OREANDA-NEWS. Sumitomo Corporation has established a new logistics center at 304 Industrial Estate in Prachinburi Province, Kingdom of Thailand through Sumisho Global Logistics (Thailand) Co., Ltd., with the aim of expanding the distribution business in Thailand. Prachinburi Branch commenced to operate on January 1, 2014.

Eastern Thailand, where the Prachinburi Branch is located, is a next-generation industrial cluster after Rayong and Chonburi. Because Prachinburi Province is less likely to be hit by floods due to its high elevation and the relative ease of securing manpower there, OA equipment manufacturers and companies in the automotive sector are accelerating their advance into the province.

The Prachinburi Branch is located 120 km west from the border between Thailand and Cambodia. In addition to its geographical advantage pertaining to distribution within Thailand, it is also accessible to the economic bloc along the Thailand-Cambodia border, which is expected to grow further with the economic integration of ASEAN scheduled for 2015. Sumitomo Corporation will be able to provide logistics services to multinational enterprises, including Japanese firms operating in Cambodia, in a more timely manner by establishing the logistics infrastructure before the rest of logistics companies because there are only few logistics providers in Prachinburi area.

Since the establishment of SGLT in 1989, Sumitomo Corporation has started to provide integrated logistics services to electronics and electric industries mainly in the Navanakorn Industrial Estate. In the early 2000s, new branches were opened in Chonburi Province, including Laem Chabang and Amata Nakorn Branches. At present, total warehouse space operated by Sumitomo Corporation in Thailand is approximately 80,000 square meters. In addition to Thailand, Sumitomo Corporation is operating logistics bases in Vietnam and Indonesia, and is aiming to further expansion of its logistics service in Asia, mainly in ASEAN countries.