In anticipation for its share of the Malaysian market to increase by 4% to 7% this year, JG Containers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has earmarked US$4m new investments to automate its production facilities. With the new automated facility, the company hopes to lower its production costs by reducing its reliance on imported labour, and vetnure into new product ranges. The facility upgrade will include a new furnace with a European-made refractory, Italian-made moulding machines as well as moulds with new designs. Scheduled to have the new facilities in place by the second half of the year, JG Containers hopes to increase exports then, by delivering 20-30% of its output to the Far Eastern markets including the Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. With actual output at 80/tpd the company exported an estimated 6,000 tonnes in 1999.
