KUALA LUMPUR (March 22): Supermax Corp Bhd said production of its first ever manufacturing plant in the US is now expected to begin sometime in the second quarter of 2023, instead of the fourth quarter of 2022 as indicated earlier.
In a bourse filing, the glove maker said the advanced facility located in Brazoria County, Texas, will be the group’s 18th international plant.
“The new 215-acre manufacturing facility will showcase cutting edge capabilities through expanded use of artificial intelligence and robotic engineering,” it said.
According to Supermax, the facility will comprise a total of eight buildings, with an investment of US$350 million earmarked for the first four construction phases.
Construction is slated to start in the second quarter of this year, it said.
The first phase of the Texas facility is anticipated to meet at least 10% to 15% of annual medical nitrile glove demand in the US over the next two to four years, while the second phase will address 20% to 25% of demand in the US over the next four to six years, it said.
“Manufacturing within the US has always been a desire of Supermax because it reinforces our high standards for quality and achievement. We are global leaders in the industry and will continue to set the standard for others to follow,” said Supermax founder and executive chairman Datuk Seri Stanley Thai.
According to Supermax, leading warehouse and distribution space builder ARCO/Murray has been engaged for this project.
Supermax Healthcare Inc chief executive officer CK Tan said the appointment of ARCO reinforced its commitment towards being a world leader in the medical PPE manufacturing space.
Currently, the glove maker exports to 165 different countries and has distribution centres and operations in the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
At the end of trading on Tuesday (March 22), Supermax closed 2 sen or 1.75% lower at RM1.12, for a market capitalisation of RM3.05 billion. Year to date, the stock has fallen by 23.81% from RM1.47 on Dec 31, 2021.