Pure Foods to put up Santa Rosa manufacturing plant

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Pure Foods Co. Inc.  (SMPFC) is putting up a new manufacturing facility for ready-to-eat products in Santa Rosa, Laguna, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) announced over the weekend.

The conglomerate’s food subsidiary is on an aggressive expansion mode as demand continues to grow. It has lined up several projects to expand its capacity.

SMPFC hopes to complete the new facility by the first quarter of 2019 to address consumer demand for convenience and capture a larger chunk of this fast-growing segment.

The facility, which will have a total area of 20,000 square meters, has been given incentives by the Department of Trade and Industry, through the Philippine Board of Investments. 

Once operational, it will produce fully cooked viands and heat-and-serve meals that will serve growing consumer demand for convenient, nutritious meals differentiated by home-cooked taste, rich quality, and the highest levels of food safety. 

Furthermore, SMC said, the plant and commissary would also cater to food service clients’ operational needs for high quality, healthy and easy-to-prepare meals. 

SMPFC’s new facility would also yield products for export in the ready-to-eat format. 

The new facility will also support the DTI’s Inclusive Business (IB) program, through direct employment of locals and partnership programs with local businesses, farmers and animal growers, resulting in an integrated supply chain. 

SMPFC is the conglomerate’s food business, which would soon be called San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. (SMFBI) when SMC completes the consolidation of its food and beverage business. 

Last month, SMPFC shareholders approved the change in the company’s bylaws to consolidate the food and beverage businesses of SMC into this company to be called San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc.

SMC is consolidating its food and beverage businesses into SMFBI, creating a stronger and bigger business that is unlike any other company in the country at present.

The conglomerate is now preparing for a share sale that would boost SMPFC’s public float.

The offering of shares could raise around $1.5 billion.  

SMC president Ramon Ang has confirmed the planned share sale.