Flowcrete Launches First Manufacturing Plant In India

Online, June 22, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Located in Chennai, the new plant will enable Flowcrete to significantly reduce lead times to customers and also reduce the impact on the environment by using locally available raw materials.

Flowcrete's International Managing Director Craig Brookes said, "The huge potential and vast scale of the Indian market are two of the main factors behind our decision to bring our manufacturing operations nearer to our customers in this dynamic region. The availability of good raw materials locally and access to excellent personnel were other key indicators supporting this move."

A range of the firm's seamless resin-based products are being manufactured at the plant including the self-smoothing Flowshield SL, Flowcoat SF41 and HS, Deckshield, the watertight car-park decking system and Flowshield LXP. The latest product to be added to the range is the polyurethane [PU] concrete antimicrobial Flowfresh, making Flowcrete the only company in India with PU concrete as part of its locally manufactured portfolio.

A number of prestigious projects have already been secured on the strength of the local facility and its ability to reduce lead times for delivery. Some 15,000 sq metres of Deckshield ID car-park decking system have been supplied to Kanakia Builders of Mumbai with delivery made within 15 days of the order being placed.

Other large projects secured include work for Hilton Hotels Chennai, Godfrey Philips Mumbai, Fourts Pharma Chennai and Reid & Taylor Bangalore. All material for these projects was supplied from the new Chennai facility. At the same time, Flowcrete has been able to use the new plant to increase the volume of resin being supplied to its existing network of applicators.

As Flowcrete India Director Vivekanandan Margasahayam highlights, "The plant is already making a world of difference and the business outlook for Flowcrete India has been transformed. Our customers are delighted that they now have a reliable source of quality flooring systems from a local manufacturer on their doorstep. They also have immediate access to qualified technical resources for advice on choosing the best flooring solutions for their projects."

Current production capacity at the plant is 9,000 tonnes per annum, with expansion plans set to bring capacity to 21,000 tonnes per annum within the next six to nine months. Flowcrete Operations Director Dave Kelly says, "Demand on the Chennai facility has already multiplied to the extent that we are looking to add another modular plant adjacent to the current site. This will house a filler plant and allow for additional resin production and warehousing space." This capacity is scheduled to be streamed in by mid-2012.

Since first setting up an office in-country in 2009, Flowcrete India had already built up an impressive track record with flooring installations carried out at the landmark Imperial Towers residential development in Mumbai and for leading global companies such as Unilever.

Located in a busy industrial area populated by leading automotive and auto-ancillary manufacturers, the purpose-built plant was set up on a modular basis. The plant is managed by Sudhir Aikkaraparampil who holds a degree in Chemistry and 15 years' manufacturing experience gained with prestigious manufacturing companies in India and most recently Saudi Arabia. A fully operational QC laboratory using the latest equipment is in place at the facility. Additional support to the Chennai plant is provided by Flowcrete's regional headquarters in Malaysia which features a large R&D facility.