Filipino giant URC harbours great ambitions in Vietnam

Renato Salud (left), senior vice president of JG Summit, and Laurent Levan

Universal Robina Corporation (URC), the first “Philippines Pan-ASEAN Multinational” with presence in Southeast Asia and Oceania, was recognised as one of the outstanding foreign-invested enterprises contributing to Vietnam’s development at the conference on 30 years of FDI attraction in Vietnam hosted last week by the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

URC is the biggest subsidiary of JG Summit, one of the largest and most diversified Filipino conglomerates as well as one of Nikkei Asia Review’s Top 300 Asian companies. JG Summit has business interests in air transportation, banking, food manufacturing, hotels, petrochemicals, power generation, publishing, real estate, and property development, as well as telecommunications. Through its various subsidiaries, JG Summit serves consumers and customers in the Philippines as well as Southeast Asia and Australasia.

Since its first operations in Vietnam in 2003, URC has poured over $200 million and created over 3,000 jobs in Vietnam, making it the largest Filipino investor in Vietnam. Currently, URC Vietnam has five manufacturing facilities in Binh Duong, Quang Ngai, and Hanoi and is now one of the leading food and beverage companies with well-known brands like C2 and Rong Do for beverages, Cream-O and Magic for biscuits, Dynamite for candies, Jack n’Jill Puff Corn and Chikki for snacks. URC has brought “Made in Vietnam” products to 10 countries so far.

Laurent Levan, president and CEO of URC Vietnam, said, “We appreciate the great support from the Vietnamese government that has helped us to successfully operate in the country. We will continue to invest more in the market in all aspects so we can meet the high quality and safety standards in our export markets.”

“Our local talents are a precious asset contributing to our growth in Vietnam,” he added.

URC is committed to Vietnam’s development in the long run, saying that “Our business goals go far beyond producing and selling quality products, as we also direct our efforts to create sustainability programmes for the communities where we operate.”

Production assistant manager Pham Van Doan, who has been working for nine years for URC Vietnam, said, “URC Vietnam has a good working environment and innovative human resources programmes that are the main reasons I am staying with the company. We are proud that our made-in-Vietnam products are exported to countries such as Japan, Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan.” “The health and safety of our consumers are of paramount importance to us, which is why we have always made quality a hallmark of our products. Our commitment to quality and safety can never be compromised and this is reflected in every aspect of our operations, from selecting materials and ingredients to actual production and distribution,” he added.

During the years, all URC facilities in Vietnam are certified for the Quality Management Systems ISO 9001:2015 and Environment Management System ISO 14001:2015 standards. URC Vietnam’s VSIP 1 Beverage & Food Plant 1/2 & Hanoi Beverage Plant also received the FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification. The recent opening of a Central Laboratory further bolstered URC Vietnam’s dedication to quality. This specialized facility is equipped with the latest and most advanced testing technologies and manned by highly qualified analysts.

Levan told VIR previously that “URC Vietnam believes that it has the responsibility to work on various initiatives for our people – consumers, employees, and communities – for the environment, and for our partners. Indeed, URC Vietnam is committed to ensure we make life better and that every dream can be fulfilled.”

As the Filipino leader in snack foods and beverages, URC continues to expand its reach, establishing itself as an Asian multinational with full-scale operations in eight countries outside the Philippines, and soon setting foot in emerging markets like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. URC’s products are also exported to mainstream markets in the US, Europe, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East, and frontier markets in West Africa such as Ghana and Nigeria.