Posted on 05 Mar 2015
SET-listed steelmaker Millcon Plc (MILL) is expected to start its operations in Myanmar next year after being granted a licence to invest in the special economic zones (SEZs) recently, says the company president.
Sittichai Leeswadtrakul, also chief executive of Millcon,
said its factory was due to be ready by year-end and would start operating
commercially early next year.
He said Millcon joined up with General Engineering Plc (GEL), a concrete
materials maker, to build the factory to produce steel for construction and
prefabricated concrete materials at Thilawa Industrial Estate.
Millcon owns 45% of the new asset, while General Engineering owns 45% and local
partners 10%, said Mr Sittichai. Millcon invested US$7 million and expects the
project to break even within seven years.
He said the joint venture was the first partially owned Thai company to receive
a Myanmar SEZ investment licence.
The 14.3-rai construction materials factory is projected to earn 900 million
baht in revenue in 2016 and 1.2 billion by 2018, when it reaches full capacity.
Millcon's total revenue is projected to reach 20 billion baht in 2016.
"Although steel demand in Myanmar is small, around 2 million tonnes last
year compared with 18 million tonnes in Thailand, the demand in Myanmar doubles
every year," said Mr Sittichai.
He said the factory in Myanmar would be a production base for several grades of
commercial steel products.
"We will focus on downstream products because they require a smaller
investment budget than upstream products and their prices are less
volatile," said Mr Sittichai.
Millcon had a previous joint venture with Myanmar's Thiha Group to establish
Mill Thiha, a trading company for steel and other construction materials. Mill
Thiha is looking for opportunities to expand investment in construction
materials and engineering services, which remains underdeveloped.
In addition, Millcon has an ambitious plan to invest in power generation and
logistics businesses.
MILL shares closed Tuesday on the SET at 1.83 baht, up 20 satang, in trade
worth 246 million baht.
