Kapiri Glass Factory is set to reopen its operations in July next year under a new local investor Chimsoro Milling Company Limited.
This follows the recapitalization and re-investment into latest machinery and technology at the once defunct company and will operate under a new name called Kapiri Glass Manufacturing (KGM) Limited.
KGM General Manager, Sunil Malik told ZANIS that the equipment is currently being installed at the factory to replace the obsolete one will enable the company produce over 75 tons of glass per day.
He said this translates into 21,000 tons of glass per annum or 20 million bottles per year.
Mr. Malik said the glass factory will cerate employment to over 200 local people once fully operational.
He said the state of the art glass manufacturing machinery which includes furnaces has been sourced from Technical Partners Glass Services of Italy and Emhart Engineering of Germany.
“We are ready to commence with full operations at Kapiri Glass factory in July 2014 after installing the machinery.
He said there is huge demand of bottles and glass products locally and internationally adding that the company has already received business delas to supply bottles to Zambian Breweries, Pepsi and SAB Millers of South Africa.
“We have already secured market for our products with international and local liquor and beverage manufacturing and packaging companies, so we shall not fall short of customers for our products,” Mr. Malik said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Malik has appealed to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to ensure stability and uninterrupted electricity supply to the factory in order to cut on power related costs of production.
Mr. Malik said his company has since applied for special tariffs on electricity and furnace oil, components which he said will account for about 35 percent of the total cost of production.
“we have appealed to ZESCO and government to assist us with regards to lowering the cost of production on two components that is electricity and furnace oil so that the company operates profitably and continue offering jobs to the local people”, Mr. Malik said.
And ZESCO has assured KGM LTD that it will supply the company with adequate energy to facilitate efficient operations at the firm.
Kapiri Mposhi District ZESCO Area Manager, Fitz Chikosola said ZESCO will supply a 8.4 km 5MVA line to the factory.
“ZESCO will provide adequate power to KGM LTD but Management should also look at installing a standby generator so that in cases of abrupt interruption of supply they can use that as a back-up so that their operations are not affected,” Mr. Chikosola said.
Over the years the glass company has exchanged hands of investors, mostly foreign, who have failed to restore its operations until Chimsoro Milling Company Limited proprietor, Costain Chilala bought-off the assets and business of the company from the vendor, KGP (in receivership) and ZANACO, the debenture holder at the total cost of US $230,000 in 2004.
ZANIS
Great stuff. Made by fwebene is real economic success. Production Management graduates can be handy to enhance production in such manufacturing plant. This is how to spend borrowed money, with the aim of making profit and pay back the loan from profit. There is no substitute to such kind of thinking. Well done Chimsolo. We need such brains for national development. Abash politics of the belly, with no real economic enhancing stamina.
support and buy local products.
well done all parties involved in coming to the rescue and resuscitation of this only glass manufacturing company in the land
Good One. This is what we want to hear. DEVELOPMENT!!! God Almighty Help Zambia.
Yes Yes. This is wisdom and intelligence. No selfishness. A normal Zambian knows that business should be done by the owner. even closing and opening should be done by because the Bembas can steal from you. No systems at all. profit kupenda kumutwe assets are not recorded. Very good. Excellent infact.
Well done HH.Give more money for tangible investments to people who have plans to sustain business operations.
Just joking!
Yah! Yah! This is what we want as Zambian Citizens not just news about about chopping and slicing each other with Machetes.
I just hope even the dilapidated Zambia China Mulungushi Textiles could be revamped too…
GOOD STUFF, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE KAPIRI GLASS CAN’T MANUFACTURE ITEMS BEYOND BOTTLES AND MUGS. KAPIRI GLASS SHOULD SERIOUSLY START PRODUCING STRUCRURAL GLASS FOR SPIRALLING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IN ZAMBIA AND THE SADC REGION. THIS IS WHERE THE MONEY IS FOER THE COMPANY. WE SHOULDN’T BE IMPORTING STRUCTURAL GLASS WITH THE PRESENCE OF KAPIRI GLASS, BUT EXPORTING. PLEASE, RETHINK YOUR PRODUCTION LINES.
Twalumba kapati! Well done Chimusoro.
Indeed, thank you Mr Chilala, we more Zambians like you in business
Bravo to you.these are the investors we want especially local ones that’s the only way we can develop Zambia..
Well done Mr Chilala, HH!
I am also doing the same in my field! Zambian investors is the way to go!
Viva la vito!!!
This is positive news for a change. The only part about the article that worries me is Zesco feedback saying the company should invest in standy by power generator so as not to disrupt production in case of abrupt power cuts. That is not a solution as that is the exact problem KGM is appealing too ZESCO that it does not happen including preferential rates. Using standby generator will not be cost effective even if it will just be to smoothen power supply cuts. A standy by generator in a factory is used to provide emergency power to critical services and allow for instance to shut-down machinery properly and not to maintain operations until normal power is restored. ZESCO should provide unlimited power supply to KGM as it does for critical industries such as the mines
Zesco is saying the truth and I am sure KGM has provided this in their BCP or Business continuity Management. They need a back up all the time which they must even test from time to time even if Zesco supplies the power continuously without interruption dear Blabla
Boss Zesco has done its best. In short the company should be ready for anything. Nature mighty also play its part in what Zesco is advising this company. Have you ever thought of the Lake Kariba walls collapsing? if not reconsider your centiments.
Zesco is just being honest and cautious
Good news. Thumbs up Mr. Chilala
Well done, Chimsoro. If more rich Zambians could invest in long term projects more jobs could be created for the youth. While investment in real estate increases the stock of houses for business and domestic usage, factories will benefit many more Zambians especially the youth. This will also add value to local raw materials thereby raising gross domestic product. May God bless the the business
I hope there will be no PHD from politicians,Chilala ninsimbi
Another Tonga bull! well done badaala!
