The chairman and CEO of Sany America Inc., the company behind Georgia‘s largest Chinese manufacturing investment, has announced his resignation from the company.
Tim Frank assumed the top roles a little more than a year ago after consulting with parent company Sany Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. in China. In all, the heavy-equipment veteran worked with Sany for about two years.
While maintaining a cordial tone in a release that listed him as the contact, Mr. Frank provided no details as to the reason for his departure. Global Atlanta‘s calls to the number provided went to voicemail. Equipment World magazine said Mr. Frank declined to comment further when reached by phone.
“Sany has great potential in the North American market,” Mr. Frank said in the statement. “I enjoyed my time getting to know the Sany people and culture. I am proud that together we achieved record sales and profit in the U.S. during my time with the company. However, the time came for me to move on.”
Sany America struggled to gain traction over its first few years of operation in Georgia. Strategy shifts abounded, as the company shifted from concrete-pumping equipment to crawler cranes before settling on assembling excavators for North and Central American markets at its Peachtree City plant.
The beginning of this year saw the company turn its first quarterly profit with Mr. Frank at the helm, followed by two more profitable quarters. According to the release, the company is on pace in 2013 to more than double sales from 2012. That squares with previous
“My experience is that the Chinese product is well made, reliable, and affordable,” Mr. Frank said of Sany’s excavators. “I continue to encourage people to give it a try. With proper support, it’s an excellent value.”
Sany America has been issuing a steady stream of news releases focused on the buildout of its dealer network in the region, most recently adding new partners in Canada, Texas and New Mexico.
Sany America issued no statement on its website, and calls after close of business Monday went to voicemail.
Sany affiliates have been embroiled in a few different legal disputes this year in the United States. In June, Sany America was hit with a patent complaint by Manitowoc Cranes LLC in which the company accused Sany of poaching key executives.
Ralls Corp., a company owned by two Sany Group executives, last year sued President Barack Obama for using national security concerns to block their plans to put a wind farm near a U.S. naval training site in Oregon. A federal judge in Washington dismissed the remaining parts of their suit on Oct. 9, according to Reuters.
