A glass manufacturer operating out of Northern Oman’s Sohar Industrial Estate is examining the possibility of nearly doubling production capacity in the near future.

Majan Glass is in the process of conducting a detailed feasibility study through “renowned glass experts” for putting up a third furnace with capacity of 200 tonnes of glass per day, said its CEO Ramesh Mani.

The company’s current capacity is 250 tonnes daily with two furnaces and five production lines. Glass is produced as containers in the 88 ml to 1,000 ml range and they come as flint glass and coloured glass. The output caters to most of Oman’s requirements with the bulk left for exports to other GCC states, the Middle East and the Far East.

Mani said the production volume this year could reach 69,321 tonnes, well above the 2009 level of 64,173 but very marginally lower than the 69,872 tonnes that came out from its lines in 2008.

Sales this year are expected to be better than in the past few years at BD10.8 million against BD9.6 million in 2009 and 10.4 million in 2008.

“With signs of recovery seen in the Middle East after the global recession of 2008 and 2009, we expect consumer spending in the region will go up resulting in increased demand in the food and beverage sector. This will have a positive impact on the company in the second half of 2010 and in 2011,” said Mani.

The food sector contributes 30.4 per cent of Majan Glass’ turnover while soft drinks and malt beverages contribute 27.6 per cent and 27.3 per cent respectively and juices 14.7 per cent. Exports account for 81 per cent of the turnover. Majan Glass is an approved glass container supplier to PepsiCola International and Coca Cola International worldwide.

Value-added features

The newly manufactured glass is transported to customers

A factor that has helped Majan Glass in its business is value-added features including online labeling, ACL printing and full-body PVC shrinkable label sleeving. “The company is also looking at the latest technology aimed at producing light weight bottles,” said Mani. In 2009 the company successfully installed and commissioned the 5th production line in tandem with a furnace rebuild. Installation and commissioning work of a second ACL printing facility was also completed that year.

The next step would be the installation of a new furnace to raise total capacity by nearly 100 per cent should a feasibility study permit that.

The company has been certified to the ISO 9001:2008 (quality management) and ISO 22000-2005 (food safety management) systems and has been bestowed with the “Omani Quality Mark” by the Omani Government.

“Various quality checks and tests are carried out at different stages of production ensuring that the finished product is of the highest quality,” says Mani.

Plant equipment has come from several companies including Emhart Glass SA, Switzerland; BDF Industries SpA, Italy; Ernst Pennekamp, Germany; Antonini SRL, Italy; Raute Precision Industrial Weighing, Finland; Emmti Spa, Italy; AGR International, US, and SGCC Glass Inspection Systems, France.