JIANGSU-based Rainbow-Cargotec Industries (RCI), a joint venture of Cargotec and Jiangsu Rainbow Heavy Industries (RHI) in China, has celebrated the ground-breaking of construction for its new plant in Taicang in Jiangsu province to become operational within two years.

The giant plant will occupy 30 hectares with its core area occupying 265,000 square metres.

The ground breaking ceremony for the new facility was hosted by Cargotec's president and CEO Mikael Makinen as well as RCI president and general manager Wu Jian. Huang Xing, Chinese ambassador to Finland and Lars Backstrom, Finish ambassador to China attended the ceremony.

RCI will provide leading heavy crane solutions globally and grasp growth opportunities in the Chinese and global markets with a strong local presence, knowledge and experience. The joint venture will focus on making ship-to-shore cranes, rubber-tyre gantries, rail mounted cranes and other heavy crane products.

The ground breaking in Taicang demonstrates RHI's and Cargotec's commitment to combining our forces for future success, said Mr Mokinen. "We will create new, globally competitive solutions that will certainly benefit our customers. The new facility will have excellent waterway connections to our markets by the Yangtze River and it will increase Cargotec's delivery capacity."

"We have also been pleased with the cooperation we have had with the local Taicang government. RCI is expected to bring many employment opportunities in the area and it will also bring many indirect employment effects," said Mr Wu