Foton Motor's strength growing in global market

Beijing-based Beiqi Foton Motor Co Ltd has mapped out an ambitious plan to improve its competitiveness both at home and abroad through enhancing brand awareness, strengthening research and development (R&D) and promoting international cooperation during the 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-10).

With a sales goal of more than 1 million vehicles and projected income surpassing 80 billion yuan by 2010, Beiqi Foton is now laying the groundwork to become a Chinese automotive heavyweight.

With 20 percent of the 1 million vehicles expected to be sold overseas, the company also hopes to have a role to play in the global market.

Already one of the top commercial vehicle manufacturers in China, Foton began to implement a globalization strategy five years ago. Its exports, including heavy- and light-duty trucks, pickups, light passenger vehicles and buses, are now sold in 46 countries and regions in West Asia, North Africa, Eastern Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

By offering high-quality and value-for-cost products, as well as services tailored to clients in each region, it has won increasing recognition among overseas dealers and clients.

To further advance the process of globalization, Beiqi Foton continues to enhance cooperation with foreign research institutions and companies.

AVL in Austria, the Bosch Group in Germany, Lotus Co in the United Kingdom, MIM Design in Japan and Eaton International Corp in the United States are all partners with the company.

In order to meet customer needs, Beiqi Foton has strengthened its R&D and kept pace with global trends to update its products.

The company has continued to upgrade its product line and now has such well-known brands as Forland, Auman, Ollin, Sup, Auv, Saga, Aumark and MP-X. And the company's new model - MP-X.Midi makes its debut during the ongoing Beijing Auto Show.

In addition to drawing on experience gained from overseas partners, Beiqi Foton is also paying increased attention to self-innovation and independent R&D.

The company has established an innovation approach that combines the Beiqi Foton Academy of Automobile Engineering in Beijing working in conjunction with overseas R&D centers in Japan and Europe as well as China's Taiwan province.

Its close working relations with domestic and overseas universities, research institutions and suppliers also help the company timely track the latest developments in the global automobile industry and customer demands to ensure its R&D has kept pace with current needs and trends.

The company has invested more than 3 billion yuan in developing new products and building a well-structured technology innovation system.

It has made breakthroughs in such core expertise as outer appearance design, interior design, automatic assembly control, tailpipe emission control and crash safety technology.

Beiqi Foton's emission reduction laboratory became operational in August 2007 to ensure its vehicles meet international standards.

The company has applied for 171 patents that cover a range of technological aspects in automobile manufacturing.

It has also imported the latest technologies, techniques and equipment from foreign partners to ensure its product quality. Advanced management and strict quality control also enable the company to offer satisfactory products and services to its customers.

Founded in 1996, Beiqi Foton is one of the largest commercial vehicle producers in China. It went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in June 1998.

Headquartered in Beijing, it has assets exceeding 7 billion yuan and more than 20,000 employees.

The company has to date sold more than 2 million vehicles in both domestic and overseas markets. Its brand value is estimated at 17.54 billion yuan, ranking the first among China's commercial vehicle producers.

Beiqi Foton's business units can be seen in municipalities and provinces such as Tianjin, Shandong, Hebei, Hunan, Hubei, Liaoning, and Guangdong and its R&D branches have been established in Japan and Germany as well as China's Taiwan province.

Address: Shayang Road, Shahe, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China

Fax: 86-10-80716402-225

Email: jckgs@foton.com.cn

Http://www.foton.com.cn

(China Daily 04/25/2008 page18)