Global specialist provider of PET solutions Sidel has celebrated five years of manufacturing in China with a special commemorative event attended by customers, employees and senior representatives of the Sidel management team.
The growth in the Chinese and Asia Pacific beverage markets has stimulated considerable development of the plant over that five year period. Investment has resulted in significant increases in the number of employees, production capacity and improvements in the plant’s overall capabilities.
The specialist global provider of PET solutions for liquid packaging has been operating in China for over 20 years, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.
March 21, 2013 was the fifth anniversary of the opening of the company’s main Beijing manufacturing plant which now occupies some 40,000sqm. Establishing the plant from a Greenfield site in 2007 was part of Sidel’s ongoing commitment to providing global experience backed by local sales and service support through proximity to customers.
Mart Tiismann, President and CEO of Sidel says, “In 2007 we made the decision to invest in a full manufacturing presence here. In addition, we also committed to listening to and understanding our customers much more. Customer proximity is a fundamental part of our strategy and our increased Beijing presence has helped us get closer to support you. We knew we could not continue to support our customers from afar when they faced challenges that growth brings. We had to be on the ground with you. So we committed to Beijing, to China and to Asia Pacific.”
The Beijing facility has also played a central role in helping to fulfil the developing requirements of the region’s biggest beverage brand owners and bottlers, many of whom were in attendance to celebrate the five year anniversary. One of the major trends in China and in the Asia Pacific region in general has been the increasing demand for sensitive products, including flavoured teas, health drinks and liquid dairy products, a market sector in which Sidel has made significant investment with its solutions for aseptic and hotfill applications. Water and carbonated soft drinks also continue to contribute to growth in the region’s beverage consumption.
Among the assembled dignitaries and guests were Zhao Yali, Head of the China Beverage Industry Association and Zhu Hua Xu, CEO of Tingyi-Asahi Beverages Holding.
Fan Li Dong, Sidel Zone vice president for Greater China says, “I would like to thank everybody in the Sidel team here in Beijing that has helped to create a plant which can provide the innovative line solutions necessary to support and to continue to foster the growth in our region. By being at the heart of the Chinese beverage industry geographically we are able to take the key values that Sidel adopts throughout its worldwide operations and apply them here, also recognising and responding to the specific local requirements. We look forward to taking what we have learnt over the last five years and further improving the service to our customers as we move the plant forward.”
