In front of guests and the staff of Grimme China, Franz, Christine and Christoph Grimme have opened a new manufacturing plant in Tianjin.
According to the manufacturer, best known here in Ireland for its potato-related equipment, the new 12,500m² facility is “state-of-the-art”.
Tianjin is located approximately 130km south-east of Beijing – China’s massive capital city.
The development includes a new 1,400m² office building; it’s all situated on a 3.5ha site.
Amounting to over €13 million, the sum involved has been described as “one of the largest single-investments abroad in the company’s 150-year history”.
Project manager Christoph Grimme explained: “The new plant is designed for state-of-the-art manufacturing and production, so that we are able to guarantee the same high quality level as at the main plant in Damme (Germany).
A Grimme harvester in action in Co. Cork. Image source: Shane Casey
“Initially, the production focus will be on machines for planting, cultivating, harvesting and storage of potatoes that have been specially developed for the Chinese market.”
‘Traditional’ company
Grimme – describing itself as a “traditional company from Damme” – has been active in the ‘country of the rising sun‘ for two decades.
With over five million hectares of potatoes, China is the world’s largest producer. According to the manufacturer, the country has undergone rapid development during recent years.
In fact, the Chinese government has declared potatoes to be among the four most important foods; it therefore wants to “expand potato cultivation massively”.
