Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/550304
12 tobaccoasia Manufacturing Focus 工厂聚焦 Baldev Mistry, v.p. Africa, Star Tobacco Akin Akdogan, Star Tobacco Frederick Maan, the business development manager at TSAL, said, "This completes TSAL's first African project. We are also completing other related factories in D R Congo, Mada- gascar and Zambia. Given the robustness of the South African cigarette market the establish- ment of our first line in South Africa is appropriate. After Asia we see Africa as the next fastest growing set of cigarette markets in the world." Switzerland/Italy Cham Paper Workers Agreement The Cham Paper Group announced at year end that the sale of its Italian mills had fallen through due to the failure to reach an agreement in contract negotia- tions with the employees' representatives at Carmignano. However, management did come to a "viable and forward-look- ing consensus" with workers. The new agreement enabled a significant expan- sion of the mill's flexibility in terms of operating hours, while retaining the original compensation models. The board of directors released a statement saying they were "pleased with the alliance achieved with social partners and were convinced of the favorable future prospects of both Italian mills". At the same time they are continuing to streamline the group's management. The executive committee is being disbanded; in future the three site managers at Carmignano, Condino and Cham will report directly to the delegate of the board of directors, Urs Ziegler. Peter Müller, the former site manager at Cham and in charge of the Swiss paper business, will be taking on various special projects at group level. However, in mid 2014 Muller will be leaving the Cham Paper Group at his own request upon the completion of this current two-year transformation and relocation phase. At the Holding level, Urs Ziegler will continue to be assisted by Luis Mata, head of finance & controlling, and Franziska Stöckli, head of corporate services. Turkey Star Tobacco Makes Senior Management Changes Dr Iqbal Lambat, group c.e.o. of Star Tobacco, has announced three changes to the senior management team, all three effective from January this year. Akin Akdogan has been promoted to commercial director tobacco monopo- lies & group logistics. He will oversee group logistics and all of Star's commer- cial operations with government tobacco monopolies. Akdogan will also spear- head the expanded rollout in Southern Europe and Asia of Star's customer value added strategy of tobacco depots serving its customers "just in time". Meanwhile, Baldev Mistry was appointed vice president African region. He will run all commercial operations in Africa and front the deployment of project FEADES vertical integration into the tobacco growing regions of Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Finally, Christopher Maan has been made commercial director sales & marketing. He now oversees all of Star's commercial sales worldwide apart from sales to government tobacco monopo- lies. Maan will also supervise the group's marketing strategy relating to trade shows. In 2014, he will relocate from Luxembourg to the new European regional sales office, which will be in Antwerp, Belgium. Russia PMI Expands its Stake Philip Morris International (PMI) has acquired a 20% equity interest in Megapolis Distribution BV, the holding company of CJSC TK Megapolis, and PMI's distributor in Russia. The news was released at the same time as a press statement from Japan Tobacco Interna- tional (JTI), which has also taken a 20% equity interest in Megapolis. The PMI purchase price of $750 million excludes an additional payment of up to $100 million which is contin- gent on Megapolis's operational performance over the four fiscal years following the closing of the purchase. The transaction is projected to be TSAL filter rod facility