AJ Automated Parking Systems is registering success through its mechanical parking facility system that had earned close to $24.9 million (30 billion KRW) overseas just in the first half alone. Its success is the result of its focus that has been on the South-East Asian market where demands for mechanical parking have been increasing. It has been finishing up its projects by conducting final tests through an “untact” method due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
AJ Automated Parking Systems announced on Tuesday that the total value of orders it had received from overseas for its mechanical parking facility system in the first half surpassed $24 million.
Mechanical parking is very useful in downtown areas where there is a lack of parking spaces. With just a space that is 7.2 meters and 6.4 meters in width and length respectively, a tower type parking facility can be built. In South Korea, a tower type parking facility can accommodate up to 80 cars. However, there is no limit if a cart type parking facility or a multi-layer circulation type that utilizes underground space is used.
The time it takes to take a car out of a tower type parking facility takes much less time now compared to the past. Although such facility can accommodate twice more cars now, the standard time to park and take out a car from a facility that is inspected by Korea Transportation Safety Authority has been reduced from two hours and thirty minutes to two hours. Although there may be differences in times depending on where a car is parked, time actually felt by consumers has been reduced greatly.
AJ Automated Parking Systems is currently targeting markets in Europe, North America, and South-East Asia. It believed that there is also a parking crisis in downtown areas of the South-East Asian market where motorcycles are the main transportation method.
It builds every mechanical parking facility from its Geochang plant and it also conducts its own installation and after sales service. For its overseas projects, it works with local agencies that guide installations. However, it conducts its own final test for a stability reason.
Although it is facing an unfavorable condition called COVID-19 that no one expected, it is putting maximum efforts to complete projects that it has secured. It is continuing business activities through virtual conferences and conference calls and necessary activities to win orders through local agencies.
Its collaboration with AJ Park is also drawing many heads. AJ Park possesses “untact” parking lot operation solutions. If its solutions are applied to a mechanical parking facility, one can park his or her car at the facility without an administrator. If a person sets a time for his or her car to be taken out of a facility through a smartphone app, his or her car will be taken out according to the time without any wait.
Both companies set Vietnam as their main bases for the South-East Asian market and prepared a joint branch. AJ Park is currently developing customized products while investigating the Vietnamese market and it plans to apply its parking lot operation solutions to mechanical parking facilities in the future.
AJ Automated Parking Systems has been the top company within South Korea’s mechanical parking facility system industry for the past five years. AJ Group acquired Dongyang Menics, which was established in 1992, in 2017 and changed the name to AJ Automated Parking Systems in 2019. Its technologies are very advanced as it was the first South Korean company to be certified to build a mechanical parking facility that can accommodate up to 80 cars in 2016.
It completed a test tower at its Geochang plant last month. This tower can accommodate up to 8 cars as it is based on tower type and cart type methods. When the aftermath of COVID-19 begins to settle down, it plans to actively utilize the tower for its automated parking business.
“Our mechanical parking facilities are recognized for its high quality and safety not just in South Korea but also in 35 countries.” said Nam Goong-eok who is the president of AJ Automated Parking Systems and AJ Park. “By creating synergy with AJ Park, we are going to establish ourselves as the leading automated parking company globally.”
Staff Reporter Park, Jinhyeong | jin@etnews.com