Suzhou sees US manufacturer set up new plant

Trane Technologies plc, a United States manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, as well as refrigeration systems, announced on Friday that it has put a new plant into operation in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

With an investment of 300 million yuan ($41.48 million), the facility for Thermo King – one of its brands - not only aims to enhance the company's production capacity in China but also to supply products to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

In addition to the existing product lines at its manufacturing base in Suzhou - which include transport temperature control equipment for container ships, refrigerated truck temperature control systems, bus air conditioners and generators - the new factory will introduce production lines for trailer temperature control systems and new independent temperature control systems for trucks and shipping companies.

Noting that China is one of Trane Technologies' key growth markets globally, Wu Chuangang, the company's vice-president of operations and integrated supply chain for the Asia-Pacific region, said that the company has maintained double-digit growth over the past three years, demonstrating strong business performance.

"The new factory will introduce additional product lines, particularly trailer temperature control products in the coming years, which are expected to drive further business growth," said Wu.

"As an important product in Trane Technologies' cold chain transportation portfolio, this will also raise the skill requirements for production line workers," he added.

The Chinese market is characterized by a growing emphasis on quality of life among businesses and consumers, along with increasing attention to food safety and health, said Ling Han, Trane Technologies' vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region.

Ling said that the demand for premium, high-quality food is on the rise, driving the need for faster, safer and more reliable cold-chain transportation. These trends present significant growth potential for the cold chain logistics sector.

"We are not only focused on meeting current market demands but also actively preparing for the future. This includes exploring emerging fields such as new energy and biopharmaceuticals, aligning closely with diverse market growth opportunities and national policy directions," she added.

The US company currently runs four manufacturing bases and one research and development center across China. About half of its products manufactured in China are exported to other countries.