Yu Lekang, Deputy General Manager and researcher of construction machinery manufacturer Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (01157.HK), was awarded China's most prestigious employee award, the National Model Worker, at the National Labor Model and Advanced Workers Commendation Meeting in Beijing. Presented once every five years, the National Model Worker is awarded to the most outstanding representatives from China's 811 million labor force. Yu received the award for his role as a technical leader of Zoomlion's tower crane projects that he devoted 34 years of his career. He has helped revolutionize Zoomlion's tower crane technology, with the company now in possession of a crane plate that is considered the largest and strongest in the world. Upon receiving his award, Yu said, "Thank you to Zoomlion for giving me the stage to become the ultimate craftsman. This honour belongs to all at Zoomlion and not just me." Mastering Core Technology Key to Yu's Success Yu began work at Zoomlion in 1986, at a time when international manufacturers held an unassailable monopoly in tower crane construction and technology. Therefore, his first challenge was to win over the Chinese local market. He quickly established a team to focus on the key technologies and applications of super large tower cranes to help with this endeavor. In 2004, Yu and Zoomlion secured a huge scalp when their newly developed D5200-240 tower crane was used in the construction of the Parrot Cay Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan. The crane's superior lifting capacity helped save the project 720 million Yuan (USD 110.2 Million). Having cemented the tower crane's reputation domestically, Yu and his R&D team shifted their attentions to the international market. The successful development of the TC5610, TC6012, T7020 and other tower crane products earned Zoomlion's tower cranes top ranking and soon strong sales materialized in Europe and America. Among these new class of high-quality cranes was the IH3350-120 boom tower crane developed meticulously by Yu and his team. The crane's incredible strength, small size, low energy consumption and accurate control made it an essential tool in the construction of skyscrapers and various key projects across the globe, cementing Zoomlion's top status in the tower crane market. Crane Tech Continues to Progress The landscape of crane tower technology today is very different to the one that Yu and his R&D department at Zoomlion inherited 34 years ago. Through his time, he has revised two national standards related to tower cranes, published the monograph "safety technology of tower crane", written a further 18 papers and obtained eight patents. As a result of Yu's diligence, Zoomlion is now a market leader in tower crane technology, having evolved from "follow-up innovator" to "leading innovator". "In the past, we used whatever equipment our country had in the project construction scheme." Yu said. "Now, we can develop various tower crane equipment that is required for a project." SOURCE Zoomlion