This is a Zambian and not a “Tonga”. A “Tonga” can not do such a thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Not even a “Bemba” a Lozi, Luchazi or any tribe. It can only be an intelligent Zambian. If a person like Chimsoro wants to stand as president of Zambia he is free and can succeed. Do not tie a tribal tag on him I beg.
We will wait with bated breath; for this company has been in the news continuously, about changing ownership, planning to resume operations, etc, for some time now. Each time we were told of the grand plans by the ‘new’ investor, but alas, the next time we read about it, it would be yet another change of owner! Journalists should also go and verify such stories on site. Buyo buyo, thanks to Mr Chilala and Partners!
Mr. Chilala has been a very hard working entrepreneur for years and his successes are there to show for themselves. It’s unfortunate it had to take this long to re-open, but then planning and capital mobilization are no easy thing. I hope our govt will put in place policies that will protect the local manufacturers and discourage cheap imports that harm our industries. I say this because I recall that b4 privatization of KGP, Zambia Bottlers were importing bottles from RSA for beer, softies and all, hence pushing the local company ou of business and creating employment in RSA. Let us all support local initiatives such as this one. Like the Tonga say, “Leza abaleleke ba Chilala ambunga yabo!”
Agrred
It is incomprehensible that we Zambians don’t protect our economic interests. We are giving all contracts to Chinese and begging (sic!) them to give 20 percent to locals!? Strange. Why not support the locally owned industries?
I shudder to think what proportion of industries locals own in this country. The way we are going, some thirty to fifty years from now, Zambians will be fighting for independence, from the Chinese. And yet now we are willingly handing the country to them.
The Nkumbulas and Kapwepwes of this nation must be turning in their graves: after they so vigilantly fought for our independence, here we are shamelessly and willingly calling back colonisers. And foolishly calling it globalisation.
Even China did not get where they are by auctioning their country to…
Atase, he will just employ bantu botatwe.
@Diva
Have you read the article? The General Manager giving the details of the situation is someone called “Sunil Malik”. Does this sound Bantu Botatwe to you? It’s a pity you are such a tribalist. Maybe we should enact a law that will punish chaps like you that are hell bent on tribalism at every turn!
@ diva … This is the only retrogressive comment I’ve read on this story,,such stupid comments should not even be published,
Thanks st Jude for telling diva off.Again let business men remain in business not join politics this same chilala tried under MMD to contest munali the result was disastrous dispite the party help he lost lamentably hope he learnt his lessons..
If all big giants we know in this country can think like Hon. Costain Chilala,who are we not to give them Gods blessings?This is pure and clean money from this man and not the moneys you reap through corruption and chancing efyo tashakwatila nama blessings. Kuti twaponta.BRAVO Hon.CC AND SHOWERS OF BLESSING BE UPON YOUR BUSSINESS.DONT EVER,EVER BE DRAGGED INTO POLITICS PANTU THEY WOULD WANT TO FINISH YOU JUST A PEACE OF ADVISE.
To God be the glory, this once famous plant should come up again, we gratify you Mr. Chilala, such is the way to go not killing people to gain popularity no. We all wish you all the best, the sky is the limit in this global village demand for glass products is very huge indeed.
Now I have proved that this blog has been hijacked by Tongas and their simpathisers. Sata’s major development projects are trashed while the mention of a tonga, Chilala’s 200 work force investment has recieved so much praise. Please go back to your watch dog which has run out of stories apart from talking about the big bums of Masebo. Shame on you.
which are sata’s major development projects? listen you foool,what you fellow foool is doing is a curse to the nation.that man is busy morgaging this country and you call it development.even RB,levy or ftj if they were stupid they were going to embark on that heavy borrowing spree but the decided to be wise and borrow when necessary.
levy built the chembe bridge out of the national harnessed resources, RB completed the choma-namwala road same fashion,not the nonsense being witnessed now and you call it development,you iddioot. pisss off!!!
@chloroquin
In short thats what is known as sustainable development.
I agree with you 100%. But please calm down.Don’t take some of these PF useful 1diots seriously. They believe its okay for Sata to kill their relatives as long as he is building roads on borrowed money.
Golden, Mr. Chilala is using his personal money. Sata is borrowing wrecklessly. Do you think you can distinguish between the two and why Chilala is being praised and your Sata insulted?
Where Zambia Ceramics, who bought that company and what happened to it? One Akashambatwa Lewanika happened to be the last GM of the company that Kaunda built to supply locally made china wire or it Zambian wire.
LESA SO MONE AKAPATULULA KU BANA BOBE. PLZ IT Z ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION. ALL OF US ARE CHRISTIANS, AND DONT INSULT ELDERS, SATA IS OUR PRESIDENT AND HE NEED RESPECT
oh please
I really wish you wouldn’t ruin this wonderful story by mentioning Sata’s name. I mean really.
Good move, hope you have learnt what caused the last fall out so you dont repeat the same mistakes plus this time around the markets have changed keep an eye on that.
Congrats Chilala we have waited and you said it will work, For those of you who don’t know Chilala burrowed from DBZ to help finance the project. Government has been supportive so that it is a win win situation.
Let’s debate positively.
Only 200 workers for such huge daily productions ? Kwena we are living in a mechanised world
Congratulations bwana chilala, please concentrate on efficiently and effectively running your business don’t be lied to by your brother HH to join politics though he is effectively threatened by your business focus,do what you do best we will advise later when to pop up,,i hope that munali disasterous rejection taught you something about politics…
Its just a pity he does not pay his employees for the work, and dedication that they give.