Thai company invests $53m in Vietnam container plant

Berli Jucker (BJC) of Thailand has invested US$53 million in a new container glassmaking facility in Vietnam.

BJC Glass Vietnam will have an initial production capacity of 180 tonnes per day or approximately 175 million bottles per year. Operations at the plant are expected to commence by the fourth quarter of 2011.

“Vietnam is an important market for us and we are expanding into this market across a range of sectors that complement our business portfolio in Thailand,” said Aswin Techajareonvikul, President of Berli Jucker. “For packaging, the beverage market, driven by the growth of the beer sector, will continue to drive demand for glass containers,” he added.

BJC owns one of the largest glass packaging manufacturers in Thailand – Thai Glass Industries – which operates eight furnaces and has a capacity of 2400 tonnes per day.

It has shared a technical partnership with Owens-Illinois for the last decade and the two companies are reportedly considering further upgrading this collaboration.

With its expansion into the Vietnamese market, BJC aims to strengthen its position in the industry in South East Asia. “We plan to serve both international and local beverage companies, as well as providing high-quality glass packaging for the growing packaged food sector, through our modern glass facility in the My Xuan Industrial Park in southern Vietnam,” said Mr Techajareonvikul.