The Chinese beverage market is one of the world’s most dynamic, posting annual beverage consumption growth of about 7 percent. It is also one of the most competitive. To meet manufacturers’ growing demands for equipment in this sector, Sidel decided to strengthen its presence in China and is investing 35 million euros in a new plant. Work began last May, and Sidel is scheduled to open the doors of its 40,000 sq-meter Beijing facility in mid-2008. The plant will be Sidel’s first multi-product facility, and it will assemble all equipment found on Sidel’s complete lines, from blow molding to palletizing. “Our objective,” states Sidel’s President Gérard Stricher, “is to become the undisputed leader on the Chinese bottling line market. This plant will enable us to significantly boost our competitiveness by eliminating customs duties and intercontinental shipping costs. We will also be able to offer faster delivery times to our Chinese customers.”

Sidel has been manufacturing products in China since 1995 when it opened its filler manufacturing plant in Beijing and its Tooling center (bottle design, and mold design and manufacturing for PET bottles) in Shanghai.

This new stage in Sidel’s Chinese expansion is part of the company’s strategy to increase proximity to its customers to better understand and respond to their needs. It also reflects Sidel’s long-term commitment to serving its Asian customers.

The plant is being built in the BDA (Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area) industrial zone where some of the biggest international corporations, including Tetra Pak, already have facilities.

Sidel’s plant features a green design. Architectural teams have worked to reduce environmental impact, especially through the use of systems designed to conserve water and electricity. Many of the plant’s interior and exterior building materials are made from natural and recycled products. The site will follow the same manufacturing processes, work practices and quality standards in place at all Sidel plants.

Sidel is one of the world’s leading suppliers of beverage packaging equipment. Sidel has 5,300 employees worldwide and is a division of Tetra Laval. In Asia, the company has an installed base of more than 1,000 packaging machines.

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