Kuala Lumpur, 13 October 2021 — Yeo Hiap Seng (Malaysia) Bhd (Yeo’s) has invested RM20 million in a high-speed Combi Production and Filling Line (Combi Line) to cement its leadership in the Asian Drink category and meet global product demand while raising the bar on consumers’ experience of Yeo’s range of products.
The Combi Line, the first in Malaysia, fuels Yeo’s commitment to deliver on its brand promise, ‘Serving Up Goodness’, by innovating its manufacturing standards and invigorating its product design and offerings to meet the preferences of today’s discerning consumers.
Yeo’s new high-speed line will roll out the Combi range products that are aesthetically pleasing, functional and offers strong product features desired by consumers. Now, consumers can simply twist and pour without having to unseal the pack. The improved design promotes better air flow for a smoother and easier pour minus any spills. Its convenient resealable cap allows leakproof storage in any position while the sleek pack shape offers an easier grip and prevents any slip.
The new Combi range will up the ante on customer convenience and firmly differentiate Yeo’s products from others on the retail shelves.
Commenting on the strategic investment, Yeo Hiap Seng Group Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Koh said, “The new high-speed Combi Line opens up many exciting possibilities for us as a brand and business. It increases our ability to achieve better ‘speed-to-market’ for new product innovations in the pipeline which include healthy and nutritious beverages for today’s health-conscious society. ”
Koh said that the RM20 million investment to boost production will supply Malaysia as well as other markets in the Group. “As a Group, we take a long term view and we believe that this investment will strengthen Yeo’s undisputed brand heritage and market leadership in Malaysia, and will accelerate Yeo’s growth as a Group,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jerson Uy, Yeo’s Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia explained, “To date, the new production line is already rolling out a range of Yeo’s signature Asian drinks including soy milk, chrysanthemum tea and more. When running at full capacity, the new line can more than triple the production of the 1 liter beverage pack which is Yeo’s current production focus. This is to cater to customer demand for family packs, largely fueled by the lock down and work from home arrangements.”
He added that this latest investment will also provide for additional employee headcount, contributing to job opportunities in Malaysia in the midst of the pandemic.
Yeo’s is currently the No 1 in Total Malaysia in Asian Drink Segment of the Asian Drinks Category[1]. The Combi line will further strengthen Yeo’s No 1 position in the market.
Elsewhere in the region, Yeo’s continues to invest behind new growth opportunities. These includes teaming up with Sweden’s Oatly – the world’s most popular and fast-growing oat-based drinks company – to produce its oat drinks and supply to markets across Asia.
In addition, as part of Yeo’s longer term vision to be the leading Asian company in bringing innovative food and beverage products with natural goodness to our consumers, Yeo’s has made a US$1 million investment in Next Gen Foods Pte. Ltd (NGF). NGF, backed by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, is in the plant-based food technology business.
As a company with deep roots in Malaysia, Yeo’s has also launched Yeo’s Helping Hands, a CSR programme to further the company’s efforts to assist communities in need. In collaboration with the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, more than RM 1.4 million worth of food aid was recently distributed to about 40,000 families.
[1] * Based on Retail Index Service for Asian Drink Segment of the Asian Drinks Category for the 12 months ending July 2021 in Total Malaysia. (© 2021 Nielsen Consumer LLC.)
