Dragoco India Limited |
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A gleaming new facility |
The gleaming new 9000 square metre complex of Dragoco India Limited (DIL), the flavours and fragrances joint venture between Sanmar and Dragoco Gerberding & Co., AG, Germany, was inaugurated on May 3, 2002 at Semmanchery, near Chennai. The Chief Guest was H O Gerberding, Chairman of Dragoco Gerberding, while Bernd Kirchhoff, Head of Dragoco Asia Pacific and N Sankar, Chairman of the Sanmar group were also present.
C Venkat, CEO, Dragoco India Limited, B Natraj, Managing Director-Corporate, Chemplast Sanmar Limited, H O Gerberding, Chairman, Dragoco Gerberding & Co., N Sankar, Chairman, the Sanmar group, and Bernd Kirchhoff,Head, Dragoco Asia Pacific at the inauguration of the new complex.
Formed in 1994, the company, earlier located at Perungudi, manufactures and markets flavours and fragrances, cosmetic materials and aroma chemicals. It makes customised blends of natural essential oils with aroma chemicals, exporting aroma chemicals to Singapore, and fragrances and flavours to Sri Lanka and Nepal.
In his welcome address, N Sankar attributed the success of DIL – which has grown within 8 years of its inception into a market leader in flavours and fragrances – to its adherence to the joint venture philosophy of the Sanmar group. He described DIL’s achievements as a reaffirmation of the group’s values and beliefs. “Initially, we managed the joint venture but when we realized that we did not possess adequate domain expertise, we requested our partners to take over the management and they agreed. Things improved dramatically thereafter” Sankar said.
Bernd Kirchhoff described his Indian partners as sincere people, “loyal partners and true friends.”
In his welcome address, N Sankar attributed the success of DIL – which has grown within 8 years of its inception into a market leader in flavours and fragrances – to its adherence to the joint venture philosophy of the Sanmar group. He described DIL’s achievements as a reaffirmation of the group’s values and beliefs. “Initially, we managed the joint venture but when we realized that we did not possess adequate domain expertise, we requested our partners to take over the management and they agreed. Things improved dramatically thereafter” Sankar said.
The Dragoco Chairman said Dragoco India was second only to China as a top supplier to Dragoco. It was a remarkable achievement to outgrow the old facility within 8 years.
Sankar described Bernd Kirchhoff, as a world citizen, with rich and varied experience in the field. He drew parallels between the two joint venture partners – both were family owned enterprises, but both as professionally managed as any widely held company.
Bernd Kirchhoff described his Indian partners as sincere people, “loyal partners and true friends.” DIL was now a most preferred supplier. The company believed in sharing and solving customers’ problems. Dragoco’s entry into India in 1994 was well timed, he said, as the economy opened up and many MNCs moved in here. A feature of the Indian venture was the quality of its experienced and educated employees. Some of them were now being transferred to Singapore, and soon they would be shifted to Europe and the US as well. Exports to a wider world market at lower costs were another attractive prospect.
C Venkat informed the audience that DIL was now No. 2 in fragrances and No. 4 in flavours. He complimented the active involvement of the Dragoco Asia Pacific team and the joint venture philosophies of both partners. The new complex included offices, creative labs, application labs, and quality assurance labs for flavours and fragrances. It was got ready in 16 months and had a state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant. With a production capacity of 3200 tons, DIL was capable of doubling it to serve a global market.
H O Gerberding said DIL was next only to China as a top supplier for Dragoco. The inauguration of the new complex was an important event, as it was a remarkable achievement to outgrow the old facility
in eight years. Worldwide, Dragoco had 2000 employees in 24 companies, and the Asia Pacific operation accounted for 27% of the turnover of Dragoco worldwide.
Gerberding expressed his company’s great confidence in the future of its Indian operations, which offered tremendous potential.
B. Natraj proposed a vote of thanks.
A view of the interior...
... and one of the exterior.
..beside the traditional Chettinad-style
central courtyard.
Kirchhoff and Gerberding take a break...