Packwell Inc., a Japanese company that manufactures paper-based packaging and containers, has signed an agreement to establish operations at the Floirendo-owned Anflo Industrial Estate (AIE) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

Under the deal, signed in Tokyo last week, Packwell will build a production facility in a 1.6-hectare area within the agro-industrial hub, according to a statement yesterday from Damosa Land Inc. (DLI), the property arm of the Floirendo group and operator of AIE.

Packwell, the 11th locator and the first Japanese firm in the economic zone, will “take advantage of AIE’s support facilities for manufacturing, warehousing, processing and exporting. Complete with world-class water and power systems, ample space, wide roads and logistical networks,” DLI said.

Other companies that have signed up for space within AIE are from the Netherlands, China, and the United States.

Packwell will start building its facility this year, its fifth after three other sites in Japan and one in China.

“This (Japanese facility) is expected to add job opportunities as well as to peripheral business opportunities in Panabo City and neighboring cities, constituting a big win for Davao del Norte and Mindanao,” the company said.

AIE, a 63-hectare industrial hub accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, focuses on agro-industrial processing and light manufacturing.