China: Relocated Cigarette Factory Goes Into Operation Ahead of Schedule

Source from:  TobaccoChina Online 11/01/2010

The joint workshop building of Mianyang branch of Sichuan-Chongqing Regional China Tobacco Industry Corporation in southwest China's Sichuan Province and Chongqing City, which was relocated following a devastating earthquake in 2008, went into operation on October 22 after busy construction, turning out a first batch of products on October 28. The entry into operation of the joint workshop building means that Sichuan-Chongqing Regional China Tobacco Industry Corporation was able to fulfill the task designated by the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) and Sichuan Provincial Government to have its Mianyang branch start trial production by the end of December 2010. On the May 12, 2008, a devastating earthquake hit southwest China, killing at least 69,197 people. After the earthquake, the STMA swiftly approved a project to relocate the Mianyang branch of Sichuan-Chongqing Regional China Tobacco Industry Corporation. On July 12, 2008, a ceremony was held to break ground and lay the foundation for building the joint workshop building. On July 12, 2009, reconstruction of the new Mianyang branch was started on a full scale. So far, the production equipment at the leaf tobacco cutting workshop has been debugged. This workshop has two production lines - one is a stem cutting line with a production capacity of 1,500 kilograms per hour, and the other is a leaf cutting line with a production capacity of 4,000 kilograms per hour. Both production lines are in full application of advanced production technologies and equipment. It was reported that the cigarette making workshop at the Mianyang branch has nine sets of equipment. The installation of six sets has been completed. All the six sets of equipment are in fine operation at the previous site of the Mianyang branch, with the rate of effective operation topping 90 percent. According to leading officials in charge of the project of relocation, all the six sets of equipment will be moved to the new site and put into operation again by early December. By then, the annual production capacity of the relocated Mianyang branch of Sichuan-Chongqing Regional China Tobacco Industry Corporation will have reached the designed requirement of 300,000 cases (15 billion cigarettes). Enditem