GHC Reid officially commissioned a new state-of-the-art bottling line for Vaimalu, American Samoa’s locally bottled water, during a special blessing ceremony held at the company’s Vaimalu Warehouse in Petesa on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
GHC Reid General Manager Cherish Lober-Soliai led the ceremony, which was attended by Rep. Larry Sanitoa and senior company employees.
Play Audio
Fr. Andrew Wilson of the Holy Family Parish at Fatuoaiga gave the blessing
The new line, capable of producing up to 10,000 bottles per hour (or 400+ cases), doubles the capacity of the previous system. The $300,000 project was spearheaded by GHC Reid’s local team, with engineering support and installation handled almost entirely by Samoan technicians. Only one Chinese engineer was brought in to verify system completion. Lober-Soliai noted that the successful launch of the line followed a fast-track trip to China to oversee final equipment designs and manufacturing.
“This project is a testament to our employees, most of whom had no prior industrial experience. They were trained in-house, and through trial and error, they’ve built a fully functional, high-efficiency line,” she said. “Now that it’s blessed, there are no more excuses—this line is holy and ready to deliver at 100%.”
The previous line had been operational since 2015 but was initially delayed due to damage from the 2009 tsunami. This new upgrade not only increases production but also integrates innovations such as on-site bottle molding, automated rinsing, filling, capping, labeling, and shrink-wrapping—removing costly packaging steps while maintaining high standards of quality and traceability.
Looking ahead, GHC Reid plans further investments to expand five-gallon bottle production, the company’s fastest-growing product line. “We understand the importance of protecting our market and ensuring food and water security,” Lober-Soliai added. “This expansion ensures that we meet both the growing demand and the growing competition.”
