Konecranes delivers 23 heavy fork lift trucks to support expansion of Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise
In autumn 2013 Konecranes received an order for twenty-three heavy-duty fork lift trucks from the Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE) based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The order was booked into Konecranes’ 2013 order intake, the company said in its press release.
“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 fork lift trucks will operate in Djibouti, the main coastal port of Ethiopia, as well as at the dry port of Modjo.
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 truck from Djibouti to the dry port at Modjo for onward distribution.
Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Services Enterprise (ESLSE)
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.
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.