HAIKOU, Hainan—With 22 years in the specialty-food industry, Hainan Nanguo Foodstuff Industrial Co. Ltd., a booming food-manufacturing enterprise in this city, is thankful to the Philippines for helping it develop coconut-based food products enjoyed not just by its market in China, but also the world over.
From its humble beginnings in 1992 with only a seven-man staff in a small factory, Nanguo now boasts advanced facilities (research and development laboratory, fully automated production line, etc.) and scientific refining processes to produce at least 60 varieties and 200 specifications of coconut-based food products, such as instant coconut powder, coffee, candy and biscuits, among others. It also manufactures condiments, such as chili sauce and pepper powder.
In 1994 Nanguo invited Filipino technologists to educate them on how to make semi-processed coconut milk powder, its flagship product, from raw materials sourced mainly from Indonesia.
With only 100,000 RMB (about P700,000) in initial capital, sales now run up to the millions. Liu Hanxi, founder and chairman of Nanguo, did not disclosed its total income, but, according to him, Nanguo earns around 100 million RMB (P700 million) through online sales via Alibaba. It is now exporting to other international markets such as the US, Indonesia, Germany, South Korea and Japan, as it plans to tap other countries in the future.
Nanguo currently has a 1,500- member management team of food-processing engineers, accounting and marketing experts. It has since expanded to seven companies, five factories and ancillary interests, ranging from food production, supermarket, tourism, trading and art.
Liu said that, if given a chance, he will share his expertise to further improve the Philippine coconut production. In addition, he is willing to train and employ Filipino workers “if they are willing to come here and if they are skillful.”
K.C. Niña Pusing / Special to the BusinessMirror