PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2012

EDITOURS REPORTS 22 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 04/12 www.petpla.net Then as now the preforms for water represented the main product. After 2006 things were quiet for some time, the old premises were no longer sufficient. The breakthrough hap- pened in 2010 when the management decided to locate a new building on a green field site. This meant more space for new machines. Other Sipa and Husky lines found their way onto the new shop floor. Now there are five Sipas, one Netstal and four Husky lines standing next to each other and producing preforms. This combination of all three lead- ing preform machine manufacturers has – in my opinion – got to be a one-off. The shop floor incorporates 15 bays which means that another five lines can be fitted in. But Akar has been think- ing ahead. Extending the machine shop will give him the room for siting another ten machines. The floor to ceiling height on one side means that the driers can be accom- modated; the crane lines are already installed on the other side of the shop floor. At present Eskapet are using the bays as a store. Once the extension has been built there will new storage bays linked to the production building. In addition to the water preforms mentioned, Eskapet also manufacture CSDs and edible oil preforms. By way of a field of activity they have been on the lookout for the 19l container for water. Here they are now fabricating 3 gram weights on 16-fold cavities. Over the past two years the classic PC disposable containers have come to replace the PET single-usage bulk container. The reason for this is the health issue that goes hand in hand with PC. Ramazan Akar sees weight optimisation as a general trend in Turkey, the conversion of almost all water preforms to shortneck happened in only three years. As regards the CSD market he is anticipating the arrival shortly of the first 1881 lightweight machine. “But here the conversion of the entire branch will take longer than was the case with water because bottlers here and there still have emotional reser- vations“ says Akar. www.eskapet.com Ell & Nikki – the Eurovision Song Contest comes to Azerbaijan As part of the Go to Brau Beviale tour 2011, PETplanet Insider took time off to meet singer and musician Ell, one half of the Ell and Nikki Duo. They triumphed at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest in Germany and as a result the 2012 contest will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, starting on May 22. Baku was the turning point of PETplanet Insider’s grand tour, and we marked the occa- sion by talking to Ell about his career as an artist. We also had an important question for him: what is the favourite drink in a PET bottle for celebrated singers like him? Having garnered a massive 221 points, the duo Ell & Nikki swept the board at last year’s Eurovision Song Contest held in Düs- seldorf, Germany on 14th May, 2011, well ahead of runners-up Italy (189 points) and third-placed Sweden (185 points). Their vic- tory was a double celebration: Ell & Nikki won the coveted trophy ahead of 25 partici- pating countries, and ensured that the next contest would be held in Baku, Azerbai- jan, for the very first time. Previous winner Lena (2010 song: Satellite, 2011: Taken by a Stranger) had to be content this time round with 10th place, but was happy to join with Ell & Nikki in celebrating their magnificent victory. to be continued on page 29 The market in Turkey opens up