Beijing, China and Cleveland, Ohio USA, November 19, 2003 /Pink Sheets News Service/ -- CALCOL INC. (Pink Sheets: CLCL), a U.S. Delaware holding company for Chinese investments and businesses in pharmaceutical and soft drinks businesses, announced today that its Chairman and President Norman C. Kaplan was interviewed today on CEOCAST.COM.
Norman Kaplan was also recently interviewed on 11/6 at the World Economic Forum Summit in Beijing by CCTV in China, and also by Bloomberg News in a story posted on the Bloomberg Machine under the symbol "CLCL" ("Calcol Says It Plans to Boost Soft Drink Capacity in China", Rob Delaney in the Beijing Newsroom, 11/6/2003 11:19:28 PM Est).
CALCOL INC. is the holder of the third business license for making and selling foreign branded soft drink products (concentrates, syrups and finished bottled beverages) in China. CALCOL's American MALIBU-COLA, MALIBU SURF'S UP LEMON LIME, and MALIBU SUNRISE ORANGE(TM) are now featured in more than 400 supermarkets and retail outlets in China's cities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province (Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Qinhuangdao, Langfang, Handan, Tangshan, Hengshui, Changzhou) The MALIBU-COLA (TM) products, as well as photos of CALCOL's new MALIBU-COLA logo (TM), new labels for MALIBU-COLA, MALIBU SURF'S UP LEMON LIME, MALIBU SUNRISE ORANGE, and NEW! MALIBU VERRY CHERRY COLA, in 600 ml size PET bottles, photos of CALCOL's Sanhe Meile Soft Drinks Co. Ltd. 110,000 square foot 6 million standard case annual capacity bottling plant, 800,000 units annual production capacity concentrate plant, and 19 of CALCOL's Chinese management and factory staff (not shown in the photo are more than 20 additional salaried plus commission sales staff in the provinces and cities), as well as CALCOL's current Chinese business license, jv approval letter, manufacturing permits, and other relevant Chinese documents are posted on CALCOL's websites http://www.calcol.com, http://www.malibu-cola.com, and http://www.malibu-cola.com.cn. CALCOL's China audited financial statement is posted on the website www.pinksheets.com.
"Sales are increasing day by day", says Mr. Xiao Jian Gong, CALCOL'S Director of Marketing. "We expect to double, within a month, the number of supermarkets and other retail outlets carrying our products. Market demand is strong, and re-orders and collections from sales are coming along nicely."
"Customers like our products," adds Mr. Ji Jun, CALCOL's Vice President and President and GM of CALCOL's Sanhe Meile Soft Drinks Co. bottling plant, "we have the real cola taste for less money than Coke or Pepsi products. Our customers are getting "more cola for less money!" (TM) And in a price sensitive market like China they seem to like that." Mr. Ji Jun added that MALIBU-COLA is similar in price and marketing approach but we think far superior in taste and flavor quality to KOLA REAL, or "Big Cola" about which the Wall Street Journal recently published an article, which offers more cola for less money in Mexico, uses only in-store promotions as we do to sell their products, and has already taken according to the Journal, approximately 4% (FOUR PERCENT) of Mexico's vast US$15 billion dollar market in its first year of market entry. ["Latin Pop: A Low-Budget Cola Shakes Up Markets South of the Border --- Peru's Kola Real Takes On Coke and Pepsi by Cutting Frills, Targeting Bodegas --- How Plastic Leveled the Field", By David Luhnow and Chad Terhune 10/27/2003 The Wall Street Journal (Copyright (c) 2003, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)]
"As we complete the commissioning of our new 110,000 square foot bottling plant in Beijing, we should be able to make and sell between 3-6 million standard cases of finished soft drinks in China within the first year of full production. Expansion plans for an additional 7 million standard case annual production canning line for Beijing which we are now in the process of purchasing for installation over the next 3-5 months; and for two additional factories to service the Shenzhen/Hong Kong/Guangdong provincial area and the Shanghai /Jiangsu provincial area are also progressing well." Mr. Ji Jun continued: "The foreign banks which were not allowed to lend to American companies doing business in the past now have permission from the Chinese government to lend for project financings such as our next two plants; and as we are in the process of conversion of our joint venture here into a Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise, WOFOE, similar to a "C" corporation in the United States---we will be able to finance our new plants in Shanghai and Shenzhen off the substantial cash flow as well as debt-free assets (land, buildings, and equipment) of our first plant here in Beijing."
