History

We are made by 50 years of strong and solid history.

Since our establishment in 1972, we have been leading the way in the areas of design, manufacturing, sales, installation and the servicing of a comprehensive range of material handling systems and equipment in the Asia-Pacific region. This success is reflected by the establishment of partnerships, selection of equipment and support facilities that we offer through our regional companies and branches based in different countries.

It all started with the signing of an agency and manufacturing licence agreement between Singaporean based Jebsen & Jessen (SEA) and the German Demag Fördertechnik AG (now known as Demag Cranes & Components GmbH), which formed Mechanical Handling Engineering Ltd.
Signing the agency and manufacturing licence agreement between Jebsen & Jessen and Demag Fördertechnik. From left: Walter Hellmann (Board Member Demag Fördertechnik), Frank Schulz-Utermoehl and Albert Pons.
MHE's original premises at 10 Neythal Road, Jurong, Singapore (left) and at Jalan Kuchai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (right).
Still, in the inaugural year, we reached an agency agreement with Vahle Power Systems. The agreement allows us to offer a comprehensive range of power electrification rail systems, which are widely used in high-tech industries, such as electronics, car assembly, communications and heavy industries, namely steel mills, shipyards and ports.
The formation of MHE in Thailand in 1974 and MHE in Indonesia in 1975, where we set up another production facility in Surabaya one year later.
The formation of MHE in Thailand in 1974.
MHE-Demag's production plant in Surabaya.
To cope with the increased demand, we opened our first plant in Thailand in 1982.
Official opening of the first MHE plant in Thailand, 1982. From left: A.P. Jessen (Chairman of Jebsen & Jessen SEA), H.C. Lankes (German Ambassador to Thailand), K. Czeguhn (Board Member of Mannesmann Demag AG), C. Choonhavan (Minister of Industry Thailand), H. Wicke, S. Manonom, W. Putzier.
MHE extended its product portfolio of lifting solutions with an agency agreement with Mannesmann Anlagenbau, a supplier of state-of-the-art building maintenance systems, which later become Manntech GmbH. Their building maintenance systems, or “gondolas”, are designed to meet the challenging shape and size of any building façade, using mountings and winches similar to the equipment for material handling. To date, many of these systems have been installed in landmark buildings across South East Asia.
With a wide range of solutions, MHE-Manntech Building Maintenance Systems easily overcome virtually any access challenge of today's increasingly complex building design process.
One and a half decades after our inception, a 50-50 joint venture agreement was signed between Jebsen & Jessen (SEA) and Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik AG on December 12 in 1986.
Signing the joint venture agreement between Jebsen & Jessen SEA and Mannesmann Demag Foerdertechnik, 1986. From left: R. Franke (Chief Executive Officer of Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik), H.G. Mueller (Chairman of Mannesmann Demag AG), A.P. Jessen (Chairman of Jebsen & Jessen SEA), P.H. Hay (Board Member Mannesmann Demag AG).
In 1989, MHE pursued another manufacturing licence agreement with Blue Giant Equipment of Ontario, Canada. With their docking equipment for supply chains, MHE was then able to provide the optimum equipment for moving cargo or goods from warehouse to transport vehicles such as lorries, trucks and containers safely, efficiently and effectively.
Dock levellers facilitate efficient goods loading and unloading, whilst ensuring the safety of operators and precious cargo.
Realising that adequate and efficient use of vehicle parking space has increasingly become a major challenge in metropolitan cities, we also pursued an agency agreement in 1989 for the car parking systems with the German Klaus Multiparking GmbH. With their mechanical car parking systems, we were able to increase the parking capacity of our customers for up to 90 percent.
In the 1990s, we decided to increase our presence in all major ASEAN countries, it began with the formation of MHE in the Philippines.
The formation of MHE in the Philippines.
Manufacturing plant of MHE in the Philippines.
Apart from regional expansion we also constantly sharpened our company profile on the product level and forged new partnerships to meet all of our customers’ needs. In 1991, we reached an agency agreement with the British Gantry Railing Ltd to offer all the products required for the installation of crane rails.
To provide space for increased man-power and production as more and more orders were coming in, we also opened new headquarters and operational facilities in 1992, at Gul Circle, Singapore.
MHE-Demag premises at 33 Gul Circle, Jurong, Singapore.
We set up a representative office in Vietnam in 1993. To reflect the world-renowned Demag brand in a better way, we rebranded from MHE to MHE-Demag. The name Demag, originally an abbreviation for “Deutsche Maschinenfabrik AG” (“German engineering works corporation”), has been established as a brand in 1819 and has built up an outstanding reputation ever since.
