Ten years ago, in June 2007, ABM Greiffenberger Antriebstechnik GmbH founded its subsidiary ABM Drives Suzhou Co. Ltd. in the Chinese city of Suzhou, near Shanghai—and has written a success story since. What began with four employees grew continually in the following years. In 2017, sales are at 13 million euros and ABM Drives is well established in the market.

Back then, ABM Greiffenberger went to China to better serve customers worldwide, to improve response and delivery times, to ensure quick service and to strengthen its position in the global market. Today, there are 27 employees working in sales, purchasing and production in Suzhou. By the end of August, a move is planned into a new and larger building, not far from the present location. Instead of the present 1,250 square meters, there will be about 3,200 square meters of which 2,450 will be for production and logistics.

“The old building is bursting at the seams, the move opens best prospects for the future,” said Robert Lackermeier CEO of ABM Greiffenberger Antriebstechnik. “In these premises, further products will be built for the Chinese market and new production processes will be added. This will strengthen our position even more.”

Since its foundation in 2007, ABM Drives has been growing constantly. Sales increased from 1.9 million euros in 2009 to 13 million today. “We have established ourselves very well in the Chinese market,” said Bernd Hauenstein, General Manager of ABM Drives (Suzhou) Co, Ltd. “We are offering comprehensive service with short response times because our employees are quickly on site. The production in Suzhou ensures short delivery times. We are producing a very high quality which meets German and international standards.”

In general, the order situation at ABM Greiffenberger is very good and above plan. Orders are above the level of the previous year and the project pipeline with concrete requests for customized solutions is well filled.

Meanwhile the activities in China are excellent. The Weihua – Group, a prominent Chinese crane builder has honored ABM as an ”Outstanding Supplier“. For the assessment, the selected criteria were quality, innovation ability and delivery reliability. ABM Greiffenberger supplies Weihua with hoist and travel drives for hoist technology.

It is the future goal for the drive specialist to penetrate the focused markets of hoist technology, conveyor technology, storage logistics, material handling, e-mobility and renewable energies even more intensively. In addition, the company aims at further areas, like construction- and textile machinery in order to increase world market shares. In order to achieve this, ABM expands product lines like angular gearboxes and Sinochron motors and develops innovative future oriented drive systems including new electric motor technologies.