the wind blows in this business. He brought profound knowledge and experience, gained at a global ship service company, to his role at PALFINGER when he joined in 2012. “What sets us apart from most of our competitors is that we are not just another annual inspection service provider. We offer multiple services including engine repowering, davit repairs, winch overhaul, GRP repairs, painting, and many more”, Chan elaborates.
Chan Chang-Hae (on the right) with his colleagues at Sea Asia 2019
Expanding business due to rising demand
“Our large installed base in the offshore and cruise segment turned out to be very beneficial, given the high demand”. But sometimes, where there is light, there is also darkness: “Of course, we cannot ignore what’s happening at the moment”, Chan says, “the coronavirus crisis has caused some serious struggles, and will continue to do so for the time being. On the positive side, we have recently expanded our business, entered new markets and generated promising leads”.
In fact, with their major contribution in establishing the PALFINGER Neptune Joint Venture, Chan Chang-Hae and his colleague Ji Tang took the marine business a huge step forward. “We have successfully laid the foundations for PALFINGER Neptune. There is still some way to go, but we plan on finishing the set-up by autumn 2020”, Ji explains. He will be following in Chan’s footsteps as Managing Director Shanghai and Hongkong for PALFINGER’s marine business. More importantly, he will attend to his new role as communication bridge between PALFINGER and its strategic partner Neptune.
Ji Tang and Felix Strohbichler, member of PALFINGER’s executive board, at Marintec China 2019, celebrating PALFINGER NEPTUNE’s first public appearance
As part of the JV, a new service headquarter will be established in Jiangyin. It will cover the Northeast Asian market, in addition to the service headquarter in Singapore for Southeast Asia. And there is even more to come: “Currently, we have service stations in Singapore and Shanghai as well as a satellite station in Guangzhou. Due to the increasing demand, we are planning to open some more satellite stations in China in the coming years”, Ji announces proudly.
PALFINGER stands out with its impressive global service network. In Asia-Pacific, the company has many strong local partners: Neptune (China), Wiltrading (Australia), Denray (New Zealand), Serimatik (Malaysia), PT RCP (Indonesia), Mizuno (Japan), Fine Ocean (Taiwan) and PH Tech (South Korea).
Exploring new potentials
“LSA-services are the bread and butter within the APAC region. And we see even more future potential there with PALFINGER Neptune on the starting blocks. Also, we are quite successful in the offshore segment which is owed to our strong base in Singapore”, says Chan, pointing out PALFINGERs main pillars in the region. “What is more, wind crane services, also handled in Singapore, seem to be becoming our greatest potential in APAC. Recently, we have won major contracts including equipment deliveries as well as service agreements”, he adds. Latest examples include the Taiwanese offshore wind farm projects Formosa 1 phase 1 and 2 as well as Yunlin.
Well-trained team players: PALFINGERs service experts
“Our service engineers are well-trained and multi-brand-oriented. Their know-how extends over a multiple scope of service solutions. Regular periodic trainings at our training center keep their fingers on the pulse”, says Chan. On asking Ji what customers appreciate in our service engineers, he answers, smiling: “That’s simple. It’s their active service attitude. On top of that, they are team players and excellent communicators.”
Thanks to Chan’s and Ji’s firm commitment, PALFINGER has become one of the most competitive service providers in Asia-Pacific. They have successfully brought PALFINGER’s mission and values to one of the world’s most flourishing maritime markets.