Ajinomoto built a new Birdy canned coffee factory in Thailand
- Overall production capacity increase by approx. 30% with a 4.7 billion yen investment
to meet the growing canned coffee market in Thailand
- Further improvement in quality by developing Ajinomoto's own roasting and extracting
technology
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Ajinomoto Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter AST), an overseas group affiliated company of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (President & CEO: Norio Yamaguchi, Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan), has established a new Birdy canned coffee factory with
an investment of approximately 4.7 billion yen on land adjacent to the Nongkhae Factory of Ajinomoto Co., (Thailand) Ltd. in Saraburi, Thailand. Operation will begin in April 2008 to respond to the expanding canned coffee market in Thailand.
AST began sales of the first canned coffee in Thailand with Birdy canned coffee in 1994. Since then, sales have increased steadily, and we have led the market. The total shipment will be 18.3 million cases (30 cans/case, increase 10% from previous fiscal year) and the sales will be 22.2 billion yen (consumer purchase base) in the 2007 fiscal year. Birdy canned coffee is the top brand which has approximately 65% market share and has grown to become a widely loved product as a representative beverage of Thailand.
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AST is currently outsourcing the production to Thailand Ajinomoto Calpis Beverage (Thai land) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter ACBT) which is a joint venture with Calpis Co., Ltd. and a domestic partner company in Thailand. In order to correspond with the increase in demand, AST has established a new factory with a total production capacity together with ACBT expanding to 24 million cases a year. Due to the establishment of the new factory, the manufacturing process in which soluble coffee is used as a raw material until now will be renewed. And the product quality will be further improved by producing from the roasting/extracting of coffee beans to blending and packing within the new factory.
The canned coffee market in Thailand is currently approximately 34.2 billion yen (consumer purchase base) and the consumption amount is less than one-tenth that of Japan. Due to the improvement of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person in Thailand, double digit growth is continuously expected in the future.
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| *1 baht=3.6 yen conversion |
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| Outline of the new factory |
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Location: |
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Nongkhae Industrial Estate, Saraburi, Thailand |
| (2) |
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Start of Operatoin: |
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April 2008 |
| (3) |
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Equipment Investment: |
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1,1319 million baht (Approx. 4.7 billion yen) |
| (4) |
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Production Area: |
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45,000m2 |
| (5) |
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Number of employees: |
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Approx. 90 (Approx. 160 including temp staff） |
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| Outline of Ajinomoto Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd. |
| (1) |
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Location: |
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Bangkok, Thailand |
| (2) |
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Established: |
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1974 |
| (3) |
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Representative: |
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President Phichien Koosmith |
| (4) |
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Number of Employees: |
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Approx. 900 |
| (5) |
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Business Contents: |
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Sales of seasonings, instant soups, instant noodles, beverages etc. |
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