Unique Inflatables to invest Rs 8.5cr on facility expansion

Hyderabad-based Unique Inflatables Limited is embarking on an expansion plan which will see the company invest about Rs 8.5 crore on expanding its manufacturing facility besides setting up a raw material plant in two-three months.

The Rs 25-crore company "� which manufactures cold air inflatables, advertising balloons, mini inflatables, bouncies, and fur and inflatable costumes "� also plans to earmark Rs 1.5 crore ad spend next fiscal. Unique's facility at Nanakramguda on the outskirts of the city is touted as the world's largest inflatables' manufacturing facility.

Speaking to Business Standard, R Ramdev, managing director of Unique Inflatables Limited, said: "The growing competition among the corporates is fuelling the demand for larger-than-life-size advertising and other inflatables. Hence, we have decided to expand our manufacturing facility to another 25,000 sq ft from the present 1,05,000 sq ft to accommodate few more CAD designing, digital printing and other German-made machinery."

"As part of the expansion, we are also setting up a raw material (Poly vinyl material, nylon fabric, plastic coating material etc) plant in the premises. The expansion work is already in progress and will be completed in two-three months time. Once the expansion work is completed, we plan to ramp up our headcount to 400 from the present 320. We also plan to earmark Rs 1.5 crore in advertising related spend next fiscal as compared to Rs 60 lakh this fiscal," he added.

The 12-year-old company "� which has three branch offices, one each at Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai "� has exclusive distributors in 13 countries including the US, Germany and Portugal.

"We have a 300-strong global clientele-base including France-based Michelin Tyres. Back home, we have 100-plus clients including Hindustan Lever Limited, Colgate, Cadbury's, Reliance, Coke and Pepsi to name a few and we have been adding 20-25 per cent new companies to our clientele-list year-on-year," Ramdev said.

"Advertising inflatables contribute 60 per cent to our total turnover, and children's equipment (bouncies) account for 30 per cent while the rest is through fur and inflatable costumes," he said.

Unique Inflatables clocked a turnover of Rs 25 crore last fiscal. It expects to close the current fiscal with a turnover of Rs 30 crore and is looking at touching the Rs 45-crore mark next fiscal.

The company is currently undergoing the ISO 9000 process and expects to get the certification by next fiscal. It is also slated to receive the 'World Quality Commitment International Star Award Paris 2004' from Business Initiative Direction (BID) next year.