The Hindu Business Line : Rubco enters TN market

Addressing a press conference here today, the Rubco Managing Director, Mr Jacob D. Mathew, said the market expansion into Tamil Nadu is a prelude to widening Rubco's markets throughout the country.

In the next two months its products would be available in Andhra Pradesh and later in Karnataka. Once it consolidates its markets in the South, Rubco would look at the North and the West, he said.

Rubco is Rs 280 crore co-operative society with five divisions concentrating on manufacturing and marketing rubberised coir mattresses, foot wear, cycle tyres, rubber wood furniture and trading in natural rubber and latex.

Over 50 per cent of its revenue is from trading in natural rubber.

The society has cornered a 22 - 25 per cent market share in rubberised coir mattresses and footwear in Kerala. After the first year of marketing in Tamil Nadu, it expects sales to touch over Rs 2 crore per month, he said. The mattress range is manufactured in association with DOA, Austria. The manufacturing plant located in Kottayam, Kerala, has a capacity to produce 4.8 million units per year.

The mattresses are available in nine variants and the price ranges from Rs 1,259 to Rs 13,000. The variants cater to various markets like the domestic segment, hotels and lodges, and hospitals.

Initially, Rubco would introduce mattresses and footwear, and subsequently it would bring in its furniture range, he said. The footwear will also be available for the mass market and the premium segments.

Rubco manufactures rubber wood furniture in collaboration with Huat of Malaysia, a leading player.

To enter auto component sector

The Kerala State Rubber Marketing Corporation Ltd (Rubco) is looking at diversifying its operations into coconut-based products and auto components, according to its Managing Director, Mr Jacob D. Mathew.

Rubco is looking at alliance partners for its proposed diversification into rubber-based auto components manufacture. It has prepared a preliminary project report for a Rs 116 crore project which would manufacture rubber components for the automobile industry and the railways, he said.

It has entered into an agreement with Coconut Pacific Pvt Ltd, Australia, to manufacture coconut oil. The process would involve oil production directly from fresh coconuts instead of the traditional route of drying the coconuts to make copra before extracting the oil.

The new technology would provide coconut oil of increased purity. The primary cooperative societies would be involved in the Rs 35 crore project, he said.

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