Heavy industry firm buys stake in German manufacturer

Shandong Heavy Industry (SHIG) on Monday clinched a deal to buy a 25-percent stake in German forklift manufacturer Kion Group, marking the greatest direct investment in a German firm made by a Chinese company to date.

The 738-million-euro (922 million U.S. dollars) deal was signed in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province.

Under the deal, Weichai Power, an automotive and equipment manufacturing group under SHIG, will invest 467 million euros to acquire a 25-percent stake in Kion Group, as well as another 271 million euros for a 70-percent majority stake in Kion's hydraulics business.

Kion Group is the world's second-largest forklift producer and holds 15 percent of the global market share in the sector. The purchase is expected to offer Kion debt-refinancing relief.

Tan Xuguang, chairman of the board of SHIG and CEO of Weichai Power, said Weichai will continue to raise its shares in Kion to 30 percent if the German partner's IPO is successful.

He said the Sino-German partnership will result in a significant change in the world's hydraulics industry.

"The deal helps integrate the world's leading high-pressure hydraulics technology and China's low-cost manufacturing advantage," Tan said.

Gordon Riske, CEO of Kion Group, said the deal will help the company gain better access to the Asian market.

Kion Group's hydraulics subsidiary -- Linde Hydraulics -- has two solely-funded plants in China. The plants' output accounts for 25 percent of the Chinese market share in the sector.

SHIG, the country's leading heavy industry company, realized revenues of 35.5 billion yuan (5.59 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half, down by 27.73 percent year on year.

Tan said the group has sustained 15 months of growth in export delivery value, which rose by 56 percent year on year in the first half, despite a recent plunge in the purchasing managers index for the manufacturing sector.

He said Weichai Power has sufficient capital flow after making its investment in Kion.

Tan announced last week that Weichai Power had recently concluded the acquisition and strategic restructuring of the Italy-based Ferretti Group.

Weichai Power now holds a 75-percent stake in Ferretti.

Tan said the company will use the next five years to make the company more comprehensive, adding that it will combine yacht design, construction and related system solutions, as well as organize related events.