Kalmar makes Benelux concrete industry debut with Martens Beton forklift order

Martens Beton, one of the Benelux region's leading suppliers of concrete products, has ordered a total of 14 forklift trucks (FLTs) with lifting capacities ranging from five to 12 tonnes from Kalmar Industries. The Martens Beton order - delivery of which will be made to the company's production facility in Oosterhout, the Netherlands, in early 2008 - will give Kalmar its debut in the Benelux concrete industry.

The Martens Beton order comprises four DCE 50-6HM units with five-tonne lifting capacity; eight DCE 80-6HM units and one DCE 80-9HM unit, all with eight-tonne lifting capacity; and one DCE 120-12 with 12-tonne lifting capacity. The FLTs will be fitted with a variety of attachments, including rotators, triple forks, quadruple forks and stone clamps. All 14 machines have been procured under a 60-month rental contract that provides for 1,500 running hours per machine.

According to Paul Michon, Managing Director, Kalmar Nederland, the order is the result of effective internal co-operation:

"This project was received due to the excellent communications between departments such as sales, service, and back and front office within our Dutch agent, Kalmar Hoogvliet, and Sweden. By levering our various areas of expertise, we were able to show Martens Beton, which previously sourced its forklifts from another manufacturer, that we were the ideal equipment supplier.

"The contract is a real coup for Kalmar as we are confident it will give us valuable inroads into the concrete business in the Benelux region. Other producers will be monitoring the performance of Martens Beton's forklifts closely, so it is important that both Kalmar and the machines excel for the duration of this contract."

Established more than 120 years ago, the Martens Beton group has grown vigorously, leading to its current position as the Benelux market leader in concrete and plastic products for earthworks, road construction and hydraulic engineering trades, as well as the DIY industry. Products include concrete drains and sewage systems, paving, concrete flagstones, agricultural plates, industrial concrete floor slabs and ready mix concrete.

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Notes to editor:

Press information can be found on Kalmar's website: www.kalmarind.com. Simply click on News Room to be taken to a list of recent press releases. A photograph to accompany this release is also available on the Kalmar website, by clicking on Press Pictures. The caption for the photograph reads:

"Kalmar makes its debut in the Benelux concrete industry with a rental agreement from Martens Beton for 14 forklifts with lifting capacities ranging from five to 12 tonnes. The duration of the contract is 60 months and covers each machine for 1,500 running hours."

Kalmar is a global provider of container and heavy duty materials handling equipment, automation applications and related services. It is the world's leading supplier of cargo handling equipment to ports, terminals and intermodal facilities.

Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine. The company also supplies a wide range of machines to demanding industrial customers for applications as diverse as handling steel and paper to shunting road trailers at distribution hubs.

Kalmar is also leading the way in port automation applications with its application of unmanned container handling technology, on-board smart features and remote maintenance products developed in co-operation with customers and partners.

Kalmar's product range is complemented by a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management. Production plants are situated in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Malaysia, China and the USA. Kalmar's net sales were EUR 1.343 billion in 2007.

Kalmar is part of Cargotec Corporation, the world's leading provider of cargo handling solutions, which are used in local transportation, terminals, ports, distribution centres, and ships. In 2007, Cargotec's net sales were EUR 3.018 billion. Cargotec's class B shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.