Bayer opens new Rp 61b plant in N. Sumatra
Bayer opens new Rp 61b plant in N. Sumatra
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Morawa
Pharmaceutical and consumer goods producer PT Bayer Indonesia
Tbk, through its subsidiary PT Intikimiatama Perkasa, has
invested Rp 61 billion (US$5.5 million) in building a mosquito
coil factory in Tanjung Morawa, North Sumatra.
Company president Hans-Josef Schill said on Tuesday that the
investment underlined the company's continued confidence in
Indonesia's potential for growth.
"Despite the difficulties in the economic situation we are
facing now, Bayer has not only stayed, but has further increased
its business here," he said during the ceremony inaugurating the
plant.
Construction of the plant started in 2000 and production
commenced in the second quarter of this year.
Occupying 5.4 hectares of land, the plant is equipped with 15
state-of-the-art production lines capable of producing up to 1.6
billion mosquito coils each year.
"Currently, ten of the 15 production lines are running and we
expect an output of 67 million double coils every month when all
the production lines are running at full capacity (next year),"
Schill said.
The country consumes about eight billion mosquito coils each
year, according to Schill.
The Tanjung Morawa plant will produce coils marketed under
Bayer's trademark Baygon, as well as the Mosfly trademark, which
the company bought in 1997.
Aside from the new facility in Tanjung Morawa, Bayer also
operates an agrichemical and consumer care products factory in
Pulogadung in East Jakarta, a pharmaceutical plant in Cibubur,
also in East Jakarta, and a polymer plant in Anyer, Banten.
Peter Glaessel, head of Bayer's country group for Southeast
Asia, said Bayer considered Indonesia a key market for its Baygon
products.
"Indonesia alone accounts for 16 percent of Bayer's Baygon
sales worldwide. This establishes Indonesia as one of the most
important countries for the Consumer Care Business Group," he
said. Bayer recorded US$300 million in sales of Baygon products
last year.