Recently, the high-profile 2015 international plastic exhibition (NPE) was held successfully in Orlando Convention center, Florida of USA. As China’s leading manufacturer of the high-end liquid packaging machinery, Tech-Long carried its latest products to NPE 2015.
In recent years, Guangzhou Tech-Long Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd. has become a leading manufacturing enterprise for domestic beverage packaging equipment, occupying 15% of the market. Up to date, Tech-Long is preparing to enter USA which is the largest packaging market in the world and intends to bring its success to USA. On the NPE 2015, executives of Tech-Long were interviewed by the Plastic News and made a speech on its entry into the US market. Leaders interviewed included Mr. Zhang Songming, chairman of the board of Tech-Long, Mr. Keith Boss, CEO of Tech-Long USA, and Mr. Johnson Zhang, director and general manager of Tech-Long USA. They said that they would do their utmost to made Tech-Long occupy 10-15% of the US market in the next five years.
On NPE 2015, Tech-Long exhibited its latest products—the G5 rotary stretch blower. The output for the single cavity can be up to 2400 bottles per hour; the machine includes 6 to 32 cavities; its energy consumption is reduced by 10-15%, but the high pressure air recovery rate can be up to 55%. This high performance machine utilized servo motor to replace the pneumatic stretch rod; the integrated clamp system can take bottles out of the mould more quickly; a new programmable logic controller has been added in the machine which is equipped with the 15-inch touch screen user interface. Through an integrated blowing device, the air sending volume and overall air sending volume are reduced. Six step blowing process are used for pre-blow-molding, second time blowmolding, major blow molding, the first cycle, the second cycle and venting. This machine does not use the low pressure compressed air. Embryos of pre-form bottles can be sent automatically into blower machine. At the same time, Tech-Long also demonstrated a PET pre-form bottle embryo and injection molding machine produced by Guangzhou Unique Injection Molding Machinery Co., Ltd. Tech-Long holds 44.9% stake of this company. Tech-Long was founded by Mr Zhang Songming in 1999. After only 16 years, he has developed Tech-Long into a domestic industrial leader. Over the years, Tech-Long has taken the lead to draft several national industrial standards, and 70-80% of domestic brands of blowing and molding machines in the Chinese market are produced by Tech-Long. At the same time, Tech-Long has successfully developed the international market. According to incomplete statistics, 2300 production lines produced by Tech-Long were put into use in 80 countries. Tech-Long conducted cooperation with such international giants as P&G, Unilever and Pepsi.
“We supply filling lines to P&G’s global locations, not just China, but also U.S. head office in Cincinnati, France, Czech Republic and Russia, and elsewhere,” Zhang Songming said.
Tech-Long’s ongoing push in the U.S. market is built on the foundation of four years of preparation, said Johnson Zhang, who set up the Commerce, Calif.-based American in December2011.
“We wanted to build a solid service and support system before pushing for sales,” added ZhangSongming.
In addition to the California headquarter, Tech-Long USA also plans to open a facility on the East Coast before the end of the year.Boss, who is currently based in Atlanta, said the company has already picked the location but is not ready to announce. “It will be a 25,000-square-foot facility with machines, spare parts and service,” he said. “We’ll have injection molding, blowing and packaging equipment.”
In recent years, Tech-Long headquarters in USA has sold 25 sets of blower in America, 9 of them were sold for the American market. The G5 blower demonstrated on NPE 2015 was sold and delivered to one customer in Texas.
Johnson Zhang said: “we don’t worry about sales. We pay more attention to the market recognition of our technology and brand. We want to ensure the greatest satisfaction from customers.”
Mr. Zhang Songming said: “we are sending a signal to the market, we will take root in this, and we have a long-term development plan. We want to win the loyalty and trust of American customers.” The trust is based on our technology. He added: “we believe that our technology is as brilliant as or even better than that of any blower manufacturers around the world. In fact, technology is always the most important priority for Tech-Long.” Tech-Long puts 5-7% of its annual sales in research and development, and now holds more than 70 patents. “I hope that the US market can find our self-developed technology the first-class, we win customers not only out of the price.” Mr Zhang Songming stated.
He added, the molding machine of Tech-Long is simple in design and easy for maintenance. The fact that our giant customers like P&G using our equipment around the world has indicated, “our products has proved their strength in the past decade.”
Johnson Zhang said, inviting industry veteran Mr. Boss to join is an integral part of Tech-Long’s global expansion.
Before joining Tech-Long, Mr. Boss was vice President and general manager of Sidel North American headquarters. And he worked in HUSKY offices in Asia, Europe and the United States for more than 20 years. During this time, sales of HUSKY increased more than 20 times. Mr. Boss said, he sees the same huge growth potential in Tech-Long as in HUSKY before he joined Tech-Long. He said, “Tech-Long is ready to expand in America!”