Production, Packaging and Warehousing:
SMC ORSaline-N is the market leader in the ORS product category, currently enjoying a national market share of about 58 percent. Being the pioneer in this category and with strong mass media support over many years, ORSaline –N has become generic to ORS in the country. To improve taste and further expand the ORS market, SMC introduced a flavored ORS version called 'ORSaline Fruity' in August 2003.
At first SMC contract-manufactured ORSaline through pharmaceutical suppliers, which often created disruption in the supply of the product. Sales of ORSaline-N over the years were largely limited by the availability of supply rather than demand constraints. To ensure its steady and uninterrupted supply SMC in 1993 developed a plan to manufacture its own ORS. The ORSaline factory started operation from August 2004.
The ORS production plant is a state of the art facility situated on 5.9 acres of land at Bhaluka, about 50 kilometers from Dhaka. It has been designed based on the guidelines provided by WHO and UNICEF. It is ISO 9001:2000 certified and has obtained WHO Good Manufacturing Practice certification from the Drug Administration.
Currently, SMC plant produces about 210 million sachets of ORSaline-N annually which is less than two thirds of its sales volume. The remaining quantities are purchased through toll manufacturing from qualified local manufacturers. The SMC factory operates four production lines and two additional lines are being added which will significantly expand production capacity. The SMC central warehouse and the packaging units are also located in the same facility where all SMC products are initially stored and packed into secondary and tertiary packaging. Finished products from the warehouse are distributed to 12 SMC Area Offices through own and hired vehicles.
