Feeder manufacturer Shanghai Sonner Machinery Co. Ltd. will expand its Shanghai facilities and grow its U.S. office, said general manager Peng Pai. The changes are part of the company's long-term development strategy, he said in an interview at the recent Chinaplas show in Guangzhou.
Sonner's Shanghai facilities will relocate within the next two years to a new space double the size of its current location. The 2,000-square-meter space is near the company's current location.
The increased space will be used for production, assembly and technical facilities.
Following the company's opening of a branch office in Akron, Ohio, last year, the company plans on launching sales and after-sales service in the office, as well as research and development.
"We have explored the American market [for] almost three years," said Peng. "This is a very strategic position for our western development." The company is hiring U.S. sales staff and engineers, and hopes to launch R&D by 2014.