Domestic machinery maker Sany Heavy Industry Co. will complete the construction of its first assembly plant in the United States next year at a cost of roughly US$60 million, its executive president said June 6.

Sany, a private-sector manufacturer based in the Central China's Hunan Province, last year won government approval to build a plant in the United States.

The firm has acquired a site near Atlanta for the facility, where it would assemble gears for the US market, Xiang Wenbo told reporters on the sidelines of an industry forum.

Sany had already been selling its products, such as concrete pumps and mixers, in the United States on a trial basis, another company executive said in February.

Domestic manufacturers have been making inroads into developing countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East, but a foothold in mature markets remains a dream for many.

The factory would potentially make Sany the first Chinese construction equipment maker to own a plant in North America, home to industry giants such as Caterpillar Inc. and Terex Corp.