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IRC prepares for Eco Car project |
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Pimjai Laojinda, president of Innove Rubber (Thailand) PCL, the producer and distributor of IRC tires which is part of the IRTC Group, revealed that the company has set a group sales target of 7 billion baht this year, an increase of 400 million baht over last year’s 6.6 billion baht. She said IRC plans to invest 558 million baht this year while the IRTC Group will invest 1.2 billion to raise production capacity, improve energy systems, setting up R&D facility and improve quality systems. The investment will cater to increase in Thai automobile production which is expected to reach 2 million to 2.2 million units in 2010, as well as the Eco Car project by several auto makers, and expansion in other areas. In 2007 IRC sales reached 4.935 billion baht, with 25 per cent, or 1.2 billion Baht coming from exports, while another 3.735 billion baht comes from domestic sales. “In the future we plan to raise export income to 30-35 per cent through both direct export and via automobile and motorcycle manufacturers,” she said. Although the economy may be slowing, Pimjai said she is confident IRC is to increase sales due to the growth in the automobile sector as well as the weaker Baht which will help exports. Previously IRC was the country’s top motorcycle tire producer, with 100 per cent market share in the OEM and REM markets. Pimjai said that from 1997 the company stared its business export business to help balance sales, and today IRC remains one of the largest motorcycle tire producer with a market share of 35-40 per cent. Sales are evenly divided between the OEM, REM and export markets.
“Presently Thailand is the center for automobile and motorcycle
production in the region judging form the relocation of automobile and
motorcycle production bases to this country. This leads to the setting
up of R&D centers, and the IRTC Group has also set up our own R&D center
to co-develop products with our customers,” she said. |
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ASEAN Autobiz, Vol. 7, No. 77, August 2008 |
