PETpla.net Insider 11 / 2015

MOULD MAKING 43 PET planet insider Vol. 16 No. 11/15 www.petpla.net The expansion of the mould ambassadors from Foshan by Kay Barton Roof-top terrace shooting at GDXL’s new building GDXL‘s story begins in 1993. Mr Guoji Xie, who himself hails from Foshan and had already accumulated many years of experience with his own extrusion plant, recognised that there was a significant demand for high quality moulds in the emerging PET bottle market and duly responded. “The problem at the time was the fact that, generally speaking, moulds had to be imported and the prices were correspondingly high,” Mr Patrick Lam, Sales Director at GDXL explained. “Mr Xie had the idea of meeting the manifest requirement for high quality moulds at reasonable prices on a local level.” Now after 20 years Mr Xie is still there, as Chairman of the Board. In addition to the manufacture of blow moulds, GDXL is also taking its first steps in the development of pre- form moulds with fewer than 48 cavities. Much has happened since the com- pany’s initial accolade as Blow Mould Supplier 1999. 2007 was the year the development of premium preform moulds in collaboration with GDXL customers first started; 2011 saw the commissioning of a 144-cavity mould and, in 2013, the introduction of the first closure moulds. Today GDXL is deliver- ing a stronger response than ever to a growing market brimming with poten- tial. “Over the past 20 years or so we have sold 7,750 blow moulds and 1,290 preform moulds. We export 35% of our products with the lion’s share, at 65%, still concentrated on the local market,” says Mr Lam. “Our current best sellers are cold half preform moulds with 72, 96 and 14n4 cavities.” The customer base of more than 600 companies which has grown over the years incorporates all the well-known global players, ranging from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to Nestlé, Danone and San Miguel. Over the last four years GDXL’s workforce has consistently been within the 420 - 430 range. 60% of employees have been with the firm for longer than five years and 35% hold a diploma or higher quali- fication. The company has a current turnover of US$37,1m. GDXL is spread over two build- ings, an office complex and the pro- duction area, which are on opposite sides of the road from each other. Sam Zeng, the Account Manager, gives me a We met: Mr Patrick Lam, Sales Director and Mr Sam Zeng, Account Manager It’s the end of May and the humidity in the Chinese province of Guangdong is in excess of 90%. I am close to the provin- cial capital of Guangzhou. Here in Foshan I meet the team of the mould-manufacturer and PETplanet Insider reader Guang Dong Xing Lian Precise Machinery or “GDXL” for short.