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Gold/Mining/Energy : Alternative Fuel Systems ATF:VSE -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: mr. campbell who wrote (2581)	2/9/1999 7:14:00 AM
From: Mark Bartlett	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 4605

ALL, Some more interesting news .... looks like ATF is on the right track..... City Firm Pulls Off Coup in China Kraus Group Inc Sells Alternative Fuel Technology By Murray McNeill, Business Reporter Winnipeg Free Press, Tuesday February 2, 1999 A Winnipeg firm has scored a breakthrough in the potentially lucrative Chinese market with a $6.8 million contract to supply 14 compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling stations to the province of Sichuan. "The most important thing for us is it's a chance to get in the door inChina," said Jim Kohut, senior manager of inside sales for Kraus GroupInc. "There could be billions of dollars of potential work in the alternative vehicle-fuels market in China." To underscore that point, Kohut said Kraus Group is on the verge of completing a second deal to supply 18 propane refuelling stations to another province in China. Kohut said a tentative pact was initialled on the weekend , but still has to be formally signed by the Chinese government and Kraus officials. That should happen within the next couple of weeks, he added. Kohut said the second contract won't be worth as much as the Sichuan contract because the propane refuelling stations aren't as costly to build. "But it's in the millions, as well." The Sichuan pact is the biggest contract it has landed since it entered the alternative fuels market about 10 years ago. It's also one of the largest in the firms's 37 year history. The deal further solidifies the company's reputation as a key world player in the alternative fuels conversion market, and will create about 10 new jobs at it's Winnipeg design and manufacturing plant. Mayor Glen Murray, who is on a trade mission to China that includes a visit to Chengdu, a sister city to Winnipeg and capital of Sichuan province, said in a statement he's excited about Kraus Group winning the contract. "Not only is this good for business, and Winnipeg, it is good for the environment," Murray said. "This is the kind of green technology that Winnipeg is poised to accelerate in, and this international contract confirms the importance of building a strong relationship with our sister city Chengdu." China is the third major international market that Kraus Group has penetrated since it began marketing its pollution-fighting fuel technology. In January of last year, the company beat out competitors from the United States, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand to win a $4.5 million contract to design and build 2 CNG refuelling stations for Mexico City. And in July, it won a $430,000 contract to supply the equipment for a CNG refuelling station in Egypt. Kohut said yesterday Kraus Group Officials are hopeful both of those deals will lead to further orders from Mexico and Egypt. In fact, he said the consortium that is spearheading Mexico's conversion to alternative transportation fuels has already indicated it expects to build at least 9 more CNG refuelling staton this year. The long term plan is to build more than a hundred such stations, and Kohut said Kraus Group has the inside track as the firm that would design and build the stations. Kohut said the Egyptian government is also looking to install more than a 100 CNG stations, but it also has been dealing with 2 Kraus competitors - a U.S. and an Italian firm.