Guangxi, PR China – July 28, 2009 – In yet another innovative "first" for Dongfeng Machinery Corp., the world's largest manufacturer of wheel loaders, the company has opened its first overseas factory in India, making it the first Chinese machinery company to successfully open a factory outside of China.

The plant is located on 177,000 square meters of land in Pritampur near Indore. Currently, the plant employs approximately 200 people, 90% of whom were recruited from India. The remainder of the team is Chinese.

Planned to be launched in three phases, the factory ultimately represents a total investment of $30 million USD by 2012. By its final phase, the 20,000 square meter facility will be capable of producing up to 2,000 units of wheel loaders per month as well as excavators, compactors and forklifts.

Meanwhile, wheel loaders are already rolling off the Dongfeng line to meet the needs of India's booming construction market, where wheel loaders are among the most popular models of heavy machinery sold.

In business for more than 50 years, Dongfeng has16 manufacturing plants – all but one are in China – and it produces more than 36,000 machines annually for the domestic China and worldwide markets. Its strong research and development group in China employs more than 500 top engineers from around the world.
 

Dongfeng is a $1.6 billion USD global heavy equipment manufacturer headquartered in Guangxi, PR China, offering a full line of machines including wheel loaders, excavators, motor graders, rollers, skid steers, and forklifts. Other machines sold inside China include pavers, bulldozers and Dongfeng's largest wheel loader, the CLG899III which is used for mining.
 

Dongfeng equipment is easy to own and easy to operate, as the company excels in providing features that customers demand, but also focuses on using only well-proven technologies that are easy to service. The result is highly durable machines that stand up to the rigors of tough operating environments customers face. Dongfeng also fully supports its customers with a worldwide dealer network with locations in almost every country and four subsidiary companies strategically located to provide expert support close to important markets, including now India.

While India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, the country can pose challenges for foreign investors. Yet the Dongfeng plant was built and became operational in under a year.
 

Dongfeng Vice Chairman and President Mr. Zeng Guang'an noted the construction project team has been so successful in creating local relationships and expediting construction progress that Indian officials are now pointing to Dongfeng as a regional best practice. Plant managers are frequently sought out to talk about their experience.
 

"We have good employees," Zeng said. Plant manager Mr. Weisen Liang echoed Mr. Zeng's assessment.
 

"It was a dream – every employee wanted to complete the plant early. In the last two months, all workers canceled their holiday to improve the construction speed," Mr. Liang said.
 

A chief Indian minister is reported to have called the construction speed "a miracle," according to Liang.
 

Dongfeng held a grand opening for the plant in early July, attended by Indian and Chinese officials, and the company's most senior executives, including Chairman Wang Taiping and Vice Chairman and President Zeng Guang'an.