In a move reflecting the increasing importance of the Chinese market, Swiss plastics processor Georg Fischer (GF, Schaffhausen; www.georgfischer.com) on 14 August inaugurated its tenth production plant in the People’s Republic. The new plant, which will manufacture complete plastic piping systems, came at an investment cost of CHF 9m (EUR 6.7m). To serve the growing market of building customers in northern China, the plant is located at the Tongzhou site east of Beijing, shortening clients’ transport times and simplifying logistics.

The 16,669 m² building not only houses production facilities, warehouses and offices, it also includes a training centre. For now, the plant will operate two 50-metre long production lines capable of churning out 20,000 km of piping every year in a high-speed extrusion process. GF plans to bring additional capacity on stream next year and by autumn 2011, capacity is expected to reach 80,000 km of pipe per year.

Initially, some 60 employees will be working at the new plant, with expectations that another 100 will be hired by autumn 2011. Their main tasks will consist of manufacturing building technology systems for hot and cold water installations as well as heating and geothermal systems.

The Swiss group’s local joint venture GF Chinaust started up two new factories near Shanghai last year. “In the first half of 2010 we chalked up sales growth of 45% in this country. In 2009, China accounted for 14% of total sales and is likely to account for significantly more in 2010,” said Pietro Lori, president of GF Piping Systems.