PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2018

BOTTLING / FILLING 37 PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 03/18 SIPA S.p.A. - Via Caduti del Lavoro, 3 - 31029 Vittorio Veneto (TV) - Italy Tel. +39 0438 911511 - Fax +39 0438 912273 - email: sipa@zoppas.com We make it happen. www.sipa.it Imagine taking your operating costs at the lowest level. Designed to adapt. Built to last. Preform Systems M A IN T E N AN CE COS T i st ment Le ss tha n 1% of th e ca pi tal n ve PET packaging facilities: Vientiane:  1x Sidel Blower and 1x KHS Blomax for water  1x Sidel Blower for CSD Champasack (South)  2x KHS Combibloc for water and CSD Duncan Crow’s office looks across to the beer production facility on the opposite side of the road. His position as a Supply Chain Director was introduced three years ago, when he joined the company. The native Briton has lived with his family in Vientiane ever since. “I am a Chemical Engineer and a Brewmaster,” he says. “My role here is to build a high performing supply chain organisation and we have made great improvements throughout the chain, from planning through production and logistics. Since last year, I have also been responsible for the procurement.” PET, glass and cans The plant at the head office bottles beer in in glass, and water in PET. The second plant, which is only 4km away, bottles both Pepsi CSDs and water products. “In addition to PET and glass, cans are also used there,” says Duncan Crow. The third production plant, located near the town of Pakse in the south of Laos, produces beer, water and CSDs, in PET and glass. “Pepsi is the market leader in soft drinks in Laos. It has been in the country for a long time and obviously set the right course at an early stage and was able to remain in the market after the re-unification in 1975. That is one of the reasons Pepsi maintains a strong market position here.” The markets are certainly developing quickly: Heineken has been present in Laos for several years and Coke recently opened a production facility in Laos. “Looking at the consumer behav- iour, I see growth in all segments, especially in water and CSD,” he says. The company’s preforms are sourced from local and Thai suppliers such as LT Plastics Laos and PET- form (Indorama) Thailand. It imports all of its caps. “We also have a project for the future that we are bringing to fruition step-by-step,” says Duncan Crow, pointing to the water bottles on the meeting table. “We are planning a new PET line for water.” www.beerlao.la