Sunkist makes a splash with MDG agreement

Myanmar Distribution Group (MDG) has begun selling and distributing Sunkist softdrink from a new factory in Myanmar, the company’s managing director said during a launch ceremony last week.

U Aung Maw Thein, MDG’s managing director, said the company had signed an agreement on September 21 with the Sunkist’s owners – Sunkist Growers Inc – to produce and sell the product in Myanmar.


“I really feel wonderful to have to be able to distribute this well-known brand in Myanmar at a reasonable price to consumers,” he said during the December 3 launch at Parkroyal Hotel.

U Aung Maw Thein said Sunkist has been available in the market for many years but at an inflated price of about K700-800 a can because it was imported from Malaysia. He added that MDG would sell it for about K300-400 a can.

MDG was established in 1996 and its major products include Gold Roast Coffee Mix and Royal Myanmar Tea Mix. The company moved into the softdrink market in 2005 by importing and selling Sunkist and 7up from Malaysia. The company started building its own softdrink factory in 2010 and was finished in April this year, he said.

“Although Sunkist is firstly produced locally, the production and technology sections use international systems,” said U Ronald Htun Zaw Myint, creative manager at MDG.

“We also have a foreign team working in the production system, meaning we can provide our product cheaply to customers,” he said.

He added that the company adds more orange flavour to each can than is used in Malaysia. The company imports cans from Malaysia because it is unable to produce them in Myanmar yet, although it plans to in future.

source: The Myanmar Times
http://mmtimes.com/index.php/business/3504-sunkist-makes-a-splash-with-mdg-agreement.html