The company is celebrating its storied history with a range of equipment that reflects its journey from local equipment maker to worldwide manufacturing leader.

SDLG has reached an important milestone in its journey from becoming a local equipment manufacturer to a global powerhouse: 45 years of success!

To celebrate the occasion, the company is rolling out a range of special edition equipment on April 15 that includes selected models from its wheel loader, excavator and motor grader portfolio. These include the L953F, L956F, L958F, L968F, LG6120E, LG6225E, LG6300E, G9138 and G9190. Each machine will feature a special coating that commemorates the occasion.

“We are very pleased to celebrate 45 years in the equipment manufacturing industry and we are pleased to share this occasion with our customers,” said Wang Zhizhong, board chairman of SDLG. “Our achievements in the past few decades are a reflection of our customers’ commitment and support to the company, so we’d like to take this opportunity to mark this milestone with them in mind.”

A rich history
SDLG has a humble beginning. Founded in the small Chinese city of Yimeng in 1972, the company catapulted from a little-known equipment maker into one of China’s leading construction equipment manufacturers. SDLG launched its first wheel loader in 1979 the ZL40, an early precursor to the success the company would see in the decades ahead.

Over the last four decades, SDLG has sold millions of machines to earn its prestigious position. Its wheel loaders are the world’s best sellers, by many accounts, and the company has continued to accelerate its growth and expansion in recent years.  With production facility across the globe, its equipment is offered in nearly every country, with the U.S. and Canada becoming the most recent markets in which its products are sold.

SDLG’s motto is “Reliability in Action,” and its machines have proven this time and time again across a diverse range of job sites and geographical locations. Its manufacturing process scrutinizes each and every component of a machine to deliver years of durability. The credibility of the SDLG brand has been built upon its commitment to delivering reliable equipment to its customers.

Highly decorated
Since the early 2000s, SDLG has led the charge to produce more environmentally sensitive machines for its customers. It was one of the first companies in China to adopt the strategy. Following years of research and design, it introduced a more energy efficient LG953L wheel loader in 2009. These efforts have grown over the years, and in 2016, the company began selling its F-Series, Tier 4 final machines across many of its product lines. These machines reduced carbon emissions and improved fuel efficiency for the company’s customers, increasing their return on investment while decreasing harmful environment effects.

As part of a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), SDLG became the first construction equipment company in China to pledge and successfully reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.65 million tons. It did this in just three years. Over the next five years, SDLG will invest more than 300 million renminbi into a smart manufacturing project that is in partnership with Tsinghua University. The ultimate goal is to establish intelligent plants in pursuit of zero emissions production.

SDLG’s signature Top Driver program has also become increasingly influential in the industry, extending out of China into other countries such as Thailand and Russia. In addition to recognizing the world’s best operators, the program also seeks to raise the next generation of equipment operators to the high standards of safety and efficiency set by SDLG by providing free, professional training to those launching a new career in the field.

SDLG’s dedication to these themes have earned itself several awards over the years, including the China Quality Award, which recognizes superior achievements in quality management and operational development; the Green Leadership Award, for its emission reduction efforts; and the Corporate Social Responsibility Award, which recognizes excellence in corporate philanthropy. SDLG was also ranked 35th in China’s list of Top 100 Mechanical and Industrial Businesses by the China Machinery Industry Federation in 2016.

“For 45 years, SDLG has lived up to its promise of offering robust and reliable equipment to our customers,” Wang said. “And their recognition and support are our biggest motivations to pursue technological and manufacturing breakthroughs, and to bring further positive impacts to the industry. SDLG will always strive toward engineering excellence and improved customer experiences for as long as it is in business.”