In 1994, MHE-Demag is appointed to supply cranes and Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) to the Kuala Lumpur Tower (Menara KL). Located at the height of 335 meter, the crane with a custom-made Demag winch is the crane with the highest lifting height ever sold by MHE-Demag. It is used for lifting material and components, such as antenna discs, from ground to roof level. Another crane with a Demag DH hoist is primarily used for antenna installations. The crane is capable of rotating 360 degrees around the tower. A custom-made BMU is installed to clean the tower shaft and the base of the tower head. The unit is mainly used for aircraft warning light replacement and is capable of rotating 360 degrees around the tower. Another BMU is used for glass cleaning and maintenance for the lights around the tower head. It is probably the most ‘romantic machine’ we ever sold as it has also been used for wedding ceremonies in the past, where the newlyweds could enjoy the magnificent view from the basket of this BMU.
Located at the height of 335 meter, the crane supplied to the Kuala Lumpur Tower (Menara KL) is the crane with the highest lifting height ever sold by MHE-Demag.
Our strategy and hard work paid off when we celebrated the delivery of our 10,000th crane on December 4, 1996. The purchaser of this special crane was Sembawang Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd, one of the leading engineering and construction companies in South East Asia, and nowadays part of the Punj Lloyd Group.
Celebrating the delivery of our 10,000th crane on the 4th of December 1996.
Shortly after our 25th anniversary celebration in 1997, we rebranded our name from MHE-Demag to MHE-Dematic, when Mannesmann Demag Fördertechnik AG was renamed Mannesmann Dematic AG. However, in 2002, we changed our name back to MHE-Demag, after the formation of Demag Cranes & Components GmbH. In 1997, yet another strategic partnership which we are proud to have since the 1990s was forged a licensing & technical know-how agreement with Vetter Fördertechnik GmbH. Together with this leading European supplier of slewing jib cranes and crane systems, we were able to assist our customers with their material handling needs from yet another angle. The equipment, which is easily handled by a single person, can quickly swing over to the material that needs to be handled, saving the operator time and effort of manoeuvring a forklift or an overhead crane to the items.
In 1998, MHE-Demag is appointed to supply 13 units of Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) to the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia. This was certainly no mean accomplishment as the height (452 meter) and scale of the towers called for performance of the highest order. Maintaining a colossal structure like the Petronas Twin Towers calls for absolute, unfailing commitment. MHE-Demag has since set up a service depot located within the twin towers for maintenance services till this day.
MHE-Demag supplied 13 units of Building Maintenance Units (BMUs) to the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia.
At the brink of the new millennium, in 1999, along with the whole group of Jebsen & Jessen SEA, we took the opportunity to invest and implement a new IT platform- SAP, a comprehensive business software solution. The implementation was so successful, that in 2003 Jebsen & Jessen SEA was even rewarded with a top 100 listing in CIO Asia magazine as one of Asia’s top performing IT users.
At MHE-Demag, we believe in the importance of a strong business culture that comprises of a relentless pursuit of perfection, committed to continuously exceed the highest standards with a scrupulous work ethic. Due to this spirit, we were awarded several certifications and acknowledgements of business excellence in the 2000s. In 2001, for instance, MHE-Demag in Singapore was awarded the People Developer Standard for our approach towards human resource management.
In 2002, we rebranded our name from MHE-Dematic to MHE-Demag. We started to implement ISO standards and our outstanding quality management consequently earned us an ISO 9001 certification. The certification attests to our ability to consistently provide products that meet both customer requirements and applicable regulations. Our headquarters in Singapore received ISO certification in 2002, with Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam following suit in succeeding years. We also pursued compliance with ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards at the same time, first obtaining certification in Malaysia in 2002 and then in all our other businesses in the following two years.
In 2004, we took another step to improve our presence in Vietnam when we set up new production facilities south of Ho Chi Minh City in Binh Duong.
MHE-Demag’s production facilities in Binh Duong, Vietnam.
We also continued to expand our product range with agency agreements with Plumettaz S.A. and Kawahara in 2004. Plumettaz is specialised in cable laying products, suspended access equipment and other tailor-made industry solutions, such as winch adaptable modules for vehicles and machines. We worked with Plumettaz for their special ‘Syncrowinch’, which we are using for our BMU Chameleon 1 and 2 products. Kawahara is a supplier with a range of scissor lifts, which would also prove to be a very good addition to our product portfolio as they allow for a wide variety of applications in the material handling and maintenance industry.

In 2006, we introduced the JD Neuhaus air hoists to our portfolio. Operating on compressed air, the JD Neuhaus air hoist provides oil-free operation with permanent motor lubrication and is used in a wide range of applications, especially in hazardous environments.

