The Hindu Business Line : Regency Ceramics hopes to use full capacity from Feb

REGENCY Ceramics Ltd , engaged in the production of ceramic tiles, is hopeful of achieving full capacity utilisation by February next year. The company is currently utilising only 60 per cent of its installed capacity of 70,000 sq. m a day due to a shortage of natural gas.

The Chairman and Managing Director, Dr G.N. Naidu, told newspersons that the company was modifying the plant so as to utilise alternative fuels such as furnace oil and light diesel oil. These modifications would be completed by February 2005. To offset the increase in the cost of production on account of utilisation of alternative fuels, it was producing value-added products such as big size tiles.

Dr Naidu said that Regency Ceramics, which had exported Rs 37 crore worth of tiles last year, has targeted Rs 50 crore during the current fiscal.

The company was exporting its products to Australia, South Asia, Europe and the Persian Gulf countries. The total turnover was also expected to increase from Rs 210 crore last year to Rs 250 crore this year.

During the first three quarters of the current fiscal, the company had posted a turnover of Rs 160 crore.

He said that in the current year, the company has received the "1st Rank Fastest Growing Tiles, Ceramics and Sanitaryware Company" award from Construction World, a construction and business magazine.

It had also secured the Outstanding Export Performers' Special Award from the Ministry of Commerce last year.

Dr Naidu said that the employees have announced that they would donate their one-day salary, amounting to Rs 4.5 lakh, for providing relief to the victims of tsunami. The company management would also donate a matching amount for the purpose. The production units are located at Yanam in Pondicherry and Karaikal in Tamil Nadu.