While the company will maintain its three major export markets – the United States, Europe and Japan – it now aims to further spread its products in newly emerging markets such as China and landlocked countries like Laos, as well as further penetrating the Thai market, said Rittirong Boonmechote, president of global frozen and related units at Thai Union Group.

“Competition is high in developed and high purchasing-power countries, while emerging markets are growing and have high potential for increase in purchasing power,” he said.

Moreover, the company is seeking to make more investments in Thailand and throughout Asia, as it would increase profits and make it easy to handle the return on investments, he said. He added that frozen food development in the country still has high potential to grow.

Thai Union’s booth at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels last week

Thai Union is the world’s largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products. Last year it acquired a 25.1 per cent stake in Thammachart Seafood Retail, which provides professional management services to Thai retailers for their seafood counters. Thai Union will acquire 40 per cent more in the firm this year, said Rittirong.

Apart from its core business, the company is also open to investing in businesses that use new technology or innovation in the food sector, such as protein from plants or insect protein in keeping with the global trend of increased use of natural protein.

“We are interested in any business, including startups for food tech, that can support a company’s ability to compete,” he added.

Rittirong sees a continuing positive future for the seafood industry as the number of seafood consumers is still increasing.

Due to health concerns, seafood is still popular, has huge demand, and has more room to grow than the poultry or beef industries, but we need to offer new products and also new markets as the global market is going through changes, said Rittirong.

Speaking at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels last week, Rittirong pointed out the demand and good price of salmon displayed at the event.

Unlike in the past, when only people in developed countries could afford the fish, emerging markets nowadays also have the ability to buy salmon, he explained.

Thai Union has projected this year’s sales growth at no less than 5 per cent of last year’s Bt133 billion, he noted.

The firm reported a 46.5 per cent year-on-year rise in its 2019 first-quarter net profit to Bt1.27 billion as operational improvements continued, gross margins recovered further and sales volumes increased.

He said the company is considering spinning off Thai Union Feedmill Co, a manufacturer and distributor of animal feed, which generates sales revenue of Bt4 billion to Bt5 billion annually.

It plans to seek listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in June and make an initial public offering in November this year.

Future of shrimp feed

On the sidelines of the seafood expo, Thai Union introduced the world’s first commercially farmed shrimp fed with FeedKind protein produced from natural gas.

Delegates at the expo tasted pan-fried shrimp farmed from a feed using FeedKind protein and marine ingredients derived from Thai Union tuna byproducts.

Allan LeBlanc, vice president of Calysta and FeedKind product manager, and Tracy Cambridge, the responsible sourcing director (Europe) for Thai Union Group  at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels

The project, a joint collaboration between the seafood giant and leading alternative protein producer Calysta, is part of Thai Union’s sustainability strategy, Rittirong said.

By working with FeedKind, we are able to offer shrimp that have been grown using feed that has completely replaced fish caught for fishmeal in the feed with the innovative alternative protein, he said.

Rittirong called FeedKind the future of shrimp feed, and said it was very important because consumers cared more about where the shrimp came from as well as what they ate.

Thai Union introduced the “sustainable” shrimp feed in response to global demand for food security.

“We try to respond to several types of clients, especially those from European markets that pay more attention to sustainable and high-quality products and ask us if we could feed shrimp with zero fishmeal food,” he added.

FeedKind protein contains a unique carbon signature that can help the food industry provide traceability and integrity to its supply chain.

As a sustainable alternative protein, FeedKind also enables shrimp farmers to increase their output to meet growing global demand without putting extra pressure on the planet’s resources, replacing fishmeal from wild fish specifically caught for protein in shrimp feed.

The firm is now in trials for FeedKind at its shrimp farm in Satun province.

Initial testing has shown that the taste of shrimp fed with fishmeal and FeedKind were not different but shrimp fed with FeedKind had slightly slower rate of growth than shrimp fed with fishmeal.

“It is continuing to develop,” Rittirong added.

The investment cost of using the protein is 14 per cent higher than for fishmeal, but he believes the cost would go down once there is high demand.

Under the plan, the company will invest Bt2 billion in three core areas. The first is technology development to boost efficiency in sales, information, marketing, logistics and inventory, as well as comprehensive customer service. The second is expansion of distribution centres, sub-distribution branches and sales teams to support increasing numbers of trading partners and product categories. And the third area to get investment is introduction of new online and offline distribution channels, including vending machines for better retailer coverage and consumer outreach while improving overseas business opportunities through TCP’s network.

