Dominican Republic to build container glass manufacturing facility

A container glass manufacturing plant is set to be built in the Dominican Republic which will manufacture 500 million bottles a year.

The companies Caribbean Glass Industry and the Dominican National Brewery signed an agreement that they say will lead to the reactivation of the glass industry in the Dominican Republic with the construction of a glass production plant.

The plant will have enough capacity to satisfy national demand and will generate new jobs.

The facility will be located in the municipality of Pedro Brand, within the free zone complex of the same name. An important part of its production will use locally collected glass, thus promoting a circular economy model.

According to the terms of the agreement, it is set to start production at the end of March 2021 and once in operation, the facility will employ 300 people.

The agreement, signed in a ceremony led by the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader Corona, will include local investment by Grupo Rizek and its Salvadoran partner Grupo Borja.

Domestic brewer Cervecería will guarantee the viability of the project by committing to acquire at least 70% of the production for the next six years.

"For our corporate group it is of great satisfaction to be able to be part of the reactivation of an industry so necessary for the national economy and with it to promote a circular economy model supported by recycling," said Héctor José Rizek, Executive President of Grupo Rizek.

"With this new plant we will be able not only to supply all national demand, but also to turn the country into an exporter for the region," he added.

Luciano Carrillo, General Director of AB InBev, on behalf of Cervecería Nacional Dominicana, said: “As a company committed to the recovery of the national economy and the strengthening of our sustainability platform, which promotes circular packaging, we put our trust in local investors who share our shared vision and purpose.

“For this reason we have joined forces with Caribbean Glass Industry, not only to see an industry as important to our business as glass resurface, but also to replace the importation of glass bottles with locally produced ones.”