Pandora jewellery manufacturer spending Bt9 bn to expand capacity in Thailand

Pandora aims to double its production capacity by 2019.
The Denmark-based company’s Thai unit is in Gemopolis Industrial Estate in Bangkok. Last year, its revenue exceeded Bt100 billion, a 21-per-cent increase compared with 2015. During 2016, the company created 122 million pieces of crafted jewellery. 
Pandora exports Thai-made fine jewellery items to more than 100 countries across six continents. The United States is its largest market, delivering 34 per cent of the company’s revenue, while Asia-Pacific, the fastest-growing region, represents 19 per cent. The remaining 47 per cent of sales are in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. 
Last year’s revenue was 77 per cent from charms and bracelets, 13 per cent from rings, 5 per cent from earrings, and 5 per cent from necklaces and pendants.
Nils Helander, senior vice president of Pandora Production Thailand, said that to support increasing demand in the global market, Pandora was continuing to expand its production capacity with a total investment of Bt9 billion over a five-year period (2015-19) as it implements three significant strategic initiatives in Thailand. 
They are a new production facility in Lamphun, a new crafting facility in Bangkok, and reconstruction and optimisation of its existing facilities at the Gemopolis Industrial Estate. 
The company hopes this investment will double its production capacity compared with 2015 levels, giving it the capability to produce more than 200 million pieces per year by the end of 2019 and promote the Thai jewellery industry at the global level. 
It also anticipates the expansion programme ultimately to create more than 20,000 jobs for Thais.
“We are very confident that Pandora’s capacity-expansion programme will play a vital role in promoting Thailand’s jewellery-manufacturing industry internationally. Most importantly, the expansion programme reinforces Pandora’s vision to become the world’s most loved jewellery brand,” Helander said.