Liwayway Group continues expansion

SHANGHAI – The Liwayway Group, maker of Oishi, is expanding in its markets in Asia, building new capacities in China, Indonesia, India, Myanmar and in the Philippines.

In a briefing in Liwayway’s office here, Larry Chan, president of Oishi’s China operations, said the company is now in eight countries with 31 factories, of which 16 are in China.

“The business continues to grow. In the Philippines, we now have five factories with two factories in the last six years — Tarlac and Bohol and we’re still expanding in Iloilo this year. So the Philippines is still a very good market for us,” Chan said.

The company is also expanding its existing facilities in Myanmar and in Surabaya, Jakarta.

In Bangalore, which the company entered in 2013, Liwayway is looking for a second site for expansion.

Chan said the company also continues to expand in China and is setting up its biggest factory in Shandong in the central part of the mainland.

“Our latest factory is in Shandong, home of Confucius, which is going to be our biggest factory because it’s centrally located and because of the advanced road network and advanced technology in terms of elevated highways,” Chan said.

The size and capacity of the new factories depend on the respective markets but in China, its factories can be as big as ten hectares.

Plans are also underway to penetrate Africa, said Chan, the fourth son of Liwayway Group chairman Carlos Chan.