Kian Joo to expand Vietnam ops

Kian Joo Can Factory Bhd will invest US$20 million to expand its
corrugated carton plant in Hanoi, Vietnam to boost its capacity by
3,000 tonnes per month.

Its general manager, Datuk Anthony See
Teow Guan, said the expansion at its Box-Pak (Hanoi) Co Ltd, which was
set up in 2011, was expected to be completed by April or May next year.

"With
this expansion our total capacity production will be 9,000 tonnes a
month while in Malaysia it is only about 2,800 tonness a month," he
told a media briefing after the company's annual general meeting here
today.

He said the company's operation in Vietnam faced severe losses last year due to the weakening of dong.

For
the cans segment, he said, the new two-piece high-speed aluminium
can-making line in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan which was scheduled for
commercial production early this year, has been delayed.

He
said the plant would boost capacity by 700 million cans per annum for
the new line. Meanwhile, See said its plant in Batu Caves would be
maintained until the new lines were ready.

He said its Batu
Caves plant has a capacity to produce about 700 million cans per annum.
See said plans to expand to Indonesia was slated to start next year. --
Bernama