Sweet plan for Cadbury exports
After 40 years of sweet-making in Thailand, the US-based manufacturer of Halls sweets, Cadbury Adams, has set a five-year target to build the country as an export base throughout the Asia-Pacific.
The company hopes to increase the ratio of its export from the current 20 per cent of sales to 40 per cent in the next four to five years. "We see a great opportunity for Thailand to become a production and export base for the region," said Anat Julintorn, managing director of the Thai operation. "We are committed to continuous investment in Thailand in order to build the domestic market and exports," said Anat. He said the Samut Prakan factory exported its flagship Halls brand to the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, North America and Europe. "By promoting Thailand as our production and export base, we can develop the Thai confectionery market and boost employment in everything from raw materials such as sugar to packaging," said Anat, adding that the Thai factory could produce sweets at a more competitive rate than plants in other countries. Cadbury Adams has factories in Australia, Japan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and India. Anat said the Malaysian operation concentrated on chocolate and India focused on powdered drinking chocolate, while Thailand made sweets. He added that Halls now led the Bt4.4-billion Thai confectionery market with a 20.4-per-cent share. The market grew by 13 per cent last year, stimulated by new players and more active marketing, Anat said. "We want to continue to increase the Thai contents in our products," said Anat, adding that 80 per cent of raw materials were currently Thai. Anat said he wanted to stimulate Thai consumption, where only 500 grams of sweets are eaten per person a year, compared with the US and Europe where on average people munch their way through between 16kg and 20kg a year, and 1.5kg in Vietnam. Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn The Nation
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