Rosenthal (centre) giving the thumbs up after cutting a cake to mark the group’s 200th anniversary. With him are Arham (third from left), Blomeyer (fourth from left) and Palaniappan (fourth from right).
BAERLOCHER GmbH, one of the world’s leading suppliers of additives for the plastics industry, threw a bash for employees at a five-star resort in Port Dickson to mark its 200th anniversary.
The German company, which operates at the Taman Tuanku Ja’afar industrial area near Seremban in Negri Sembilan, organised an exciting weekend of fun and games that culminated in a grand dinner.
The company’s majority shareholder Dr Tobias Rosenthal and senior executives flew in from Germany to celebrate the huge milestone with their Malaysian family.
Rosenthal said in his speech, “Malaysia has a special role in the development of our group.
“Operating here was a wise investment which paid off. It opened the door to Asia for us.”
He said Baerlocher Malaysia remained the backbone of the group’s Asian activities in many aspects.
Founded in 1823, Baerlocher GmbH started as a producer of sulphuric acid.
Today, the company operates in more than 50 countries and has production facilities in 15 sites.
It boasts an impressive production portfolio that includes a broad range of stabilisers and other additives suitable for all polymers and a range of non- polymer applications.
Baerlocher spread its wings to Malaysia in 1992 with the aim of making it the hub for South-East Asia and eventually, the Asia-Pacific region.
Rosenthal said Baerlocher had overcome many challenges over the past two centuries.
“This was only possible by establishing long-term partnerships with our customers and suppliers, and this was done by all of you who happen to be our experts and dedicated staff.
“Baerlocher is a family business in every sense and the shareholders are fully committed to developing the company with a long-term vision focusing on generations to come rather than short-term profit,” he added.
Also at the bash were German ambassador to Malaysia Dr Peter Blomeyer, Malaysia Investment Development Authority (Mida) chief executive officer Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman and Baerlocher Malaysia managing director Sethu Palaniappan.
Arham, in his speech, said Baerlocher’s investment reflected its confidence in Malaysia’s ability to provide a stable, conducive and friendly business environment over the long term.
“We are thankful for the trust you have placed in Malaysia.
“Our government remains committed to supporting companies such as Baerlocher in creating and maximising value from their investments.”
Arham said Mida would continue to be the driving force for the growth of the chemical industry ecosystem in the country and was looking forward to building a closer collaboration with Baerlocher in the future.
Sethu, in his speech, said the Seremban facility started as a two-line operation and became a state-of-the-art facility with 19 production lines and a production capacity of 50,000 tonnes.
“Today, 90% of our production is exported to other markets in Asia-Pacific, while the rest is supplied to local clients,” he said.
Rosenthal also presented long-service awards to employees during the event.
