A BRIGHOUSE fan manufacturer is growing so fast it has opened a second factory in China giving it a $75m boost to its capacity.

Following demand from the burgeoning Chinese market, Halifax Fan identified China and South East Asia as having huge potential for its industrial fans

Thirteen years ago it opened its first Chinese factory in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. It says growth has been spectacular with demand outstripping capacity.

Now Halifax Fan - which also manufactures in the UK and US - has expanded again, purchasing a 6,800 m2 factory in Nantong, on the Yangtze River, just up-river from Shanghai, in the South East of China.

The firm says this additional new facility, 1,500km north of Shenzhen, will enable it to locally meet the demands of five key markets for specialised fans for environmental, petrochemical, marine, and ATEX applications along with a wide range of fans for general applications.

Manufacturing to Halifax Fan’s demanding engineering standards is well under way and will facilitate the manufacture of Halifax’s Engineering Masterpieces with impellers up to 4000mm in diameter.

To ensure success, the official opening took place on November 14 and the ribbon was cut at precisely 10.08am. The opening was attended by local government authorities.

The factory features separate manufacturing and process lines for mild and stainless steels and fully coded welders to suit all materials. A test facility ensures that every fan leaves the factory fully tested to meet the customer’s specification.

Initially, fully trained and experienced Halifax "fan-gineers" are being relocated from Shenzhen to kick-start the business and to train personnel hired locally from Nantong’s substantial industrial infrastructure.

Nantong is a prefecture-level port city of greater than 7,000,000 people and is a specially designated area for environmental support. It is ideally located to serve the huge growth of the industrial north of China and with easy access to the South China Sea and overseas markets.

The company says adding this substantial facility to its Shenzhen operation will provide a $75m boost to Halifax Fan’s annual capacity.

Managing director Malcolm Staff said: “The substantial investment we have made in our Chinese plants, along with the adoption of the most modern computer-driven design and manufacturing systems, has put us in a strong market position.

"We serve the global market, on land and sea, from three continents, offering the highest quality products at competitive prices.

"Being close to our markets, delivery is swifter and lower cost than most of our competitors and in some cases, tariffs avoided.

"This new factory will allow us to offer our Engineering Masterpiece fans with local support to one of the fastest growing industrial marketplaces in the world.

"With further sales and support offices in Shanghai and Xi’an it would be wrong to say we have China covered but its fast becoming a Halifax Fan-tasy land.”