HRD Expands Antwerp Facility, Plans Doubling of Lab
March 12, 08
HRD Antwerp NV is expanding its facilities, inaugurating its new reception and administration area Tuesday, as a first step in what it dubbed a global construction work program aimed at expanding its production capacity.
The lab, a subsidiary of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), said the volume of diamonds submitted to it grew by double digit numbers in 2007. To meet the growing workload staff was added and a full grading training program was set up.
The reception area now includes ten reception desks. The diamond lab’s working space is planned to be doubled by the end of 2008, according to Georges Brys, general manager of HRD Antwerp.
“The centralization of all grading activities worldwide in our central office in Antwerp has led to a huge volume and taxed the grading capacity of the lab in 2007,” he added.