TCP is one of Thailand’s leading consumer goods manufacturers, and the owner of many well-known beverage and snack brands including Red Bull, Ready, Sponsor, Puriku and Sun Snack.

Durbell has also set a target to reach Bt30 billion in annual sales revenue in the next three years and is looking to increase the proportion of brands from outside the TCP Group to 60 per cent, up from 40 per cent today.

Saravoot Yoovidhya, TCP Group’s chief executive officer, said that the three-year business plan aims to support TCP’s vision to be among Thailand’s most admired corporations and to triple TCP’s sales to Bt100 billion in 2022. It also serves to take Durbell to the next level as a specialist in consumer goods distribution with the ability to offer its current and potential trading partners comprehensive advice and service covering all marketing channels, right from production to distribution, as well as sales and marketing strategy courtesy of their sales teams of long-time employees.

Surachai Chonglertvarawong, managing director of Durbell Co Ltd, said theirs is a company that has been in the business for a long time and has a strong business infrastructure for goods distribution. At the end of 2018, the company recorded over Bt17 billion in revenues, and is expected to nearly double that to over Bt30 billion within three years so as to be a true leader in distribution services.

Surachai said Durbell sees changes in the business world where disruption is increasingly the new normal, which is completely transforming their work. Therefore, the company has prepared itself, especially in corporate structure and human resources, logistics and technology in order to be able to harness innovations to increase efficiency and better its services for its trading partners and customers.

Under the three-year plan to cope with a potential increase in the number of trading partners outside TCP, Durbell has invested in a range of technology systems with an emphasis on sales and distribution management, warehouse management, business intelligence and customer relationship management.

“We plan to add another major distribution centre and five sub-distribution branches within three years in high-potential provinces,” said Surachai. “We’re looking to add 200 more sales trucks and at least 400 sales staff. When the existing branches and the new ones to be opened are combined, Durbell will have a total of 30 sales offices with built-in sub-distribution centres. The company will be among just a few operators with a big national coverage.”

Durbell is currently operating 24 sub-distribution branches and cover 140,000 retail stores throughout the country including mom-and-pop shops, wholesale stores, convenience stores and modern trades. The company takes only two days to bring products to stores, the shortest time in the industry. It has also more than 300 delivery trucks and 600 mobile sales teams together with 2,200 sales and support staff.

Located in a prime beachfront setting in Dien Ban Town near the ancient trading port of Hoi An – one of the most popular tourist destinations on Vietnam’s South Central Coast – the resort is set to open in 2021.

It will have 180 well-appointed guest rooms and 69 luxury villas, making it one of the largest internationally branded resorts in the area.

Dusit Thani Hoi An will be Dusit’s second property in Vietnam, following the opening of the upper midscale Dusit Princess Moonrise Beach Resort, Phu Quoc in May last year.

The company attributes the growth to its capital management, the strength of its MPC business, as well as Channel 8’s new schedule which is attracting more advertising. They also pointed to the savings resulting from the recent Section 44 proclamation that benefited digital TV operators.

Dam Nana, chief financial officer of RS Public Co Ltd, pointed to the quarterly performance as evidence the company continued to grow steadily and has the highest profit in the industry.

Its revenue and profits were strong despite the slow economy, with the revenue reaching Bt929 million and a profit of Bt110 million, an 8 per cent increase over the same period last year.

After being listed in the “commercial” category since March, the company’s management and employees are united as one and are moving forward, he said. This move has attracted new investment opportunities, both local and international, beyond that of a traditional media business.

The company has also shifted its business focus and fully entered the MPC business. Thanks to the company’s strengths and expertise, it is able to manage its capital efficiently in every business.

“Our growth in profitability proves our success in managing our capital efficiently and the success of our new business model, which supports our overall growth,” said Dam.

In the first quarter, MPC continued to be the biggest earner after the company expanded its sales channel through Thairath TV, a strong partner who is a leader in digital TV with a nationwide audience.

The company has also improved its sales on other channels while also strengthening the skills of its telesales team to ensure an efficient backend operation and encourage customers to place orders regularly.

