Tobacco Asia

28 tobaccoasia MANUFACTURING NEWS 制造新闻 UKRAINE PMI to Launch Solid Fuel Boiler for UAH63 million Philip Morris Ukraine, plans to finish construction of a solid fuel boiler in September 2018 and switch its factory from gas to solid fuel. According to deputy director general Ihor Kroshko, investment in the project is around UAH63 million (US$2.28 million). "Any kind of granular biofuel can be used as a fuel, which will allow reducing greenhouse gas emissions several times," UK/NETHERLANDS ITM and SPI Developments Join Forces On July 11, ITM and SPI Developments Ltd. (SPI) joined forces in ITMGroup. Together, th e Dutch-headquartered machine developer and the British adhesives and flavoring application systems specialist have expert knowledge in developing machines for pro- du cing special filters, base rods, and next generation products, like tobacco heating and vaping. ITMGroup acquired 100% of the shares of SPI from the current management, who will continue to manage the business at the same location. SPI will operate as an in- dependent company within ITMGroup, continuing to serve its traditional customers as before but benefiting from ITMGroup's worldwide sales and support network. With the continual increase in product complexity, for example in special filters and to bacco heating products, ITM realized it needed unlimited access to experts in ad- hesive application systems. SPI is one of the most skilled players in this field, and the company worked closely with ITM in developing new equipment for several years. SPI's flavor mixing and application technologies also complement ITM's equipment platforms and will help ITMGroup in developing flavored products. SPI's Henry Tuck commented, "Becoming part of ITMGroup gives SPI direct access to more next generation product markets and improves our ability to serve and support existing customers and the tobacco industry globally. We will also have more resources to support customer product developments and projects, ensuring more rapid response to market requirements. Most importantly, it also gives the industry and our employees confidence that SPI will be part of the long-term future of the tobacco world." Machine developer ITM has built a solid position supplying high-quality equipment and services to manufacturers of tobacco and next generation products. "By incorporat- ing the expert knowledge of SPI in our group, we can respond even faster and better to the expectations of our customers," says board member Michiel van der Sluis. Es- pecially in the developments of tobacco heating products, but as well in special filters and base rod developments, ITM sees a growing need for different and improved glue and flavor application systems. "These areas of expertise are getting more and more complex. Knowing all aspects of adhesive and flavor application systems is essential for developing the best machines in this area. Employees of SPI possess this knowledge." Through the addition of SPI Developments, ITMGroup comprises 11 different com- panies, with 21 sites and service centers worldwide. The companies each have their ow n expertise, and strengthen each other by combining these capabilities. In total, more than 1,200 employees work for the group, of which the head office is located in Kampen. At SPI Developments, 25 people are employed. the company stated in an official release. "The boiler's productivity is 6 tons of steam per hour and the capacity is 3.8 megawatts. The new boiler-house will completely cover the needs of the factory." According to Philip Morris Ukraine, savings on the switch from gas to renewable energy will be about UAH15 million per year. Construction of additional warehouses for storage of non-tobacco materials is also planned, said Kroshko RUSSIA Cigarette Manufacturing Up Due to Upcoming Tax Increase Russia's statistics agency, Rosstat, said that in June 2018, Russia produced 24.4% more cigarettes than 2017, despite anti-smoking measures such as prices hikes and advertising bans. During the first half of the year, the country's factories produced 131 billion cigarettes. "The reason for this is the growth of excise taxes," explained chairman of the board of the International Confedera- tion of Consumer Societies, Dmitry Yanin. The tax on cigarettes increased by 10% since July 1. The average cost of a pack increased by RUB7.2 (US$0.12). Tobacco manufacturers had known about this in advance, so they began to work in three shifts ramping up produc- tion and releasing more cigarettes onto the market before the jump in prices. So, they were able to legally underpay the budget by several billion rubles. This explains the rise in production in the first half of the year. Statistics show that the anti-tobacco campaign, which began in 2014, has achieved some mixed results. The number of smokers in Russia in four years has supposedly decreased from 40 to 30 million people. At the same time, the industry still brings in a lot of money to the government and fills many holes in the budget. In 2017, due to excises and other taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products, the Russian treasury received a windfall of RUB600 billion. UK Molins Sells Tobacco Division Global packaging solutions group, Molins, is selling its Instrumentation & Tobacco Machinery division (I&TM) to G.D SpA for £30million (US$38.3 million). G.D, a subsidiary of Coesia, is making the acquisition on a cash-free, debt-free basis. In line with Molin's strategy, the net proceeds of the sale will primarily be used to invest in its packaging machinery activities to capitalize on the attractive growth

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