Transnational synergy: Namchow Thailand
What kinds of products are most popular among citizens in countries with undeveloped economies? Instant noodles, which have a low unit price and come in a variety of flavors, would certainly make the list. The Master Kong company, which built a huge instant noodle empire in mainland China in the 1990s, is living proof.
Today, some Taiwanese businesspeople are planning to transplant this “instant noodle experience” to Myanmar. They are Kevin Wu, who has been laying groundwork in Myanmar for many years, and Namchow Thailand (owned by Taiwan’s Namchow Group), the largest rice cracker and instant noodle manufacturer in Southeast Asia.
Wu first came to Myanmar 18 years ago, working for Chin Su Myanmar, which has made deeper operational inroads into Myanmar than any other corporation owned by Taiwanese capital (the group’s operations include a plywood factory, a real estate company, and a chicken farm). Later, Wu struck out on his own, creating the Hai Wang Group and founding a livestock breeding farm, a chitin processing plant, and other businesses. Three years ago, seeing that things were taking a turn for the better in Myanmar, he revived the instant-noodle plan that had been collecting dust for many years. The new factory will begin mass production as early as February of 2013.
The most important thing about instant noodles is flavor. Wu, who had no previous experience in this line, only dared to plunge into this unfamiliar territory because he had an extremely resilient and powerful partner in Namchow Thailand, who sell their food products (including rice crackers and instant noodles) in 40 to 50 countries worldwide.
Wu explains that the tastes of consumers in Myanmar are similar to those in Thailand. When it comes to choosing instant noodles, sour and hot flavors are preferred. In fact, the brand that currently holds the number-one spot in the instant noodle market in Myanmar is a Thai firm, MaMa.
With an overlap in flavors with Thailand of 90% and Myanmar being a new market that Namchow Thailand is extremely anxious to develop, the two parties quickly agreed to cooperate. It was decided that Wu would take responsibility for production, packaging, and marketing. Meanwhile, Namchow Thailand, with enormous research and development capabilities, would provide technical guidance for the flavorings.
Webber Wey, finance and administration director of Namchow Thailand, says that given the high costs of land and poor infrastructure in Myanmar, they would have considered investment on their own to be too risky. But given the opportunity to cooperate with someone like Kevin Wu, who has long been familiar with the local market there, they feel that they can’t lose.
For Wu, having the support of Namchow Thailand is like taking a giant Xanax: all his worries have magically disappeared. His voice filled with confidence, he reveals that he plans to hire a popular star to become spokesperson for the product, and will hold a national concert tour. Given that people in Myanmar idolize their pop stars, and that the entertainment industry as it exists now is not very developed, he expects the tour to generate “instant” enthusiasm!
The photo shows packets of Namchow instant noodles.