The Future of Bottles is Aluminium

The business-savvy COO harps on the limitless potential of Aluminium in the bottle industry and maps out the successful trajectory of the company under his leadership

Having worked for 32 years, with the last 25 in the GCC, Kishoresh Rout, Chief Operating Officer at Gulf Cans Industries, one of the leading facilities in the GCC that manufactures Aerosol Monobloc Aluminium Cans for the perfume, cosmetics, beverage and pharma industry, has amassed a wealth of knowledge in his field.

Speaking about the industry, Rout feels confident that the future of bottles lies with Aluminium. With his background in engineering coupled with an MBA in Finance, Rout started his career in designing and engineering of electrical systems. During his initial years, he did many independent projects in the steel sector, mainly relating to melting and rolling mills. Through a diverse range of projects in the areas of power, refractory, lead, Aluminium as well as preparing project reports for investments on Solar, Wind and Glass, he was able to hone his skill and expertise.

Benefits of Aluminium

In a day and age when the effects of global warming and climate change are clear for all to see, Rout feels that Aluminium presents a feasible way out for industries through its recyclability and low carbon footprint. Speaking about the durability of Aluminium, Rout said: “These cans can be recycled within 24 hours.” He said that the ore used for making Aluminium is called Bauxite and is available naturally in abundance. “Aluminium is not consumed, it is used. About 75 per cent of all Aluminium ever produced is still in circulation, maybe in a different form from its original usage. This is a claim that no other material can make,” he added.

Aluminium Aerosol Cans are a source of energy store as well. “Up to 95 per cent less energy is used to produce secondary Aluminium than is used to produce primary Aluminium,” said Rout. Advanced technologies like eddy-current systems facilitate the sorting of Aluminium at the waste recycling plant. Furthermore, used Aluminium cans have a high scrap value because of Aluminium’s unique properties, making it a valuable material that conserves more resources compared to plastic.

Facing Challenges

The market had been predominantly captured by China, India and Turkey. Hence, Gulf Cans had to face many challenges when it started out. “You have to be super-efficient in your processes and do better than your competitors. That needs expertise, detailing, involvement and a balanced and experienced team,” he said. He added that in the beginning, it was difficult to get market experts on their budget as compared to the more established Asian supplying companies to UAE. “But we built our teams slowly and today, we are proud to say that our benchmark in terms of efficiency in the current Industry sector, are almost at the top, if not the best,” said Rout, adding: “The devil is always in the details and I have an eye on the details always. Without people you cannot achieve anything and I am proud to have developed that in the GCI.”

Competitive Edge

Staying closer to the market and listening to the customer’s needs, offering competitive prices derived from efficiencies, excelling customer service and fulfilling commitments in full and on time are the qualities that set Gulf Cans apart from its competitors.

“Not to forget, we are in a region that is known as being the second best in the world for the perfume business after France,” said Rout. He added that perfumes and deodorants from the UAE are highly sought after in the world.

Milestones and Achievements

Looking back at the company’s progress, Rout said that in the last six years, the company has ramped up its manufacturing capacity from 50 to 150 million pieces.

“We are proud to say that we enjoy good relations with all can users in the UAE and have not let down any customer, irrespective of their size or the quantity they want,” he added. Rout also said that the company is on track to complete production of half a billion pieces before the Beauty World Exhibition, which will be held at the end of October.

Future Plans

The future of Gulf Cans appears bright as Rout added: “We will be launching Aluminium water and Beverage bottles soon and hope that UAE will be free of plastics in coming years and will use only Aluminium packaging.”

Rout predicted that in the coming years, airports, offices, restaurants and all public places would only have Aluminium packaged water. “It saves lot of energy for cooling, reduces risk of contamination through exposure to the sun and to top it all off, it is recyclable,” he said. He added that Aluminium could very well be the future. However, for that to come true, there is a need for raising awareness and educating the people as to its benefits. In this regard, the help of supportive UAE government departments would go a long way.

Looking to the coming generation, Rout said that there is no substitute for hard work. “Dream big and chase your dreams,” he added.

— ali@khaleejtimes.com