Valio is expanding its operations in China with a new country head office in Shanghai and the establishment of retail and foodservice business units in the country.
The Finnish company said Shanghai’s favourable location, the capability of global resource allocation and the economic concentration of headquarters can help it build its global sales and reinforce its overall competitiveness and influence both in the Chinese market and globally.
Since entering the Chinese market in 1986, Valio claims to have worked with partners to drive the improvement of China’s dairy industry.
According to research published earlier this week, the Chinese dairy market is predicted to grow by 6.6% CAGR until 2022. It is estimated that China will overtake the US as the world’s largest dairy market by 2022.
Valio CEO Annikka Hurme said: “We’re really excited to inaugurate our China head office in Jing’an, Shanghai. In 2008 Valio created a dedicated office in Shanghai. Today we officially established our China head office. Right now, there is good momentum in the Chinese economy; we do hope that our China head office can write the next chapter for Valio in China.”
Xiao Lu, managing director of Valio China, said: “Valio’s ability to win the trust of the Chinese market in a relatively short period of time is mainly because of our sustainable business model that ensures that our products are fresh, safe and traceable.
Finland’s minister for agriculture and forestry Jari Leppä added: “China is a very important market for Finnish companies, and we see a lot of potential in China. The strengths of the Finnish dairy sector include the high quality of products and the health and welfare of production animals. For example, our use of antibiotics is very minimal. The hygiene, safety and product traceability of the food chain are our competitive advantages.”
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