BHS Corrugated India, a 100% subsidiary of BHS Corrugated, will start production of corrugating rolls and single facers in India next year, under the brand name SF-I (Single Facer India). The company held a ground-breaking ceremony for the first manufacturing unit in India on 24 February 2023.
The ceremony marked the start of a new chapter for BHS Corrugated. The manufacturing campus will be a host for the corrugating rolls factory, data center, and spare parts warehouse. The event was attended by key customers, team members, and key stakeholders.
The SF-I can run at the speed of 150 m/min and is available in two working widths – 1.8m and 2.2m. SF-I is compatible with all the existing automatic corrugation machines from any manufacturer.
“Single facer is not new to the Indian market; we are selling it along with complete BHS Corrugated lines for the last many years. Even in the Asia Pacific, more than 500 similar single facers are running and 40 of them are already operational in India. Thus, it is a tried and tested product for the Indian market. We are just promoting it in the market in a new way,” said Bijendra Sharma, managing director, BHS Corrugated India.
Sharma added, “It is indeed a proud moment for BHS India. This investment is about BHS’s long-term commitment to its customers and the Indian corrugation industry. We can even support non-BHS corrugated lines by upgrading them with SF-I which is available in INR & with NICE Cassettes. This product is available now.
“The pandemic era showed that importing a machine was too difficult. Formalities of import and currency fluctuation are big pain points. From your order till delivery, the currency fluctuated a lot. Logistic cost is another pain point, during Covid, we have seen freight costs go up from USD 2,000 to USD 15,000 per container. If the freight cost is more than your product cost, it doesn’t make sense.”
Gunter Huber, head of business unit equipment, said, “India is about to become the third largest market worldwide for this industry, and it will be our honor to support the Indian industry offering sustainable support for the years to come. BHS global community is proud of the recent developments here in India.”
