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| Source: EDB. EDB’s Assistant Managing Director Thien Kwee Eng (2nd from left) officiating the opening ceremony at Takasago’s new facility with Alfredo Asuncion, MD of Takasago Singapore (left), Ritaro Igaki, President and CEO, Takasago International Corporation (2nd from right) and Nang Peck Yan, Assistant Director, JTC (right). |
Takasago International Corporation’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Ritaro Igaki, who was present at the opening ceremony, said: “Our Asian roots are our strategic and competitive advantage. Being the only global flavours and fragrances company with extensive operations in Asia enables us to implement a key strategy of offering the world something traditional and environmentally friendly."
Commenting on Takasago’s expansion in Singapore, Economic Development Board (EDB) Assistant Managing Director Thien Kwee Eng, said: “As we celebrate this long standing partnership with Takasago, we are delighted that the company has chosen Singapore to deepen their manufacturing, commercial and innovation functions to better serve the needs of the growing consumer businesses industry. Moving ahead, the EDB would continue to provide an enabling environment for companies like Takasago by helping innovation partners to deepen their capabilities in consumer insights, research and development.”
The company is the only Asia-headquartered global player delivering on Asian-inspired products, and its Singapore facility is the largest supplier of flavours in the republic to the halal market, with more than 90% of its output being certified by either Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) or Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).
Takasago International Singapore intends to expand its flavour offerings to the Muslim market, with about 90% of its flavour operations in the new facility being dedicated to halal production. With production procedures to clearly segregate halal and non-halal, the company was one of the first to produce halal-certified flavours in 2004. Today, it supplies to some of the top regional food and beverage makers serving this market segment.
The fully operational 22,000 sq m facility houses flavours and fragrances creation capabilities, food applications, sensory, R&D and manufacturing. This new facility marks a key milestone for the company as it becomes one of the biggest commercially operating Asian plants in the flavours and fragrances industry outside of Japan.
With Takasago International Singapore now fully operational, the company has the capacity to deliver up to 30,000 tons of flavours and fragrances a year. This is more than a three-fold increase as a result in opening this new facility.
To deliver on future growth, the new facility will:
Execute its new responsibility as an Advanced R&D Regional Centre, exploring the use of specialised techniques to create future technologies for both flavour and fragrance products,
House the expanded Consumer Insights & Market Research Unit, which uses proprietary consumer research techniques to understand behaviour and mindsets of Asian consumers. Takasago has just completed extensive studies across 18 countries, using the findings for flavour creation and application. Separate research for fragrances conducted in 10 cities across six countries will form the basis introducing innovative fragrance opportunities in key Asian markets.
Implement the Group’s Sensory Evaluation & Analytical Technology, which will facilitiate in fine-tuning their products to meet consumer needs;
Adopt patented flavour and fragrance technologies from its headquarters into new offerings specially customised for the Asian markets, and
Strengthen its support for its Chennai-based facility targeted for the Indian sub-continent market, where Takasago International Singapore is embarking on an aggressive expansion plan. In addition, the Singapore facility continues to oversee Asia-Pacific markets like Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, Takasago International Singapore will become the only global flavours and fragrances player to implement an Automated Storage & Retrieval System in this region. The computer system has the ‘intelligence” to maximise the use of the warehouse space, administer the storage facility logically and undertake real-time tracking of all product arrivals and departures. As a result of this implementation, Takasago is able to control inventory levels and respond to market demands more efficiently.
“The commencement of the Singapore operation gives Takasago a big leap in the Asian marketplace. Given the sophisticated nature of Asian consumer tastes, Takasago International Singapore will have increased capabilities and competencies to respond to this marketplace,” Igaki said.
Takasago International Singapore Managing Director, Alfredo Asuncion Jr., said: “Takasago has been single-minded in combining the art and science of flavour and fragrance development for the direct benefit of our ASEAN and South Asia customers. By virtue of our Asian heritage, Takasago stands out in being able to develop and deliver unique offerings for the ASEAN and South Asia marketplace and will enable us to aggressively pursue and significantly contribute to our Corporate strategy of becoming No.1 in Asia this region.”
JTC Corporation Assistant CEO Eunice Koh added: “We congratulate Takasago on the opening of its new plant at Sunview Road. We have been working with Takasago to improve land productivity through more optimal use of its industrial land. We are glad that it was able to embark on workflow and process redesign, as well as adopt new technologies, which has led to higher productivity and cost savings.”
The global flavours and fragrances market is presently dominated by a few players, with Takasago being the only Asia-based player in the top league. According to global research expert IAL Consultants, the Asia-Pacific consumption of flavours and fragrances will grow at 6.8% annually to become the largest geographical market that is valued at US$6.65 billion by 2017.
In its flavours business, Takasago International Singapore plans to infuse capabilities from its coffee extraction expertise in Malaysia and mint flavour development technology in India into other innovative research at the Singapore hub. There will also be synergies from its strategic joint venture with Madagascar’s Ramanandraibe Export Co, the largest vanilla producer in Madagascar.
In the fragrances business, Takasago International Singapore has collaborated in providing sensory inputs into global perfume brands like Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Shiseido. The Singapore facility intends to escalate such development work. On the cards are plans to train the next generation of perfumers who will be able to deliver on the creative and technical knowledge to meet the Asian market needs.