German firms tap Tianjin for success

Enterprises from diverse industries make city their base for growth at home and abroad

TIANJIN — Activity is in full swing at a 12,000-square-meter manufacturing factory of German company Big Dutchman in North China's Tianjin municipality.

Poultry farming equipment rolls off automated production lines, with a few workers operating the intelligent system. Neatly stacked products on the shelves by the wall will soon be delivered to customers across China.

Established in 1938, Big Dutchman is one of the world's largest suppliers of feeding systems and housing equipment for modern pig and poultry production.

As the company's only factory and logistics center in China, the Tianjin base, founded in 1997, has businesses involving marketing, production, services, procurement and logistics.

"China is a pillar market for the company's business growth. We still have great development potential in China in the future," said Walter Benz, president of Big Dutchman China.

After 30 years of development, Big Dutchman's business in China is on the up, with an annual output value of around 1 billion yuan ($138 million), contributing one-eighth of the company's total global output.

Currently, its customers and suppliers are all over China, and sales branches have been set up in many Chinese cities, such as Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Chengdu in Sichuan province.

To meet the trend of China's intelligent manufacturing development and better help Chinese customers manage their farms, Big Dutchman has made large investments in digitalized breeding systems and equipment to enhance its products' competitiveness in the country.

In the near future, the company plans to build its first insect farm in China to provide organic feed for poultry breeding and extend the industry chain, and it has also decided to design a new automated breeding greenhouse to enrich its product portfolio.