Ajiya to inject RM30m in two glass plants

Tuesday April 27, 2010
By ZAZALI MUSA


New facilities in Shah Alam and Bangkok will boost the company’s position

SEGAMAT: Ajiya Bhd will invest RM30mil in two new safety glass-processing plants in Malaysia and Thailand - RM10mil in a plant in Shah Alam and RM20mil in its Bangkok plant.

Managing director Chan Wah Kiang said the Shah Alam facility would start operation in the first quarter of next year, while the one in Bangkok should be ready a few months after that.

“This will further strengthen our position as the leading metal roll and safety glass processing player in Malaysia and Thailand,” Chan told StarBiz after the company AGM on Friday.

He said the new facilities would complement the company’s existing metal roofing manufacturing plants in Shah Alam and Bangkok.

The Shah Alam plant would cater to the central region of Peninsular Malaysia while the Bangkok plant would serve its Thai and Indochinese markets, especially Cambodia and Vietnam, he said.


Ajiya’s safety glass processing plant in Segamat

With several redevelopment property projects coming up in the older parts of Kuala Lumpur and the Riverside City project in the Klang Valley, demand for building materials, including safety glass, would rise, he added.

According to Chan, there are not many large-scale integrated plants producing metal roofing and safety glass materials for the construction industry in Thailand and the neighbouring countries.

Hence, Ajiya was well positioned to capture the market, he said, adding: “We are also in a better position as our products conform with the Green Index Building and energy saving with more developers now using green technology and initiatives in their projects.”

Chan said the use of safety glass in new buildings was becoming prevalent all over the world due to its aesthetic value and contemporary look as it allowed sunlight through and reduced energy consumption.

He said Iskandar Malaysia also provided good prospects for the company as there would be many projects coming up in the country’s first economic growth corridor.

Ajiya has safety glass processing plants in Senai, Segamat, Puchong, Sungai Petani and Kota Baru.

On the current political turmoil in Thailand, Chan said the company was not perturbed with the situation and he was confident that foreign investments in Thailand would be well protected.

For the financial year ended Nov 31, 2009 (FY09), Ajiya recorded net profit of RM29.82mil on revenue of RM312.39mil against RM30.77mil and RM318.59mil respectively in FY08.