An aerial photo showing containers produced by Fujian's largest container manufacturer, Zhangzhou CIMC Container Co Ltd. [Photo by Huang Xi for chinadaily.com.cn]

Zhangzhou CIMC Container Co Ltd, Fujian's largest container manufacturer, has managed to sustain growth by shifting its focus to the production of special containers.

The company is a subsidiary of China International Marine Containers (Group) Ltd (CIMC), a world leading supplier of logistics and energy equipment, and has a 55 percent share of the container market in Fujian.

Its production lines, which were transformed in February, are now capable of manufacturing various sizes of special containers tailored to customer requirements.

"Compared to standard containers, these special containers have a higher added value and profit margin, and can meet the needs of more customers," said Yang Sihua, project manager of Zhangzhou CIMC Container Co Ltd.

The transformed production line can now produce containers up to 3.55 meters in width, 3.5 meters in height, and 20 meters in length, according to Dong Hongbing, deputy manager of the production department at the company.

Its daily capacity has more than doubled to 300,000 units.

A workshop of Zhangzhou CIMC Container Co Ltd. [Photo by Shi Jingni for chinadaily.com.cn]

The company started exploring special containers after a dramatic decline in orders in 2016, and its revenue has rebounded over the past four years. 

Its sales of special containers jumped from 150 million yuan ($21.7 million) in 2016 to 4.2 billion yuan in 2019, accounting for 61 percent of its total revenue.

The company has also partnered with several famous global enterprises such as ABB and Schneider and has exported products to numerous countries, including Britain, France, and Germany.

This year, the company has received so many orders that it won't be able to complete them until August, Dong revealed.

He added that the company will continue to optimize the production of special containers and promote the automation of production so as to expand its market presence.