Loi Hein Co to open second drinks factory
LOI Hein Company Ltd, the maker of Alpine drinking water, plans to open a US$2-million softdrink factory at the Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone later this month, said the company’s chairman, Dr Sai Sam Htun. “Landscaping, electricity, tube well, laboratory and the installation of machinery are now all finished. It will ready to open in late December,” Dr Sai Sam Htun said on November 27. The factory at Yangon’s second largest industrial zone will be able to produce up to 200 bottles and 500 cans a minute of the company’s Green Spot range. It will add to output from Loi Hein’s plant in Mingalardon township. Built over five acres from early 2006 until March this year, the new factory has a total investment of about $2 million, Dr Sai Sam Htun said. Loi Hein’s general manager U Zaw Tin said test runs will be held in early December and office staff will move to the site in the middle of the month. “We will employ about 200 staff there,” he said. The new factory comes as Loi Hein plans a push into foreign markets. The company intends to export bottles of its Alpine water to Australia and cans of its Extra energy drink to India. – Htar Htar Khin

First gems and jade sale in 2008
MYANMAR Economic Holding Ltd (UMEHL) has announced that it will hold a gems and jade sale in mid-January. The five-day sale will take place between January 15 and 19 in Yangon. The announcement said the sale will use both an auction and a bargaining system to offload the lots. This will be the company’s 24th sale, and the first of what will likely be many in 2008. The November 26 gem emporium organised by Myanma Gem Enterprise sold 3618 jade, gem and pearl lots and independent estimates put revenues at US$185 million. Gross revenues for the last UMEHL sale that ended on December 13 are not yet available. – By Kyaw Thu