Harris International of Uganda, a leading African producer of mineral water, still and carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) for the domestic market, recently became the recipient of the first-ever Sidel Combi PET bottling line installed in East Africa. A decisive factor in Harris choosing Sidel was the flexibility of its solution, including the line equipment, services and also the company’s overall business approach. The recent launch of a Sidel Services centre in nearby Kenya also helped, as did the existing relationship with Sidel following the previous installation of a PET line for still water.
The flexibility afforded by the Combi line was a consideration in the selection process since Harris will be using it to bottle CSD’s, juices and water under the Riham brand, a well established brand in Uganda.
Great expectations
Africa is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and offers significant growth opportunities for the beverages market. The continent is forecast to become the world’s second-fastest growing market for liquid dairy products alone, with demand increasing by 3.5% each year over the next two years, to approximately 17.3 billion litres. The number of middle-class consumers with increasing expendable incomes is also growing. Such consumers are now demanding access to more sophisticated and internationally recognised products.
Harris was incorporated in 2005 to cater to this demand by meeting the needs of the Ugandan foods and beverages market through quality production. It is expected that over the next five years, as Ugandan consumers increasingly enjoy beverages in their homes, and exports and the overall economy grow, the country will rely less on imported products and move towards those produced domestically, particularly juices which are recognised for their purity.
Versatility now a priority
Before the new line was installed at its production facility in Kampala, Uganda, Harris had been bottling only still water on its existing Sidel PET line. It wanted, however, to meet the increase in local demand, support local agricultural producers, and gain a manufacturing advantage over its competitors. By installing the very latest, fully automated aseptic processing technology, it sought to gain the lead in Uganda’s developing food and beverage industry with higher quality products. The decision was made to invest in a new PET bottling line. On this occasion, however, Harris insisted the new line should be adaptable to cope with the bottling of different beverages and products, including juices and CSDs, while anticipating future capacity requirements.
Following the investment Harris?can now bottle CSDs and different juices, as well as still water on its new line. Mr. Andrews Ruben, the Managing Director and CEO of Harris, explained why the decision was made to invest in the Sidel line. “When Harris decided to go for a new line, first the Chairman, Mr. Yasser K. Ahmed, and then the Technical Manager, Mr. Hassan Abdelrida, travelled all over the world to find credible products for the line. Then, based on extensive and thorough discussions to ensure our specific needs were accommodated, we finalised the line with Sidel, electing to go for a capacity of 16,000 bph rather than our original 8,000bph. ”
Working with Sidel
Another decisive factor was Sidel’s local presence in East Africa, where it has been working since 1991. An example of this local presence is the recent establishment of a local training programme to enhance the skills of local engineers. Sidel’s latest office is in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, where experienced technicians are just an hour’s flight to the plants of most East African customers. This proximity is obviously vital for local beverage producers and, with spare parts also held in Nairobi, it all helps to facilitate Sidel’s speed of response.
The input of a true partnership
Mr. Ruben summed up: “Harris decided to go with Sidel for a number of reasons, including the flexibility of the solution and the open, transparent and regular communications towards the project. Harris also wishes to express its gratitude to Sidel and its Kenyan team for all its great and valued input. They passed on their technical knowledge to the Harris team, so they could understand the solution in-depth.”
Photo: Sidel
