Thailand“s Berli Jucker said on 27 November 2007 that it would spend THB 2 billion to set up a third glass container plant, to be officially opened in five years, The Nation reported.
The new factor…
Thailand“s Berli Jucker said on 27 November 2007 that it would spend THB 2 billion to set up a third glass container plant, to be officially opened in five years, The Nation reported. The new factory will be on top of a THB 5.5-billion investment budget for 2007 and 2008. Of that budget, THB 1.07 billion will be used to acquire 50 million shares, or a 50-per-cent stake, in Thai Beverage Can (TBC) for THB 21.48 each. Another THB 1.65 billion will go towards expanding the production capacity of the Thai Glass Industries (TGI) factory in Samut Prakan“s Bang Phli district, expected to be completed in June 2008. With this expansion, TGI will be Thailand“s largest producer of glass containers, with a production capacity of more than 900,000 tonnes per annum, up from 700,000 tonnes now. The rest of the budget will be used to fix the glass furnace. Aswin Techajareonvikul, executive director and chief financial officer at Berli Jucker, said the company was conducting a feasibility study to build the third plant. It will replace the company“s second factory in Bangkok“s Rat Burana district, which is close to a residential area and thus has limited production capacity. However, the company has yet to decide on an exact location. President Thirasakdi Nathikanchanalab said the factory would cost about THB 2 billion, including land, buildings and machinery. He also said Berli Jucker plans to spend THB 1 billion to expand the manufacturing facilities for its glass products in Vietnam through its wholly owned Vina Glass Industries subsidiary. Vina Glass was established in 23 December 1995, with registered capital of THB 560 million. The factory is located near Ho Chi Minh City. “We“re now undergoing a feasibility study and discussion with a potential business partner in Vietnam to reopen the glass factory, which stopped working following the country“s financial crisis in 1997”, said Mr. Thirasakdi. He added that with such a market situation, the company was not previously ready to operate many glass factories at the same time. The company expects to complete the deal with the Vietnamese partner in 2008.
