Bangkok--28 Jun--ABM Connect
Mr. Somchai Bulsook (center), Chairman of Sermsuk Public Co., Ltd. together with Dr. Pisanu Vichiensanth (third from left), Director and Executive Vice President of Thai Beverage Public Co., Ltd. presided over the opening ceremony of CRYSTAL's new production line in Koh Ka Factory, Lampang province. Mr. Sathaporn Sukkho(third from right), Chief District Officer of Koh Ka District, also joined the event.
Sermsuk Public Co., Ltd., the producer of CRYSTAL, the popular Thai quality drinking water brand, has launched a new production line in Lampang province to address growth in the drinking water market in Northern Thailand. The Lampang facility now has an annual production capacity of 100 million liters of bottled water. With state-of-the-art technology, Sermsuk will be better able to deliver fresh quality water more rapidly to consumers throughout the northern region. The company is also focused on its social contributions. "Nine Napat," CRYSTAL's brand ambassador, called for increased awareness in communities and among the younger generation of the importance of protecting the environment. To reinforce this concern, Sermsuk delivered an "Upcycling Station" to the community in Lampang to support efficient waste recycling.
Mrs. Prangnee Chaipidej, Marketing Director of Sermsuk Public Co., Ltd., said, "The expansion of CRYSTAL's production line is part of our commitment to consistently 'fulfill happiness' and provide freshness to Thai consumers. This is why we are determined to extend our distribution to cover every part of Thailand, to better serve the needs of consumers. In 2019, the overall drinking water market in Thailand grew by 16%, with 14% growth in the northern region. CRYSTAL achieved 18% growth in the north, and this trend continues to show strength. CRYSTAL's production line, operated by Thai Drinks Co., in Koh Ka District in Lampang province, now has the capacity to produce 100 million liters of water annually."
"Today's launch of the new production line offers synergies with our Nakhon Sawan and Kampang Phet factories to address growth in the drinking water market in the northern region. This factory will also be a strategic location for distributing products to modern trade and local department stores. Lampang is well-connected with the upper northern region, which includes Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Phrae, Phayo, Sukhothai, and Tak provinces. This expansion will increase efficiencies by managing transportation costs while improving the distribution of CRYSTAL throughout the northern region," added Mrs. Prangnee.
CRYSTAL's new production line is located in Sala Sub-district, Koh Ka District, Lampang province, on 30 rai of land. It uses the latest German technology that is eco-friendly with low energy consumption which leads to sustainable resource use and less environmental pollution. The production line also equipped with innovations developed by robotics and machinery engineers at Bevtech, a division of Thai Beverage. This collaboration strongly supports local staff who are skilled in advanced technologies covering robotics and automation, which contributes to increased productivity and improves CRYSTAL's operations and service.
CRYSTAL has consistently maintained internationally-recognized production standards. In 2019, CRYSTAL received the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s Quality Award for the sixth time, in addition to the No. 1 Brand Thailand 2018-2019 Award (Natural Water) for the second year in a row. The Brand Thailand award, hosted by Marketeer Magazine, reaffirmed the company's commitment to achieving consistent product development. CRYSTAL also prioritizes environmentally-friendly operations, such as a Zero Wastewater Discharge system for the most efficient and optimal use of water. Residual water from the company's production is pH-adjusted before being released into an oxidation pond so that it can be reused in the factory.
In addition to the launch of the new production line, CRYSTAL hosted an activity to encourage the surrounding community and the younger generation to understand the importance of recycling plastic and caring for the environment. "Nine Naphat," CRYSTAL's brand ambassador, took part to convey the need to keep our surroundings clean and discussed the recycling process and how packaging can be reused. On behalf of the company, he delivered an Upcycling Station to the "Zero Baht Bank" located in Nampueng Chao Rai Oy Temple, encouraging people to bring their used plastic bottles which should be separated into labels, caps, and bottles, then disposed of in the appropriate containers at the bank. The collected waste will then be upcycled into new products. This will help to make plastic waste renewable and provides a sustainable solution to a pressing environmental problem.
"Sermsuk is confident that the expansion of CRYSTAL's production line at the Thai Drinks factory in Lampang, with the application of smart technology, will complete an important missing link in our production and distribution network, allowing us to meet the increasing demands of consumers in Northern Thailand. It will also strengthen consumer confidence and allow us to remain the No. 1 brand of drinking water," concluded Mrs. Prangnee.