"Furthermore," adds Norman Kaplan the Chairman of CALCOL INC., "the foreign banks now doing business in China seem to have more money to lend for project financings like ours than they have customers, and they are also anxiously putting as much money into China as they can at this time anticipating a 20-30% gain simply as the China Yuan RMB is allowed to float freely against other currencies and the money itself invested here in highly productive manufacturing assets appreciates in value.
Mr. Xiao the VP CALCOL INC. and the VP of Marketing of the Sanhe Meile bottling company, "We are nearing the end of the promotional period, and keeping steady to our goal of 25-30% discount at retail of the other two major American cola brands and a significant quality advantage over the local brands such as Wahaha and Jinlibao. China has a vast internal market of 1.3 billion thirsty consumers who have learned to love cola to go with their french fries and cheeseburgers! Also, we intend to add several new flavors over the next few months, including not only our very exciting NEW! MALIBU VERRY CHERRY COLA, but also MALIBU LEMON SQUEEZE (lemonade soda), MALIBU SPARKLE APPLE (green apple), MALIBU DIET COLA, and some other surprises."
Mr. Ji the Vice President of CALCOL INC. and President of the Sanhe Meile bottling company continues: "I think our investors will be happy with the numbers by the end of the first quarter of next year; and even happier by the end of next year. This year has been a tough one for consumer products in China due to various factors, principally a five month delay in Spring and Summer promotions and new product introductions due to SARS--summer is also the biggest season for selling soft drinks--but coming into the end of the fourth quarter of this year and the beginning of the first quarter of next year, our business is now booming and we believe sales will continue to be very robust coming into the Christmas, New Year, and Chinese New Year holiday season. Most of the more than 400 stores now stocking our products are almost out of stock and we are gearing up to make and distribute a lot more product within the next 30 days. The acceptance of our products into the thirsty Chinese market is astonishing! More than 56% percent, or more than $326 billion USD of consuming power, is outside China's 36 major cities; when you add together CALCOL's distribution network in the major cities as well its growing network in the secondary areas, there is great buying power for consumer products like MALIBU-COLA. We are rapidly building our brand recognition as well as our distribution network day by day. And we are thrilled (as our investors and the bankers we are talking with) that our vast production and distribution capability is coming on line--full speed ahead! "
CALCOL INC. (Pink Sheets: CLCL) common stock (par value $.001) involves a high degree of risk, and is suitable only for accredited, overseas, or institutional investors who are able to assess the risk, and can afford to lose their entire investment. This announcement is for information only, contains forward looking statements which should not be relied upon in any investment decision, and is not an offer to buy or sell securities.
CONTACT: CALCOL INC.
Mr. Ji Jun, VP CALCOL INC. President & GM, Sanhe Meile Soft Drinks Co. Ltd. Beijing East Yanjiao Economical & Technical Development Zone, Beijing 101601 China Tel: 011-86-10-6159-2415, Fax: 011-86-10-6159-2166. Email: jijun@malibu-cola.com.
Mr. Xiao Jian Gong, Assistant VP CALCOL INC., Director of Marketing, Sanhe Meile Soft Drinks Co. Ltd. Email: xiaojiangong@malibu-cola.com.
Mr. Norman C. Kaplan, Chairman and President, CALCOL INC. PO Box 22103 Beachwood, Ohio 44l22, Chairman, Sanhe Meile Soft Drinks Co. Ltd. Beijing. Tel: 216-514-0849 Fax: 216-274-9608. Email: calcol@aol.com
http://www.calcol.com, http//www.malibu-cola.com, http://www.malibu-cola.com.cn.
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