A local subsidiary of a Chinese company has unveiled a new warehouse facility that it will operate at the Woodside Northwest Industrial Park as part of its parent company’s expansion in Columbus.
Yinchang Inc., which is a subsidiary of Zhejiang Yinlun Machinery Co. Ltd., or Yinlun, made the announcement during a ceremony Friday at its new 65,000-square-foot facility, 6889 S. International Dr., Suite B.
Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Columbus City Council representative Elaine Wagner, as well as a host of company representatives and local business leaders, attended the event.
As part of Yinlun’s expansion, Yinchang will operate the warehouse and plans to hire 10 new employees by the end of the year, said Brandon Jiang, vice president of marketing and sales for North America at Yinchang.
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Yinlun’s expansion is being driven, in large part, by its business relationship with Cummins, which totaled around $20 million in sales last year, Jiang said.
Yinchang Inc. has been operating in Columbus since 2007.
“In order to meet our customers’ expectations or to exceed our customers’ expectations, we’re trying to establish more operations locally, especially close to our customers. So the first step, as we’ve seen today, is that we’re making warehousing and value-added services locally in Columbus,” Xiaomin Xu, chairman of Zhejiang Yinlin Machinery Co. Ltd., said through a translator. “…We’re already making our strategic plans for expansions in the future. Within three years, we’re trying to establish manufacturing here locally in Columbus in order to support Cummins.”
The new facility primarily will be used to house engine components, Jiang said. The company hopes to start using the new facility next week.
Jiang declined to reveal how much money the company has invested in the new facility, saying the company is still developing its strategic plan.
Previously, Yinchang Inc. operated a 30,000-square-foot space next door to its new facility Woodside Northwest Industrial Park, Jiang said.
Lienhoop, who spoke at the event, said the company’s expansion in Columbus is a “good omen” for the community.
“We have, for several years, have been pursuing expansion opportunities in China,” Lienhoop said. “This is a good omen that we’ve had some success and there’s an interest in Columbus in China. It also points to the value to have customers in our community because they will bring their suppliers or their customers closer to them. We’re just happy to see this come forward.”
Jason Hester, president of the Greater Columbus Economic Development Corp., said no local or state tax incentives have been awarded to the company as of yet.
“This represents continued growth by one of our international companies,” Hester said. “…We hope it lays a foundation for future manufacturing by this company. Now, it’s logistics, it’s warehouse, it’s some other value-add opportunities, but this is also a company that manufactures, so we would like to see them bring manufacturing (to Columbus).”
Yinchang Inc. is a joint venture of Zhejiang Yinlun Machinery Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Dongfeng Motor Industry Import/Export Co. Ltd., company officials said.
Yinlun had around $714 million in revenue worldwide last year, Jiang said. Yinchang had around $3 million in revenue in Columbus over the same period.
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Yinchang Inc. first established operations in Columbus in August 2007, and today is a joint venture of Zhejiang Yinlun Machinery Co. Ltd. and Shanghai Dongfeng Motor Industry Import/Export Co. Ltd.
The company’s Columbus operations specialize in international supply chain solutions such as warehousing, repackaging, kitting and other value-added services. The customers serves customers in the U.S. and China, and has a bilingual staff.
Source: Greater Columbus Indiana Economic Development Corp.
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