“We are enthusiastic about expanding our already strong footprint in Africa with this new order to ESLSE. We look forward to actively support and be part of their expansion plans and are confident that our machines will meet their requirements and boost productivity,” says Andreas Falk, Sales Director IMEA at Konecranes. The twenty-three forklifts are made up of SMV 10-1200Bs, SMV 15- 1200Bs, SMV 20-1200Bs, SMV 25-1200Bs and SMV28-1200Bs. The machines will operate in Djibouti, the main coastal port of Ethiopia, as well as at the dry port of Modjo. Konecranes fork lift trucks ready for shipment to Ethiopia. Djibouti serves as the principle import/export hub for Ethiopia, handling general cargo and an annual container throughput of 800,000 TEU. Dry port Modjo is situated 800km from Dijbouti. Containers are transported by trucks from Djibouti to the dry port at Modjo for onward distribution. Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE)
is a state-owned enterprise and was established to provide shipping and logistics services within the country. They will take delivery of the equipment in April 2014, a swift 12 weeks after finalization of the contract. The first lift trucks are now being shipped from the Konecranes production unit Markaryd, Sweden. Mr Ahmed Tusa, Chief Executive Officer of ESLSE, commented that ESLSE is pleased to have reached this agreement with Konecranes. “During the evaluation process Konecranes proved to be the most suitable supplier for our heavy fork lift trucks operation. The lift trucks will play a crucial role in increasing the efficiency of cargo handling both at the Djibouti port and at the dry port at Modjo”, he said.
Lowest Total Cost of Ownership
The heavy duty fork lift trucks to be delivered are designed for demanding operations in tropical climates. They are equipped with load-sensing hydraulic systems, a state of the art control system, heavy duty chassis and lift masts and accessories for handling various types of goods; making it the hardest working lift truck in the world. The design of Konecranes equipment provides customers with low fuel consumption and performance at the bottom line: the lowest total cost of ownership.
Picture taken outside Konecranes manufacturing facility in Markaryd, Sweden. Photo shows: (Left to right) Andreas Falk, Sales Director IMEA, Konecranes and Ahmed Tusa, Chief Executive Officer of ESLSE.