Chairman Wang visits Weetabix factory, studies market in Canada

Wang Zongnan, Party Secretary and Chairman of Bright Food (Group) Co., Ltd. headed to Canada with his delegation after attending the Weetabix board meeting and an on-site inspection in the U.K. On May 16, he toured Weetabix’s factory of in Cobourg, Toronto where he listened to the work report by the executive team of Weetabix for North American market, and studied the local food retails market to gain the first-hand knowledge.

After setting foot in Canada in 1968, Weetabix built a factory in Cobourg of Toronto in 1976. Later, its presence was extended to the U.S. after acquiring Clinton Factory in Boston, U.S. in 1981 and the merge of Barbara’s - an oatmeal brand based in California, U.S. in 1986. Nowadays, Weetabix’s business in North America mainly covers four fields, namely, the operation of products of self-owned brands, the manufacture and sales of food ingredients, and OEM services for retailers and manufactures engaged in same business line.

Wang spoke highly of Weetabix’s outstanding achievements in North American market during the first quarter. The quick rebound of performance was driven by, according to Wang, three factors.

Firstly, passionate team spirit. Though harassed by the sluggish local market for long, Weetabix’s executive team in North American market still remained in high spirit in spite of difficulties. Such optimistic and never-give-up attitudes, which echoed to the passionate spirit advocated by Bright Food Group, did play a key role in Weetabix’s recovery from market depression.

Secondly, clear-cut business vision and well-conceived strategy. Take brand strategy for instance, Weetabix is committed to providing tasty and healthy products for every family in North American market, where the major competitors of Weetabix only set their sight to the niche market of adult oatmeal. The broader market strategy did help Weetabix win competitive edge over its rivals.

Thirdly, solid supports from four pillars of strategic significance. Based on the famous brand Weetabix has built by its own in Canada over decades, Weetabix paid special attention to optimizing its product structure and product innovation for both U.S. and Canadian markets with highly coordinated measures, aiming for excellent operation in terms of procurement, manufacture, logistics, etc.