Thai Tinplate sees continued hike in demand

Managing director Attapong Kateratorn noted that 2014 was a very challenging year for the company given volatility in foreign exchange rates and other factors impacting on the economy. 

“The company’s management and employees will move further to improve energy saving systems, environmentally friendly technology, production cost savings as well as reliable and sustainable qualities and customer satisfaction to increase the company’s sales competitiveness,” Attapong said.

Based in Samut Prakan, Thai Tinplate has major shareholders like JFE Steel Corp, Mitsui & Co, JFE Shoji Trade Corp and Marubeni-Itochu Steel PTE Ltd.

Established in 1958, it was Thailand’s first tinplate and tin-free steel producer for food and drinks packaging material certified by ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Its production capacity is 552,000 tonnes per year.

The company was recently certified as an advanced manufacturer based on the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). 

GMP is the guideline for good manufacturing practice for food safety while HACCP is the guideline for hazard analysis and critical control points on each step of the production process in order to eliminate contamination by micro-organism, chemicals and other contaminants.  

GMP and HACCP are important in food safety assurance, with the guidelines implemented by the CODEX committee – a joint body formed by the United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation and the World Health Organisation. 

Attapong expects market demand for the company’s products from the canned food and drinks industry to increase in the coming years. As such, Thailand’s position as the world’s top supplier of canned food and drinks should be unchanged.

“The management is determined to focus on capitalising on the company’s market presence,” Attapong said.