NutriAsia: Brand History
III. Study Background
1. Brief History
NutriAsia traces its beginnings to Enriton Natural Foods, the brainchild of Filipino entrepreneurs Joselito Campos Jr., Ang Tin Yu and Kedin Go.
The business thrived on one regional brand - Nelicom and one factory, producing banana ketchup, hot sauce and fish sauce.
It was a modest business that had limited presence in North Luzon, though it quickly acquired the rights to three popular brands of catsup and lechon sauce—Jufran, Mafran and Andok’s.
The first major milestone happened in 1991, with the forging of an accord between Enriton and Acres & Acres. With the addition of seven more factories and three well-known brands (Datu Puti vinegar, Papa banana catsup, and Mang Tomas lechon sauce), the new-born company was truly a national business, and was named Southeast Asia Food, or SAFI, as we know it today.
In 1994, sales growth began accelerating with the birth of First Sheridan – a distribution affiliate of SAFI. SAFI also acquired Amihan, another regional brand known for vinegar and other sauces.
Enter 1996, a big milestone year. SAFI acquired the mega brand, UFC - an icon among banana catsup lovers. This milestone was accompanied by the founding of NutriAsia Incorporated, the holding company which acquired the UFC brand. Together with SAFI, NutriAsia would soon become a major player in the local food market.
At the turn of the millennium, SAFI entered into a joint venture with its first foreign partner, HJ Heinz of the US. The new company, called Heinz-UFC, carried catsups and chili sauces while the remaining portfolio of products was handled by SAFI.
Though this joint venture was ultimately short-lived, it was significant because it allowed SAFI to acquire new technologies and business processes from their foreign partners, factors that would drive dramatic and consistent growth up until today, and was a key component in our company’s greatest coup to date.
Looking back, NutriAsia evolved
1. Brief History
NutriAsia traces its beginnings to Enriton Natural Foods, the brainchild of Filipino entrepreneurs Joselito Campos Jr., Ang Tin Yu and Kedin Go.
The business thrived on one regional brand - Nelicom and one factory, producing banana ketchup, hot sauce and fish sauce.
It was a modest business that had limited presence in North Luzon, though it quickly acquired the rights to three popular brands of catsup and lechon sauce—Jufran, Mafran and Andok’s.
The first major milestone happened in 1991, with the forging of an accord between Enriton and Acres & Acres. With the addition of seven more factories and three well-known brands (Datu Puti vinegar, Papa banana catsup, and Mang Tomas lechon sauce), the new-born company was truly a national business, and was named Southeast Asia Food, or SAFI, as we know it today.
In 1994, sales growth began accelerating with the birth of First Sheridan – a distribution affiliate of SAFI. SAFI also acquired Amihan, another regional brand known for vinegar and other sauces.
Enter 1996, a big milestone year. SAFI acquired the mega brand, UFC - an icon among banana catsup lovers. This milestone was accompanied by the founding of NutriAsia Incorporated, the holding company which acquired the UFC brand. Together with SAFI, NutriAsia would soon become a major player in the local food market.
At the turn of the millennium, SAFI entered into a joint venture with its first foreign partner, HJ Heinz of the US. The new company, called Heinz-UFC, carried catsups and chili sauces while the remaining portfolio of products was handled by SAFI.
Though this joint venture was ultimately short-lived, it was significant because it allowed SAFI to acquire new technologies and business processes from their foreign partners, factors that would drive dramatic and consistent growth up until today, and was a key component in our company’s greatest coup to date.
Looking back, NutriAsia evolved