2007 marked the launch of our very own explosion-proof crane and hoist range. Our explosion-proof electric rope and chain hoists can operate safely in hazardous environments up to ATEX/IEC zone 1 and temperature class T4 in all gas groups (I, IIA, IIB and IIC).

20 tonne monorail hoist for 102 meter lifting height.

Our vast product portfolio was extended yet again in 2008 when we formed an agency agreement with Donati Sollevamenti S.r.l., an Italian supplier of high-quality hoists and cranes, which has cultivated a tradition of excellence since 1930.

At this time the growth of our company also made it necessary to move into larger facilities in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Therefore, MHE-Demag Indonesia was relocated to the Graha Inti Fauzi Building in Southern Indonesia, while MHE-Demag Thailand moved into a new operational facility at Hi-Tech Industrial Park in the Ayutthaya province. A year later, our sales office in Vietnam was relocated to the Sailing Tower in Ho Chi Minh City.
MHE-Demag premises at Hi-Tech Industrial Park Ayutthaya, Thailand.

Always striving to improve ourselves in exceeding our customers’ expectations, we also went online with a new web based CRM system in 2009. The SAP software helps us to monitor and understand our customers better and gives us real-time support to co-ordinate our sales, services and marketing activities at every level of customer interaction.

Another wonderful moment came when our Singapore branch received the bizSAFE Star Award in 2009. Under the auspices of the Singaporean Workplace Safety and Health Council and supported by the Ministry of Manpower, the bizSAFE programme promotes workplace health and safety in Singapore. The award celebrates the top companies in recognition of their commitment and exemplary standards in workplace health and safety.

  
MHE-Demag Singapore received the bizSAFE Star Award in 2009.

On January 1, 2011, MHE-Demag Taiwan, which was incorporated in June 2010, officially assumes operations from Realm Corporation. Realm Corporation is a material handling company established in 1976 with 39 staff headquartered in Kaohsiung and a branch office in Taipei. Realm Corporation, who is the agent for Demag, Vahle and RIW, amongst others, is a perfect match to MHE-Demag. The company is led by Mr. Raymond Ng to this day.

MHE-Demag’ factory located in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

The roof at MHE-Demag’s factory in Tuas, Singapore stands out amongst its neighbours; on top of the 20 year old plant facility, there are now 522 solar photovoltaic modules. This field of solar panels will provide an estimated 20% of the energy requirements of the factory, saving thousands of dollars and 77 metric tonnes of C02 a year. The S$400,000 project investment in the panels will be recouped in approximately 10 years, or less if the trend in energy bills increasing continues. This project grew out of the Group’s vision to reduce its carbon footprint.

In 2014, MHE-Demag supplied the moving mechanism for the retractable roof system of the Singapore Sports Hub. It carries the 2,200 tonne load of the roof (approximately the same weight as 1,830 cars) and takes approximately 20 minutes to fully open or close. This activation is issued by a single ‘start’ button in the Event Control Room. The driving mechanism consists of 16 line pull winches, 32 holding storm-brakes, energy chains and an advanced electrical control system. Each of the 16 winches is equipped with two independent inverter drive motors. To this day, MHE-Demag is still appointed to conduct maintenance service for moving mechanism of the retractable roof system.

MHE-Demag supplied the moving mechanism for the retractable roof system of the Singapore Sports Hub.

Another breakthrough has been achieved when MHE-Demag was awarded a contract in 2014 by Siam Kraft Industry Co. Ltd. for the delivery of five fully automated cranes. The cranes will be used in two paper-roll shipping stores in the Ratchaburi province. MHE-Demag cranes equipped with mechanical roll grippers provide for fast and, above all gentle storage of the paper rolls. The scope of delivery also includes the installation of a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for management of the stores and control of the crane systems. The crane systems are assembled and installed and the value of the installation is maintained by the service network provided by MHE-Demag.

Automated cranes supplied by MHE-Demag to Siam Kraft Co. Ltd.

MHE-Demag expanded our footprint in Asia-Pacific with the acquisition of our sister company- Demag Cranes & Components (DCC) Australia. DCC Australia, which is now rebranded to MHE-Demag Australia, is a strong player in the Australian market for industrial cranes and related services and has been established over 50 years ago since 1962. MHE-Demag Australia will continue to provide the Australian market with high quality standard and engineered overhead cranes, chain hoists, light rail crane systems, drives and crane components coupled with an extensive service network, a full range of spare parts and comprehensive refurbishment and re-certification products. The extended range of material handling products, such as lift trucks, loading bay equipment for warehouses, equipment for safe working at height and others, from the MHE-Demag opens up new market opportunities for MHE-Demag Australia.

