Tan Chong Motor Bhd (RM4.30/share)
Gears for regional expansion
Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd (ETCM) expects to achieve the targeted 15% share of the regional car market in the next five years with new distribution rights in Indochina and the launch of a new model for the lucrative mid-sized family sedan market in Malaysia. The company has secured franchise distribution rights in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, while it will introduce Nissan Almera in the later part of this year. ETCM executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng said car sales in other Asean countries are projected to experience phenomenal growth in the next decade. ETCM is also trying to secure distribution franchise in other Asean countries, which Ang would not disclose just yet. He said the tax benefits for automotives in other Asean countries is another reason for the company's regional expansion. ' Business Times
Sarawak Cable Bhd (RM1.75/share)
Says it has capability to develop several small projects in the country
Sarawak Cable Bhd (SCB), which will build its first mini hydro-power plant in North Sumatra, Indonesia, plans to develop several similar projects in Peninsular Malaysia. Group managing director and chief executive officer Toh Chee Ching said the company had secured financing of US$15.0mil (RM47.5mil) from a local bank to fund the mini hydro dam project in North Sumatra. In Peninsula Malaysia, Toh said SCB was carrying out feasibility studies on five proposed mini hydro dam projects, adding that the studies for three of the projects, which have been approved by the state government concerned and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), will be completed this year. According to Toh, most of the proposed mini hydro power plants which SCB planned to build have a capacity of 10MW. ' StarBiz
CB Industrial Product Holdings Bhd (RM2.66/share)
To bank on current interest to cultivate oil palm
Palm oil mill expert, CB Industrial Product Holdings Bhd (CBIP) will focus on increasing its order book for its Modipalm mills in Malaysia and overseas while pursuing acquisitions of greenfield landbank in Indonesia for oil palm plantations this year. Managing director Lim Chai Beng said the current strong interest to cultivate oil palm especially in Indonesia, Central America and Africa as a mean to eradicate poverty would provide CBIP with the opportunity to increase its order book. Lim said that CBIP this year would be looking at a new market segment while targeting at older and under-performing mills especially in Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition, the group expects increasing demand for back-up boiler system as more palm oil mills seek to minimise the risks of down time. For the overseas market, he said CBIP would be able to cater for the construction of Modipalm mills from as low as four-tonne per hour mill in Africa and Central America where palm oil plantations are still in their infancy. ' StarBiz
Sime Darby Bhd (RM9.80/share)
Expects Weifang port earnings to triple
Sime Darby Bhd, Malaysia's largest conglomerate, expects earnings for its port operations in Weifang to triple to more RM138.0mil within as early as three years. Timothy Lee Chi Tim, Sime Darby's executive vice-president of energy and utilities (China), said they there are many investors coming into Weifang, driving them to speed up the development. Weifang Sime Darby Port is the biggest revenue and earnings contributor to the group's energy and utilities division in Shandong. Sime Darby's port operations in Weifang, Shandong province, currently serve mainly as a dry bulk port and have the capacity to handle 18 million tonnes of cargoes. More than two-third of the cargoes they handle are salt and salt chemicals, ores, as well as coke and coal. All, if not almost all, of the capacity are taken up by the local players. Sime Darby hopes to boost the capacity to more than 50 million tonnes by 2015. Current expansion plan includes building liquid berths, roll-on roll-off berths and container berths, which will allow it to handle containers as well as liquified natural gas. ' Business Times