UPM details Asia-Pacific growth plans

The investment program includes building a new coating line in the company’s self-adhesive labelstock factory in Changshu, China, as well as machinery upgrades in Changshu as well as the Johor Bahru factory in Malaysia.

The machinery investments are estimated to add more than 50 percent new coating capacity in the region for UPM Raflatac.

UPM Raflatac recently confirmed that it had started construction of a third production unit at its Changshu mill in China, as originally announced in August 2012.

The material manufacturer said these initiatives will support its growth target of adding 200 million EUR (274 million USD) of EBITDA in the coming three years.

Tapio Kolunsarka, executive vice-president at UPM Raflatac, said: ‘Our business has seen a rapid growth in Asia over the past years and these investments will give us the needed capacity for continued growth, and take our capabilities and quality to the next level.

‘These developments will clearly improve our competitiveness towards meeting customer demand in the future.’