KMP to open second packaging plant worth Bt600 million this year

KM Packaging (KMP) is boosting its production capacity for food and beverage packaging by about 50 per cent with the opening of its second, Bt600-million plant in Theparak Industrial Park late this year.

The new facility, which will add up to 135 million pieces per month to output, will support its growth ahead of the Asean Economic Community in 2015.

Pasin Kamolsuwan, vice president of KMP, the leading supplier to retailers such as KFC, McDonald's, Auntie Anne's, Mister Donut, Au Bon Pain and 7-Eleven, said yesterday that the expansion would serve the growing food business in Thailand. Trade liberation in the region under the AEC would also drive Thailand's food exports.

KMP's existing plant in Theparak Industrial Park can manufacture up to 90 million pieces per month of paper cups, ice-cream cups, food packages, and cartons and boxes.

This factory provides a one-stop service for customers starting from design work to the final process. This factory has been certified as ISO9001:2008, ISO 22000:2005, and ISO 14000, which is an environmental standard. It also was awarded a certificate in environmental management by the Industry Ministry's Department of Industrial Works.

KMP has introduced new paper cups and paper packaging that can be completely biodegraded. If the used items are removed to a landfill, they will decompose after four months into components that are beneficial to plants and leave no toxic chemicals in the environment. The material is expected to be applied to all KMP products soon.

To encourage people to care about the environment, the company commissioned Far East Advertising to create a TV spot called "Green Future". It is a story about people encouraging care in paper packing to protect the environment even more. "If you want to use packaging for food and drink, you will use KMP, because it's good quality and environmentally friendly as well," says the spot, which goes on the air this month. Among the company's CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects will be a Bt30-million campaign to make people aware of the value of Thailand's resources.

Under the umbrella of "KMP - A Cup of Love", there are five major projects - KMP Green Playground, a contest to build a playground for children; KMP Green Design, a contest to design new environment-friendly products; Heart Green Network, a fanpage; KMP Green Camp, construction of a forest camp; and KMP Sponsorship, support for institutions' environmental projects.

With 715 million items a year, KMP has about 4 per cent of the 20-billion-piece market for packaging products.