Coca-Cola's bottling franchise Nairobi Bottlers has unveiled a new KES1.2bn ($14m) preform manufacturing plant at Kangundo Road in Kenya.
Aimed at addressing the increasing demand for plastic bottled products, the facility will take the company's total investment alone to over KES3bn ($35m) within a year.
According to the company, the facility will enable it to produce preforms that are used to manufacture plastic bottles for Coca-Cola's range of soft drinks and Dasani water packaging.
Nairobi Bottlers managing director Patrick Pech said projected growth of the company's business and need for expansion to better serve consumer needs, prompted it to set up the new facility.
"That decision today presents us with the opportunity to grow our business year on year and at the same time help meet the ever-increasing consumer demand for Coca-Cola brands," Pech added.
Two preform manufacturing machines have been installed at the plant, which can produce over 0.9 million pieces of preforms daily.
Initially, the preforms will be exported to East African Community (EAC) markets starting with Uganda and Tanzania and later Ethiopia and Mozambique.
In 2012, Nairobi Bottlers invested KES1.26bn ($15m) in a PET manufacturing line in Embakasi, Nairobi, which produces 28,000 bottles per hour.
