CHICAGO (Aug. 1, 3:15 p.m. EDT) — Lung Meng Machinery Co. Ltd. is opening a new, 100,000-square-foot plant at its base in Tainan, Taiwan. Production will start next year.
``Our existing four factories, totaling 400,000 square feet, have been running at full capacity. We are having delayed deliveries, so it is really time to expand,´´ said Allen Tsai, general manager of Lung Meng Machinery (U.S.A.) Inc.
Tsai said the best market right now for the firm´s blown film extruders and bag-making machines is Eastern Europe, with 2005 sales there at about $20 million, followed by $10 million in the Americas and $10 million in the Middle East. Its Asian home market registered $7 million to $8 million.
``Growth trend in East Europe is unprecedented,´´ Tsai said. ``Sales grew 30 percent there last year.´´
In comparison, the firm´s North and South American markets together grew less than 15 percent he said. At NPE in Chicago, Lung Meng, also doing business as Dragon Plastic Machinery Co. Ltd., sold four bag-making machines to U.S. customers and two to clients in Mexico. Its U.S. branch is in Miami.