PETpla.net Insider 07 / 2017

PREFORM PRODUCTION 25 PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 07/17 www.petpla.net Alok Parakh about National Polyplast’s PET preform range 60,000 tonnes of PET preform capacity The National Plastics Group is made up of three business units, serving PET packaging, automotive components and consumer electronics. The Group, which was established in 1951, is based in Chennai, India and has focused since its foundation on the production and sale of plastic products for a range of applications. The National Polyplast business, which was launched in 1991, focuses primarily on PET preforms. This par- ticular line, which was first developed in the context of the company’s long- standing business relationship with PepsiCo, provided the basis for an unbroken history of expansion and a growth rate of 40% per annum in this segment until 2014. “Our advantage in the local market is our diversified nationwide pres- ence,” explains Mr Sudershan Parakh who is the Group’s Managing Director besides Mr Alok and Mr Arihant who have day-to-day business responsi- bility. “National’s plants are located in Northern, Western and Southern regions of India, so that we are able to deliver our products to bottlers quickly and efficiently. As these are also situ- ated near ports, we are able to import materials and export preforms in a cost-efficient manner.” The com- pany’s market presence is a result of quickly adapting to changing market requirements and strong relationships built over decades with all key stake holders. The PET boom in the 1990s opened up several opportunities in packaging, driven by the growing pur- chasing power of the population. “When leading multinational bev- erage companies began activities in India in the early 90s, the soft drink boom and exponential growth was a foregone conclusion. With consumer preference shifting to PET in other global economies, it was only a matter of time before PET would supersede glass in India,” recalls Mr Parakh. At that time, National manufactured plastic crates for glass bottles. In 2003, the company decided to install its first Husky preform system, which had 48 cavities. Soon afterwards, it introduced its first Alaska neck-finish preforms for water applications, and the PCO 1881 for CSDs. Today, National manufactures on 12 pre- form production lines nationwide. The majority of preforms are made on the Husky HyPET HPP systems, including the first 144 cavity system in India. The lower volume products are produced on ASB PM lines. National’s manufactur- ing range extends to more than 30 preform vari- ants, including 28mm PCO 1810 and 1881, Alaska 3 Start, Novem- bal 267, 38mm 2 Start and 30/25 Neck Finishes. It has the capacity to process more than 60,000 tonnes of PET preforms annually. According to the company’s own figures, it has the capacity to manufacture over 2.5bn preforms per year. The products’ key applications are water, CSD, fruit juices and milk. As well as PepsiCo, its customer base includes large brand owners such as Amul, Bisleri and many regional players. Standardisation of specifica- tions has enabled National to move the moulds between their various sites and thus achieve the most effi- cient use of moulds and machinery. National employs over 750 personnel, over a total manufacturing and sup- port area of more than 70,000m². The Group generated a turnover of over €50 million in 2016. “There are many preform suppliers in India but what makes us different are our customised and lightweight solutions, stringent food safety sys- tems, customer proximity and above all the high level of trust and comfort built with each of our associates, in all three divisions of our Group,” Parakh said. “We will continue to invest in the future and attract new clients to our customer base for further growth, which will include the construction of another greenfield plant next year. We are also venturing into new packaging products so as to become a key point of contact in the field of packaging and exploring expansion opportunities in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Africa as well.” www.nationalgroup.in Alok Parakh, Director National Polyplast (India)