Sidel reinvigorates Oman Refreshment Company’s PET lines as soft drink demand surges

21 Dec 2020 --- Oman Refreshment Company (ORC) is launching three new PET bottle formats to meet changing demand for soft drinks within the country. 

The company, a franchise of PepsiCo, credits German manufacturing company Sidel for completing the line conversion within a reduced lead time.

ORC is expanding its manufacturing and distribution capabilities to meet the growing demand for its soft drinks and respond to diverse consumer preferences, it says.

The carbonated soft drinks (CSD) market in Oman is highly consolidated by international companies and dominated by PepsiCo, whose “sales volume and value in 2018 reached 84.7 percent and 84 percent, respectively.”

Although Oman is known for its high CSD consumption, changing lifestyles and the introduction of an “excise tax” (50 percent on CSD) have slowed demand.

To maintain its market share and adapt to healthier consumer habits, ORC approached Sidel to launch three new PET bottle formats (0.25 L, 1 L and 1.5 L).

The company has an overall annual beverage production capacity of around 500 million liters and produces PepsiCo brand drinks such as Pepsi, Topfruit and Aquafina Water.

Sidel completed an upgrade to ORC’s PET production line with a reduced lead thanks to third-party collaboration.Sidel’s speedy machinery
The duo is touting the installment of new machinery in Oman as an example to industry of the efficiency and speed at which production changes can be achieved.

ORC has operated with a Sidel Matrix Combi12 line since 2015, and Sidel was enlisted to adapt this same line for the new PET bottles.

The order was placed in June 2019, and a 14-week lead time was established to meet the market launch date.

Delays were expected due to the summer break, say the company. As a solution, Sidel was forced to cooperate with suppliers closely.

With consultancy from Sidel, some adjustments were made, and Sidel’s team of 15 experts was supported by optimal logistics and third party equipment suppliers to accelerate its progress.

ORC also played a crucial role by providing full in-house support from the maintenance and warehousing teams to ensure all activities went to plan, it says.

The adapted Sidel Matrix Combi2. Youssef Ezzikhe, CEO at ORC, describes the company’s accomplishment: “Sidel’s challenge was to finish the project within a very tight schedule. Sidel took swift action in manufacturing the required adaptation kits then shipping them in the fastest lead time possible. Installation, testing, and commissioning are the most challenging activities of the project, wherein Sidel was able to excel by sending the best team.”

Sidel going east
Sidel recently brought its novel aseptic liquid beverage packages to the Asian market for the first time in collaboration with Japanese drinks manufacturer Sangaria.

The company touted its “revolutionary technology” as superior to current market trends in environmental sustainability and cost.

Nigerian co-packer StrongPack also chose to equip its facilities with Sidel technology last year. CSD is the second most popular beverage category in Africa, according to Sidel, and the company’s PET lines were crucial in increasing the shelf life of StrongPack’s beverages.

Edited

By Louis Gore-Langton

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