Jun 17 2008
To accommodate future expansion and following significant growth over the past two years, the company is establishing a purpose-built factory near Rayong, one of Thailand’s thriving industrial and manufacturing centres. The new factory will be handed over to BNL in June and production will commence in October this year.
Dave Clark, International Manufacturing Manager, commenting on BNL’s expansion in Asia, said:
“BNL’s sustained growth means we have to plan for new capacity and this, combined with increasing sales of our products to Malaysia, China and other countries in Asia, encouraged us to establish a new factory in Thailand.”
The factory will predominantly benefit BNL’s local customers by bringing production closer to their own manufacturing bases. The site is also close to one of BNL’s major suppliers, creating efficiencies throughout the entire supply chain.
Initially taking on assembly of parts for some Asia-based customers, there will be further opportunities to transfer other assembly work and some moulding activities to the factory. A team of fifty assemblers will commence operations during August and September. Additional staff will operate seven new Krauss Maffei moulding machines ranging from 35 – 160 tonnes, bringing BNL’s total machine count to 40.
Gavin Charlesworth, who joined BNL in May 2008 will oversee the Thailand operation as the Managing Director of BNL (Thailand) Limited. Gavin has lived and worked in Thailand for 10 years and is experienced in setting up operations in Thailand, Malaysia and China for international manufacturing giants such as Flextronics and Sanko Gosei.