Container lashings firm braces for wave

Entrepreneur says local development, global participation key to success

The world's largest container lashings manufacturer is planning to expand capacity, taking advantage of government preferential policies as well as the recovery of the global shipbuilding industry.

"Orders for container lashings have increased noticeably since the end of last year," said Lu Lin, founder and president of Dalian Shidao Industry, which is located in Dalian Jinpu New Area, Liaoning province.

Lu said the number of orders for other products, including transport equipment, self-loading and dump truck parts, excavator parts and construction machinery have also increased.

"Thanks to the infrastructure boost around the world, our business volume in the first quarter of this year has reached 50 percent of the whole of 2020," she said.

DSI was founded in 1996. In the beginning, it mainly made products for MacGregor, a renowned lashing-system design company and a leading provider for maritime transportation companies.

Twenty-five years later, DSI has grown into a world leader in cargo handling with four subsidiaries and four main products: container lashing-system products; marine engineering and construction machinery equipment; and, hydraulic cylinders and casting components.

It has branches in Finland and Germany responsible for research and development, sales and logistics.

"With 25 years of support from our Finnish business partners, one in every three container ships in operation around the world today is equipped with container lashings made by Dalian Shidao," she said.

Lu was awarded a National Model of Women's Contribution award by the All-China Women's Federation this year.

Connections

She was born and grew up in Dalian and her first job was with a State-owned company in the port city.

In 1991, she chose to work at the Dalian Economic and Technological Development Area, China's first such zone.

With many foreign-invested companies in the area, she gained a strong knowledge of advanced technology and international standards.

In 1995, Lu started her own business as the nation was becoming more open to the outside world and European manufacturing industries were being transferred to China.

She quit her job and embarked on the road of entrepreneurship. "We've benefited a lot from local development," Lu said, adding that favorable policies, the development of industrial technology and the gradual improvement in the industrial park have helped her company.

"We have established long-term cooperation with internationally renowned enterprises like Liebherr, which also has a plant in this area," she said.

Her company is a long-term strategic partner of Finland's Cargotec Group, and its customers include Sandvik and Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group.

DSI has equipped the world's largest container vessels for well-known shipowners.

In 2015, a crane manufactured by Shidao, which could function in conditions of -50 C, was erected on the world's first polar heavy-load icebreaker-Audax.

DSI also equipped China's first research icebreaker, Xuelong 2, or Snow Dragon 2, with a polar service crane.

In 2019, it equipped China's scientific research ship Tansuo 2 with a gantry capable of laying a 10,000-meter cable.

"We are proud to provide quality products to our customers both domestic and abroad, and we are grateful for the opportunity to cooperate and participate in innovation projects," Lu said.

She said DSI is committed to producing high-quality products efficiently, on time and in accordance with all contract specifications and terms. "It (our work) is based on our team and their hard work," she added.

Lu and her team are actively preparing for a capital increase and expansion plans.

The new plant will be digitally managed, have intelligent production lines and be low-carbon.

Lu said as the leader of a company with more than 500 employees, she feels she has a responsibility to them.

"I chose to be an entrepreneur. It is my mission to lead the company as it continues to develop along with the team."

Yang Huidi contributed to this story.