Celebrating 75 years of excellence
THONG Guan Industries Berhad's inspiring success story is one that fills every Malaysian with pride.
From its humble beginnings in the small town of Sungai Petani where its initial operations were packaging and trading of tea and coffee, the group is today one of Asia Pacific's largest plastic packaging manufacturers.
Thong Guan has chartered new frontiers with its groundbreaking and sustainable packaging solutions.
Listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad, Thong Guan has seen an average growth of 10% per year with an astonishing annual turnover of over RM750 million.
It is one of the largest producers of cast pallet stretch film and garbage bags in the region with an annual combined output in excess of 120,000 metric tons.
And to mark its 75th diamond jubilee, the Group has set up the Newton Research & Development Centre, the first dynamic simulation lab in Asia Pacific which is poised to revolutionise the world's freighting needs.
The centre’s opening ceremony by International Trade and Industry Minister II Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan together with the Group's Board of Directors will be held today. This will be followed by the anniversary dinner to be attended by Deputy Finance Minister II Datuk Lee Chee Leong.
Thong Guan has also opened its first Marché Mövenpick restaurant in Pavilion Mall, Kuala Lumpur.
Remarkable achievements
Thong Guan was established as a tea merchant under its flagship brand '888' by the late Ang Thong Guan with a mere RM50 capital in 1942.
The Group then ventured into the manufacturing of coffee powder followed by diversification into packaging solutions.
Trading and manufacturing operations were expanded over the years, focusing on quality and innovation to cater to evolving demands.
Thong Guan slowly but surely carved its niche and transformed into a formidable force.
A quality driven company with policies designed to achieve total customer satisfaction, the Group believes that innovation is the foundation of continuous growth.
Group managing director Datuk Ang Poon Chuan attributed the success to the hard work of everyone in Thong Guan together with the support of business partners.
“We have sailed through many economic cycles and have grown stronger after each challenge.
“To continue Thong Guan's growth trajectory, we are rolling out our strategic plans to double our size in three years.
“We project our production capacity for the PE and PVC product divisions to increase twofold by 2020 as compared to our present total capacity which will breach 200,000 metric tons per annum," he said.
He elaborated that the Group's revenue was expected to surpass the RM1.5bil mark.
On the facilities front, he said the current focus was on the 33-layer nanotechnology stretch film line and multi-layered machine for blown products.
“We have also put forward plans to double our food and beverage revenue. We plan to set up three more Marché Mövenpick outlets in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru over the next three years.
“The Group has also acquired an organic noodle business.
Groundbreaking products
True to its mission of innovation to exceed customers' expectations, Thong Guan places great emphasis on stringent quality control procedures as well as innovative customised cost saving applications for its customers.
The quality monitoring is implemented throughout the whole manufacturing process, right from the receipt of raw materials to product shipments.
Technology is another integral feature to meet the special requirements of the industry.
The production facilities are constantly upgraded to keep abreast of the rapid technological advancements in plastics manufacturing and to add value to products.
Thong Guan has been recognised for delivering quality products, accomplishing corporate growth and employing a forward-thinking approach to its business.
Its impressive product portfolio encompasses its speciality of Cast LLDPE stretch film.
It is also the first company in Asia Pacific to innovate to produce thin gauge cast hand wrap stretch film back in 2006.
Today, it is also the first company in Asia Pacific to pioneer the production of nano-layered stretch film for machine wrap that offers superior mechanical properties to its customers.
With an annual production capacity of over 75,000 metric tons, Thong Guan offers a wide range of stretch wrap solutions to minimise film usage, improve efficiency and optimise load containment while at the same time reducing sustainability impact.
The company has been exporting garbage bags to Japan, its largest market, since the 1980s.
With production capacity of over 40,000 tons per annum, it has been recognised as the largest exporter of garbage bags to the Japanese market.
Its Industrial Packaging division serves various industries around the world.
It is also the sole producer of 5-layer stretch hood applications in Malaysia.
Other innovative products include various plastic compounds including Calcium Carbonate and Colour Masterbatches, Processing Aids, Anti Blocks and other compounds.
Thong Guan is also the sole producer of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) cling food wrap in Malaysia.
The food grade films are selfcling, stretchable and hygenic.
It has anti-fogging and excellent oxygen permeability to enable food to be kept fresh longer besides excellent cling effect, greater tensile strength and anti-sagging properties.
Thong Guan has strategic plans to be the largest producer of PVC food wrap in Asia Pacific.
Newton R&D Centre
Founded on the vision of a future where technology will revolutionise the safety of the world's load, Newton was established to provide optimal packaging solutions for palletised loads.
The aim is to compile a matrix of packaging solutions for various segments of industries. Ultimately, it will help customers reduce injuries in warehouses and the logistics chain, minimise product damage, reduce packaging cost and decrease carbon footprints.
The Grocery Merchandised Association estimates that palletised load damage cost over USD2.6 bil in losses each year.
Scientific data is collected and analysed using state-of-the-art equipment at Newton. The centre is well-equipped to improve the entire load distribution cycle on roads, rail, sea and air through thorough examination by means of unique testing technologies.
With the mission to keep the world's load stable and secure, Newton strives to set world standards for load freighting.
Core services provided include test simulation, analysis and consultancy; training and education; research and development; and validation and certification.
To learn more, log on to www. newton-centre.my