Bangkok--5 Mar--Communication & More
At a groundbreaking ceremony this morning for its new factory in Malaysia, Cerebos Pacific Limited underlined the Group’s intention to become the largest health supplements & food company in the Asia Pacific. With flagship BRAND’S Essence of Chicken flying high and a broadening range of liquid and tablet health supplement products on a strong growth trend in in Asia, the Cerebos Group has targeted S$1 billion turnover in the next few years. The technologically advanced factory in Shah Alam, which would replace the current, decades old, Petaling Jaya factory, is scheduled for completion in March 2010. To be built at a cost of S$31.3 million, this highly efficient plant will only require marginally more than the current 50 staff to run more than twice the current volume.
The ceremonies which commenced with an Imam (Islamic leader) conducting ritual prayers and blessings, also included a traditional lion dance and concluded with President & CEO Mr. Eiji Koike and key directors making the first symbolic excavation with ceremonial shovels. . Said Mr. Koike : “Last year, we announced plans to expand our manufacturing facilities as well as our research and development facilities for the Cerebos group. With sales for BRAND’S health supplements growing at double digits year on year, Cerebos is now in position to move forward rapidly and aims to become one of the biggest health supplements and food companies in the Asia Pacific region. It should come as no surprise that we are building additional capacity to cater to the sales growth, particularly here in Malaysia, to support the favourable outlook for our BRAND’S business.”
Raja Tan Sri Muhammad Alias bin Raja Muhammad Ali, Chairman of Cerebos (M) Sdn Bhd revealed, “The new factory will boost our production capacity from the existing 800,000 bottles a month to 1.8 million bottles a month for both domestic consumption as well as the export market. By making the strategic decision to make a significant investment of RM75 million, Cerebos demonstrates
our commitment to our Malaysian consumers and stakeholders for the coming decades of our operations.”
Targeted to be fully operational in March 2010, the new factory will house the production of BRAND’S Essence of Chicken including the herbal range, BRAND’S Bird’s Nest range as well as BRAND’S Innershine Prune and BRAND’S Innershine Berry Essence, the two latest innovative products.
It will boast a contemporary design which will also incorporate eco-friendly and energy saving designs to help minimise waste and reduce impact on the environment. It will comply with stringent ISO 14001 environmental standards and also to the OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety standards in addition to Halal certification and many other recognised quality certifications.
The development will also provide various opportunities for the local community including education and tourism, as we plan to conduct factory visits for consumers, school trips, tour groups and for anyone who would be interested to know more about BRAND’S.
Commenting on the Cerebos Group’s growth strategy, Mr. Koike said, “We continue our proven path of investing more to improve long term shareholder value. This important investment in new manufacturing capabilities will support our planned strategy for accelerated growth. It is a positive signal that BRAND’S sales are gathering momentum and that all our stakeholders are in position to benefit from this growth trend. ”
ABOUT CEREBOS
Cerebos Pacific Limited is a leading food and health supplements enterprise with its corporate headquarters in Singapore. It is a company listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Limited, providing management services to subsidiary and associate companies in the Asia Pacific. It is listed on the SGX and is tracked by the FTSE ST Mid Cap Index.
Its flagship product, BRAND’S Essence of Chicken is the category leader. Its main markets are Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China. More than 150 million bottles of BRAND’S products were sold last year.
In Australasia, Cerebos’ products include gravies, sauces, coffee and cooking aids marketed under established brand names including Gravox, Fountain, Riva, Robert Harris, Caffe L’affare, Atomic, Mocopan, and Gregg’s.
Cerebos’ homepage address is www.cerebos.com
BRAND’S homepage address is www.brandsworld.com
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