Intitirta produces mineral water

Intitirta produces mineral water

JAKARTA (JP): PT Grahamas Intitirta, a subsidiary of the Kodel
Group, entered into the competitive mineral water business by
launching its first mass produced packaged drinking water,
manufactured in Kuningan, West Java.

The company said that the company's plant is capable of
producing 18 liters of mineral water per second.

It said the construction of the water processing and bottling
plant, worth Rp 6 billion (US$2.6 million), was financed with
loans from the state-owned Bank Rakyat Indonesia.

The company's president, Boedi Rahardjo, was quoted as saying
that Grahamas produced mineral water under the brandname of
Batavia for the domestic market -- with distribution in Jakarta
and West Javanese cities -- and Mount Blanc for exports.

He said Grahamas plans to cooperate with Cameron Spring, an
Indiana-based mineral water corporation in the United States to
market its products worldwide.

Data from the Indonesian Bottled Drinking Water Association
show that competition between packaged mineral water producers
has been growing tighter.

Pioneered by one company in 1973, the number of mineral water
producers grew to three in 1983 and to 125 in 1991. There are now
195 bottled mineral water companies operating in 19 provinces.

Big cities like Jakarta are the most lucrative markets with
stiff competition among producers with various brands.

Big cities, therefore, are very vulnerable to counterfeiting.
Last week, for example, police smashed a syndicate of producers
and distributors of fake mineral water.

The alleged producers of the fake mineral water admitted that
they had distributed bottled water to both street and household
consumers in Jakarta and its surrounding areas. (kod)