Arina to build 21-storey tower in Kg Baru

Arina Development (M) Sdn Bhd will build a 21-storey business suite at Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz in Kampung Baru, the only Malay heartland in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur.

The RM26 million Arina-Uniti Tower, on a 16,858 sq ft site, is a joint-venture between the company and Kampung Baru landowners.

Project Director Mohd Nasir Che Fa said contractors have been appointed and work to demolish a three-storey old building had started.

Piling work is expected to start next month and the project is slated for completion in two-and-a-half years or three years, he told reporters.

Arina-Uniti Tower comprises 130 units of business suites and will have six levels of parking bays.

The business lots are of various sizes, ranging from 35 sq ft to 778 sq ft, costing between RM145,477 and RM443,411. Each sq ft costs RM450. Fifty-three units have been sold out.

Mohd Nasir said the tower would have facilities like a meeting room, mini-theatre, cafetaria with internet and Wi-Fi facilities and fitted with 24-hour closed-circuit television cameras and access card to enter and exit the building.

The Arina-Uniti Tower project can be viewed by surfing www.arina.com.my.

By Bernama

Eksons diversifies into property development

Timber outfit Eksons Corp Bhd is diversifying its income stream by venturing into property development to help offset any shortfall in plywood trading.

Eksons, one of the largest manufacturer of tropical thin plywood in Asia Pacific, sells its plywood under the "Panda" brand name.

Eksons executive director, Tang Seng Fatt, said there are challenges in the business, including the sourcing of logs, government policies, exchange rates and pri-ce fluctuations.

The price of plywood has been hovering between US$440 (RM1,368) and US$450 (RM1,399.5) per cu m in the past six months, Tang said.
"The challenges are affecting the whole market. Demand is there for our products and we are penetrating new markets, but we need to diversify to remain profitable.

"We have started a flagship property project in South Klang Valley and are sourcing for land in Ampang, Mont' Kiara and in other areas," Tang said in an interview with Business Times, recently.

Eksons is developing The Atmosphere, a RM850 million mixed commercial development in Seri Kembangan, Selangor, in a 60:40 joint venture with Tempo Properties Sdn Bhd.

The project, launched in August last year, is due to be completed within the next three to five years.

Currently, all of the company's earnings come from plywood manufacturing and it aims to have property making up 15 per cent of its net profit.

The Atmosphere project, for instance, is expected to contribute RM40 million a year.

For the year ended March 31 2010, Eksons posted a net profit of RM28 million on revenue of RM279.1 million.

On plywood manufacturing, Tang said Eksons is not setting up more factories, saying the existing ones are enough to meet fresh demand.

Eksons has a factory each in Sibu, Sarawak, and Tawau, Sabah, which can produce 285,000 cu m of plywood per year. The plants are currently running at 80 per cent capacity.

Some 70 per cent of its production is exported to the Middle East. Around 20 per cent is sold in the US, Taiwan and South Korea, while the rest is for the local market.

By Business Times

16 exhibitors receive Homedec awards for excellent and innovative products

Proud winners: All winners of the Homedec 2010 Quality Award and Good Design Award posing with Lim (seventh from left), Tan (eighth from left) and Malaysia Book of Records founder and managing director Datuk Danny Ooi (ninth from left).

SIXTEEN exhibitors were presented their Homedec 2010 Quality Award and Good Design Awards by Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-Operatives and Consumerism Datuk Tan Lian Hoe in a ceremony held recently at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Tan was accompanied by C.I.S Network Sdn Bhd president Vincent Lim.

The annual Homedec Quality Award and the new Good Design Award, introduced this year are the highlights featured in Homedec, organised in a double weekend: Part 1: Design it (Sept 23–26) and Part 2: Furnish it (Sept 30–Oct 3), all at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

The awards aim to recognise excellent products by exhibitors that are of good quality as well as good design, and to provide the market with innovative products. It is also the platform for exhibitors to showcase newly launched products and innovation of the home. All nominated products were judged by a panel of jury well-versed in the home industry in the exhibition.

A total of 66 submissions were received from exhibitors of Part 1 and Part 2. Out of that total, 35 products were nominated for the Quality Award and 31 for the Good Design Award.

Sixteen submissions were judged winners for the awards based on the criteria of design and quality, material and functionality, eco and environmental, creativity and innovation and technology.

“Homedec can also be a channel where exhibitors and businesses get recognised for marketing not just reputable products but of quality and good design,” said Tan.

“We are confident that the winning products suits well for the trends and living lifestyle of today and will enhance standards of a household. And we are glad that through Homedec, there is another opportunity for exhibitors to build their branding exposure in the market and build consumer confidence by winning the Quality Award and Good Design Award,” said Lim.

Homedec also achieved another milestone when it was officially endorsed by the Malaysia Book of Records as the largest home decoration exhibition in Malaysia, organised in two consecutive weekends.

Homedec showcased different products, categories, companies, highlights and theme with more than 1,200 exhibition booths by 400 companies in 10 halls.

THE WINNERS

Quality Award

1. Basin Mixer by LG Global Building Materials (M) Sdn Bhd

2. Dulux Weathershield Keep Cool TM by ICI Paints (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd

3. Intrix Modular Ambient Heat Extractor by Intrix

4. Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer by West Metric Sdn Bhd

5. Nippon Odour-less Aircare by Nippon Paint (M) Sdn Bhd

6. Omega Vert Juicer by West Metric Sdn Bhd

7. Petit by Woongjin Coway (M) Sdn Bhd

8. SmartPools TM Arena by SmartPools Sdn Bhd

Good Design Award

1. Anthill I-Bidet Spray by Leonfast Sdn Bhd

2. Basin Mixer by LG Global Building Materials (M) Sdn Bhd

3. Building Integrated Solar Thermal Systems by Intrix

4. Dolomites by Woongjin Coway (M) Sdn Bhd

5. Mirror Polymer by Winsco Design & Décor Sdn Bhd

6. Polti Espresso Crema by Perfect Lifes Sdn Bhd

7. Silentplus i70p by Joven Marketing Sdn Bhd

8. SmartPools TM Arena by SmartPools Sdn Bhd

By The Star