Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group thrives in Turkey

THAILAND - The company might be 100-per-cent owned by its Thai parent, but it's No 1 in Turkey - and being the leader in a foreign country is not easy.

This is the view of Sompop Mongkolpitaksuk, president of the Charoen Pokphand Group, speaking from his fifth-floor office in Istanbul's business district.

The whole building is owned by the Thai group, with the 'CP Pilic' fresh chicken outlet on the ground floor, one of the 125 branches in the city.

The well-known company, noted for its varying agro-based industries in Thailand, specialises in fresh chickens, eggs and animal feed at its sole European base.

The group opened an office in Portugal in 1999, but it had to be closed down.

"We are strong in Asia, but we are now making our presence felt in Europe," Sompop said.

"The strength of the CP Group's superior success overseas has enabled its high-quality products to sell at low prices." Before his 12-year tenure in the vibrant Turkish city, Sompop has served in the group's overseas Asian offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

"We started here with one feed mill in 1987, and now we have six mills employing 2,200 staff in Istanbul alone." He shows off local business magazines like Perfomans and Sanayi, which speak of CP's leadership in the country's animal-feed business, ahead of local rivals like Bawit, Sempilic, Pinar Sut and others.

Source: HooversNews