Skanem, one of Europe’s largest self-adhesive label producers, is to commence building a new factory in Thailand later this month (May) to exploit growing business opportunities in the Eastern Asia market.
The company says the move is also a further step towards its goal of becoming a global supplier.
An agreement to build a 4,200 sq m factory on a 13,000 sq m site at Amata Nakorn, 55kms south of Bangkok and 30 minutes from the country’s new Suvarnabhumi airport, was sealed in mid-May by Skanem owner and ceo Ole Rugland. It is hoped the new plant will be operational by early 2007.
Mr Rugland says: “Last year we acquired Skanem Introl and Skanem Introl-Print, based respectively in Poznan (Poland) and Moscow. Now we are moving into the Asian market and Thailand is an ideal base for us.”
Skanem says the Asian self-adhesive label market is expanding at 20% per year, with forecasts that it will account for 37% of global label consumption by 2010.
Rugland adds: “We began looking at the Bangkok area a year ago. We have already secured our first contract and look forward to developing our relations with potential customers in the nearest future.”
Skanem already operates labelling plants in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland and Russia, employing 1,100 staff in 12 printing plants.