Additionally, RS has added more variety to its offerings, with plans to launch more than 100 SKUs throughout the year, available through multiple channels. There were also exclusive items available through LSBIZ only, as well as special promotions in the first quarter, which stimulated steady growth.

As for its digital TV business, Channel 8 has more viewers compared to other older players, and attracts more advertisement, according to a company release. Channel 8 adjusted its schedule in May and will see more advertising income from Q2 onwards. With series like Aladdin, Phleng Lub Lae, other Thai series and variety programmes, Channel 8’s prime-time ratings will be strong every day of the week, said the release.

The government’s implementation of Section 44 to help digital TV operators also further reduced the company’s capital. Coupled with RS’s strong management, it is able to fill up 100 per cent of the advertisement slots by utilising the air time for MPC business, resulting in more growth, according to the company.

“We are committed to our vision to further grow our company and fully enter MPC business as well as maximise our capital. We are confident that our company will continue to generate great revenue and sustainable profits in the future,” said Dam.

Wareemon Purapati, managing director of GenSurv Co Ltd, revealed the birthing story of the tech startup. “We are a group of Thai robotics engineers who have a passion for robotics and had participated in Robocop competitions during our student years at university. We have continued our passion for mobile robots and developed them into real industrial robotic solutions.”

The company started by creating “unmanned boats” in order to speed up hydrographic surveys and increase their precision and cost-effectiveness. They also launched ROV, an underwater survey robot.

In 2017-18, the company received funding from Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and co-invested in research and developments of an autonomous forklift for transportation of goods within warehouses – the “AGV Forklift”, which has evolved to today’s Ply AGV.

They are now ready to commercialise this latest breakthrough.

Autonomous vehicles with laser-guided navigation are now hot products for use in smart warehouses. With the worsening shortage of experienced forklift drivers with the required licences, combined with the rising volume of products that need to be moved around and managed in warehouses and on production lines, there is a need for robotics and automation. Add in the need for increased speed and efficiency and the demand for real-time delivery and detailed digital tracking information in this era of online trading and real time data connection, and AGVs have emerged as the best available solution at the warehouse and factory level.

AGVs can move products efficiently, as well as connect transport information to warehouse and production systems. Moreover, they can receive, transmit and store real-time data about the status of goods, enabling them to capture how many items have been taken out and on which date and time. Companies can know the status of

inventory in a timely fashion.

The locally developed Ply AGV autonomous forklift is guided by a laser system, which makes it superior to typical AGVs, which follow a fixed route using wire or magnetic tapes.

That laser navigation allows it to be used to move goods on the ground or on the upper shelves of warehouses or product lines like a traditional human-driven forklift, but without the human errors and resulting product damage that can slow down processing.

“We converted a normal forklift to be autonomous,” said Wareemon. “For safety, the AGVs are equipped with world-class navigation and safety sensors to enable AGVs to work with high precision. The benefits of AGVs are they can work tirelessly, reliably and safely 24 hours a day and can send information about their work and location.”

Given the shortage of experienced forklift operators and the need to increase efficiency in moving goods around warehouses and production lines, AGVs present a solution. They also reduce errors and accidents, and address the need to connect work data, transportation and real-time status in a market which requires more rapid response.

Imported models are available in Thailand only at a very high price, she noted.

Ply AGV offers a wide range of models according to the needs of customers and users. They include the AGV Counter Balance forklift for handling heavy loads, the AGV Pallet Mover forklift for moving goods at ground level and the AGV Pallet Stacker forklift system that can lift items up to shelves. They all move freely without new structures or magnetic tracks and have a built-in safety measure with sensors to stop when encountering people or barriers. This is in compliance with international standards.

Another important advantage is that users of Ply AGV will gain confidence in the installation and maintenance services offered by engineers, manufacturers and designers who have expertise in Thailand, can closely design the system to meet customers’ requirements, and will provide after-sales services in a timely manner.

GenSurv can also boast its locally designed and produced unmanned survey vessel (USV) that is quicker, more accurate and economical than those with drivers.

The USV is ideal for use in exploration work in areas that are difficult for people to access, such as exploration for marine gas pipelines or large water sources.

It is also ideal for surveying water sources that are at risk of danger, water mapping, determining the volume of dams or sources of water for water management and waterworks, as well as underwater surveys and water quality monitoring in various areas.