KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — FGV Holdings Bhd (FGV) plans to expand its rubber business into European and North American markets by appointing a United Kingdom-based rubber marketing agency, Rubber Heart Ltd (RHL).
FGV Group chief executive officer Datuk Haris Fadzilah Hassan said the expansion will be done through its subsidiary, FGV Rubber Industries Sdn Bhd (FGVRI).
“This is an excellent opportunity for FGV to further expand and strengthen the list of our international clients.
“Through RHL’s global experience in the marketing rubber business, it will bring confidence and add value to our rubber products,” he said in a statement today.
Haris said RHL is an expert on the technical and sustainable merits of FGV’s green rubber (epoxidised natural rubber and deproteinised natural rubber), of which FGVRI is the sole producer in Malaysia.
“This appointment will also help propel FGV’s green rubber products to meet the increasing demand for green rubber as a substitute to synthetic rubber, especially in the tyre industry,” he added.
The molecular structure of FGV’s green rubber is altered to enhance the properties to be comparable to synthetic rubber, and is exclusively produced at FGV’s Palong 8 factory in Negeri Sembilan, said Haris.
RHL director David Cawthra said the company is looking forward to the partnership and to expand FGV’s green rubber products to new markets in Europe and North America.
“We are in support of FGV’s aim to be a global leader in natural rubber processing and offer premium quality rubber products through sustainable manufacturing and eco-friendly practices,” he said.
FGV operates four rubber processing facilities in Malaysia, which are licensed by the Malaysian Rubber Board as SMR factories, with a total annual group production capacity of 230,000 MT.
It also owns rubber processing plants in Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.
— Bernama
