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Published on November 16, 2007

"Now the company is doing marketing campaigns for D-stainless upcountry," marketing manager Rusrint Sontornmanaphant said yesterday at the Metalex 2007 industrial-machinery trade show.

She said the company had been the exclusive local distributor of D-stainless coils from Nippon Metal Industry for three years.

Some of the imported D-stainless coils were sold to manufacturers, while others were processed at the company's plants and sold as stainless-steel ornamental tubes.

She declined to disclose figures for D-stainless imports.

"D-stainless blends materials that have a low level of nickel, resulting in lower production costs than for stainless grade 304, yet its ability to resist erosion can be similar to stainless grade 304," she said.

D-stainless can be used to produce clothes lines, stair banisters, ornamental tubes, computer components and food and kitchen equipment.

Imported D-stainless coils are distributed by Lohakit Metal's wholly owned D-Stainless subsidiary, which was incorporated in 2005 with registered capital of Bt1 million.

Lohakit Metal is in the process of listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand this year by issuing 80 million new shares at par value of Bt1 apiece for an initial public offering (IPO).

The company's registered capital after the IPO will increase to Bt320 million, from Bt240 million now. Proceeds from the IPO will be used to construct buildings, purchase equipment and machinery, repay loans and augment working capital for future expansion.

Seamico Securities is the financial adviser for the listing.

Asia's largest industrial-machinery trade show, Metalex is expected to see more than Bt4 billion in cash circulated this year.

The trade show, which runs until Sunday, hosts more than 3,900 innovative industrial products from 50 countries, 11 national pavilions and more than 750 seminars on trade and investment. Privy councillor Ampol Senanarong presided over yesterday's opening ceremony.

Sasithorn Ongdee, The Nation