MHE-Demag Australia's Management Team. From left: Vince Di Costanzo, Klaus Schilling and Rowland Hudd.
In 2016, MHE-Demag officially opened our largest manufacturing and warehouse facility in Bukit Raja, Malaysia. Developed at a cost of USD10 million, with a built-up area of close to 15,000 sq. meters sitting on over 26,000 sq. meters of land, the plant is also the largest and first-of-its kind crane manufacturing facility in the region. Capable of building cranes of up to 50-meter span, this plant primarily serves customers from Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Singapore, who hail from various industrial sectors where lifting, moving and maintenance of materials or machinery are required. The facility also hosts MHE-Demag’s Regional Training Center, where employees and customers throughout the Group will attend skills trainings and upgrading programmes to ensure excellence in operations, maintenance and safety for industrial cranes is maintained.
MHE-Demag's new manufacturing plant at Bukit Raja, Klang. It is the largest crane manufacturing facility in the region.
MHE-Demag ventures into the construction industry with German-engineered compact construction equipment in partnership with Wacker Neuson, one of the world’s leading providers of construction machines, equipment and services. Already established in providing large-scale material handling equipment such as cranes and hoists, warehousing equipment, building maintenance units and other similar products, MHE-Demag is successfully expanding its portfolio and supporting a wide range of new segments, including the construction, infrastructure and plantation industries. MHE-Demag is introducing its latest compact construction equipment to the region, including Tracked Excavators, Mobile (Wheeled) Excavators, Tele Handlers, Wheel Loaders and Wheel Dumpers.
From left: Wolfgang Henzinger (Wacker Neuson), Marc Von Grabowski, Karl Tilkorn, Albrecht Hohenad (Wacker Neuson) and Klaus Schilling.
MHE-Demag launched and installed the first Demag V-type crane in the region. The new Demag V-type crane revolutionises load handling. Its innovative design featuring tapered diaphragm joints improves oscillation characteristics by 30%, cuts its weight by an average of 17% and doubles its service life to as many as 500,000 changes of load.
The launch of Demag V-type crane at MHE-Demag Thailand.
MHE-Demag installs Southeast Asia’s first full climbing building maintenance system in Jakarta’s third tallest building - Menara Astra, which consists of a 51-storey office tower and three prestigious apartments. The unique roof of Menara Astra requires a very special track to be customised and installed, and a special stunting card system that is seamlessly integrated into a 3D rail layout. To meet the challenge, MHE-Demag designed and installed 550 meters of round track around a complex 3D beam layout covering a floor space of 38 by 56 square meters underneath a helipad. The track network stretches 32 meter vertically from the 46th floor at 228-meter height and ends at the tip of the roof facade at 260-meter. It is a piece of engineering marvel where 90% of sections are unique and each requires to be customised and skillfully fitted on site, 260 meters up in the sky.
The first full climbing building maintenance system in South East Asia.

MHE-Demag launched and installed the first Demag V-type crane in the region. The new Demag V-type crane revolutionises load handling. Its innovative design featuring tapered diaphragm joints improves oscillation characteristics by 30%, cuts its weight by an average of 17% and doubles its service life to as many as 500,000 changes of load.

The launch of Demag V-type crane at MHE-Demag Thailand

The launch of Demag V-type crane at MHE-Demag Thailand. MHE-Demag installs Southeast Asia’s first full climbing building maintenance system in Jakarta’s third tallest building - Menara Astra, which consists of a 51-storey office tower and three prestigious apartments. The unique roof of Menara Astra requires a very special track to be customised and installed, and a special stunting card system that is seamlessly integrated into a 3D rail layout. To meet the challenge, MHE-Demag designed and installed 550 meters of round track around a complex 3D beam layout covering a floor space of 38 by 56 square meters underneath a helipad. The track network stretches 32 meter vertically from the 46th floor at 228-meter height and ends at the tip of the roof facade at 260-meter. It is a piece of engineering marvel where 90% of sections are unique and each requires to be customised and skillfully fitted on site, 260 meters up in the sky.

In 2020, MHE-Demag became part of the global lifting leader, Konecranes group through the acquisition of Jebsen & Jessen’s 50% stake completed on December 5, 2019. The combined operations of Konecranes and MHE-Demag start on January 2, 2020.
MHE-Demag's headquarters in Singapore
MHE-Demag continues to engineer, manufacture and maintain a comprehensive range of industrial cranes and hoists, warehousing equipment such as lift trucks and dock levellers, aerial work platforms, building maintenance units for safe working at heights, compact construction equipment, as well as automated car parking systems.