US-based Chemsearch allots $.8 million for expansion

MANILA, Philippines - US-based cleaning solutions provider Chemsearch Philippines will invest $800,000 in the next six months to expand its local manufacturing line.

In a press conference yesterday visiting Chemsearch-NCH regional vice president Paula Fochtman said they will building a third production line in their Cainta plant in order.

Currently, Chemsearch is operating at 70 percent capacity. In terms of actual production, Fochtman said she is unsure how much the local plant is making but 90 percent of the products sold here are manufactured locally.

The Philippines is the firm’s export point for other countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and India. Fochtman said they are exporting $5,000 to $7,000 per month.

Next year, they are projecting a 50-percent increase in their export business. The growth, she said will get a big push from a new regulation in Korea that forbids Korean companies from producing solvents locally.

Exports make up 19 percent of their production and is expected to go up to 30 percent or 33 percent next year.

Total sales went up by two percent locally while Chemsearch worldwide posted a five-percent increase in sales. In the Philippines, Chemsearch posted P15 million sales per month. With the economy growing at 3.5 percent next year, the firm hopes to increase its sales by 12 percent. 

“Chemsearch is now also a specialized company focused on treating, maintaining and managing all aspects of maintenance such as drain maintenance, HVAC ( heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) sanitation and general facility maintenance products,” Fochtman said.       – Ma Elisa Osorio