The bottling plant that exports water to the Asian and Middle Eastern markets is once again in the possession of a Singaporean owner. In 2020, the Lahden factory came to a standstill due to a legal dispute between business partners. The entrepreneur plans to restart the machines already this year.
The future of an empty water bottling plant in Lahti, aimed at the export market, is once again in the hands of its original owner. In 2020, a factory was built in Lahti, which was supposed to package Salpausselkä’s groundwater for sale abroad.
Production didn’t even have time to start properly, when the owner of the factory property and the company responsible for the operation of the bottling plant got into a dispute.
On Tuesday, January 31, Poh was able to visit his factory in Lahti with his own keys for the first time in a long time.
– I am excited and very optimistic about the future. However, there is a lot of work to be done, says Poh.
Next, he plans to hire a production manager and workers for the factory, a dozen of whom will be needed at first. The Singaporean hopes to find the perpetrators quickly.
– My aim is to start production already in the second quarter of this year. Hopefully we can get people together in a few months.
Reception at the market is a chore
There are still other bumps in the road, such as the fact that Poh’s company H2O4U Finland has not received a bank account. He estimates that it is due either to the fact that H2O4U filed for bankruptcy in the spring of 2022, or to the completed litigation. The district court rejected the bankruptcy petition.
Allan Poh considers the biggest challenge to be how the market reacts to future products. He says that he had a discussion with the distributors and received positive feedback from them. Lahtai water is to be sold to China, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
– China has only recently opened up, so the timing seems good, says Poh.