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SAT recently landed contracts from Mitsubishi and Toyota, president Verayut Kittapanich said yesterday without revealing their value.

Its revised 2008 revenue target is Bt5.7 billion, up 15 per cent from Bt4.95 billion last year.

The company will start realising income from the supply of axle shafts to Hino in 2010 under a four-year contract worth Bt749 million.

To serve demand in the agriculture, auto and appliance industries, SAT had said it would invest Bt1.07 billion in expanding production for axle shafts and coil springs as well as for acquiring land.

It will spend Bt276 million to install machines for its malleable-iron plant.

A plant for drum and disc brakes will be built on a site purchased in Rayong, with operations expected to start next year.

"We have to increase capacity for drum and disc brakes because we are running at 95 per cent," Verayut said.

Several auto-makers have visited the company to check whether it can handle additional orders or is interested in putting up plants overseas.

Several auto-makers are planning to export and assemble more vehicles abroad in light of declining domestic demand and SAT has been approached to supply auto parts for such operations.

Rising oil prices and soaring costs are the main factors driving them overseas, to focus on high-potential markets like China, Russia and South Africa.

"We estimate that domestic car sales will drop by 10 per cent but export sales will rise by 20 per cent this year," he said.