Glenwood, Minnesota-headquartered non-powered GSE manufacturer FAST Global Solutions is building its presence outside the US, with the European market a particular priority. President and CEO Dane Anderson was on hand at inter airport and explained to Airside the thinking behind a new partner manufacturing facility opened up in Macedonia in south-eastern Europe
The Macedonian facility has 50,000 square metres of space, bringing to more than 100,000 square metres the company’s total available manufacturing space. The facility benefits from modern equipment, while the labour force there is highly skilled, Anderson informed. Macedonia, while not part of the EU, nevertheless has good access to Western European markets and the new facility will enable FAST to get much closer to its European customers (and save time and money on shipping to the Continent). Overall, he added, the new addition represents “a perfect fit for us”.
The factory will manufacture various lines from FAST’s wide-ranging GSE and airline parcel equipment portfolio, which takes in dollies, baggage carts, passenger stairs, belt loaders, platforms, scissor lifts and tyre carts, amongst other GSE types.
FAST’s new European sales representative also came on board during this past year. Able to speak Arabic as well as a number of European languages, he also acts as the company’s agent in the Middle East regional market. Finally, FAST also has its own spare parts and service support location in Paris.
The company has sold into more than 80 countries over its history, so exporting its product and supporting that equipment beyond North America is by no means a new departure for FAST, but there is clearly an increased focus on the potential for additional sales in Europe and elsewhere.
FAST’s product is certainly well suited to the European market, Anderson noted. Moreover, the company is adding more galvanised equipment to its range, as well as making other changes to product lines that it feels will be more generally favoured on the eastern side of the North Atlantic.
