Universal Robina Corp.
Company Background
Founded by Filipino-Chinese John Gokongwei in 1954 as a cornstarch factory, Universal Robina is now a leading snack and beverage producer in the Philippines. It is also one of the Filipino companies that have successfully expanded their footprint abroad. The company has full-scale operations in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong. It also plans to start operations in Myanmar by the end of 2014.
In the Philippines, Universal Robina enjoys the No. 1 market share in the snacks, candies, chocolates, canned beans and ready-to-drink tea segments and the No. 2 position in cup noodles and instant coffee sectors.
The company is continuously expanding its product portfolio. In 2014 alone, the company struck at least three deals as part of this effort.
In March, it teamed up with Calbee for the local production and sale of the Japanese snack marker's products in the Philippines. In July, Universal Robina took over New Zealand's NZ Snack Food Holdings for 700 million New Zealand dollars ($550 million), marking its first expansion outside Southeast Asia and China. In October, the company announced a joint venture with Danone Asia Holdings in a bid to expand its beverage portfolio.
The company is looking at establishing production plants in Laos and Cambodia to complete its presence in Southeast Asia.