Maersk Container Industry (MCI), headquartered in the Danish city of Tinglev, has been sold to China International Marine Containers Ltd. (CIMC) for DKK 6.6 billion. Despite the sale, however, the Chinese container giant will continue to invest in Danish specialist knowledge and so far, the almost 100 employees in southern Jutland are protected, JydskeVestkysten writes.
When A.P Moller – Mærsk built the container factory in Tinglev in 1991, it was to compete with China. It didn’t work and only 10 years after, the production of dry cargo containers was moved to China while the production of refrigerated containers was moved in 2006.
But even though all production of Maersk Container Industry’s products are now taking place in China, all development including sales and service has continued to be managed from the company’s headquarter in Tinglev, Denmark, and there it’s been done well.
So well that MCI is world-leading in the global market with its Star Cool cooling machine, which can be built directly into refrigerated containers. Last year, the company had a profit of over DKK 500 million and Star Cool recently produced its product number 400,000. The demand is so great that MCIs factory in Qingdao, China can no longer keep up.
The company’s recent sale to CIMC includes all MCI’s activities so the question arises – what is now going to happen in MCIs offices in Tinglev?
Although the press manager at AP Møller – Mærsk Signe Wagner states that no interviews will be given in connection with the sale, she does explain that CIMC will take over the entire sales and development department and all the employees in Tinglev.
“And it is, as far as I know, the plan that the employees stay there,” she says.
Signe Wagner notes that there is an approval process first regarding the sale and explains that after that CIMC will most likely produce the containers.
“But MCI makes the technology behind these refrigeration units. And as I understand it, one of the reasons for CIMC’s purchase is that MCI is capable of something very special. The company is very innovative in that area and that is something that will be of great use for CIMC,” she says.
According to JydskeVestkystens information, CIMC has previously on several occasions tried to develop a cooling machine and if the company continues to invest in Tinglev, Star Cool will be open to a significantly larger market, as CIMC has the necessary production capacity.
It will also benefit other South Jutland companies as the cooling machine contains components from, among others, Danfoss and Bitzer.
