Universal Canning Inc.

Company Profile ( Universal Group Of Companies)

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Monday, May 4, 2009 at 11:26pm

COMPANY PROFILE

Introduction

The Universal group of companies is considered one of the largest and most dynamic marine industrial conglomerates in the Philippines. Based in Zamboanga City, the Universal group boasts of ultra-modern facilities and resources engaged in deep sea fishing, ice plant, canning, fishmeal, and production, ship repair and maintenance, and logistics for trade marketing and product distribution. These resources collectively afford an independent and fully integrated process of providing fresh fish to the market, or the cannery, bringing into reality the concept of “straight from the sea to the can.”

Core Companies

Zamboanga Universal Fishing Corporation (ZUFC) started in 1984 with a modest fleet of 1 catcher, 1 carrier, 2 light boats, selling its fresh catch to various wet market and dried fish dealer in Mindanao. Since then, it has grown to be the biggest deep sea fishing company in Mindanao (and top3 biggest in the country) With a fleet of 72 fishing vessel consisting of 10 purse setners, 22 carriers, 8 sonar boats and 32 light boats and skiff boats, Zamboanga Universal Fishmeal Corp. supplies 80% of it’s catch to it’s sister company Universal Canning Inc. Family’s Brand Sardines. 20% goes to wet market all over Visayas and Mindanao and other canning factories in Zamboanga City and Navotas.

The requirements of the fishing company (as well as other rival companies) are provided by Universal Ice Plant and Cold Storage. The Company bannered by a 260-ton ice plant with a pre-cooling system capable of producing additional 40 tons of ice a day of ice and cold storage capacity of 800 tons.

Repairs and maintenance of the fishing fleet is provided for by Universal Shipyard. With a dry docking capacity of 800 tons, the shipyard guarantees that the fishing vessels of ZUFC are maintained in excellent operating condition. Adjacent to the shipyard is a marginal wharf with at a berthing capacity of 12 to 15 vessels. At present this serves the docking needs of other fishing companies.

Universal canning, incorporated is fully mechanized, semi automated sardine canning plant built according to the most stringent international requirements and standards. Established in 1994 the cannery employs more than one thousand factory workers and is capable of producing approximately 1.2 to 1.5 million 202 x 306 cans a day. The plant is HACCP and HALAL certified. This is due to strict imposition of regulation on sanitation and hygiene, with quality assurance performed on all stages of production to achieve and maintain excellent quality standards.


The company prides itself in being able to produce canned sardines within an hour from docking, providing the shortest production time from catching to canning. This is because the canning has it’s own docking wharf (with a berthing capacity of 6 to 8 fishing vessels).

Universal Canning Inc. is the manufacturer of the country’s fastest growing sardines brand: Family’s Brand Sardines. Currently, Family’s holds a strong brand position and a major market share nationwide (50% in Mindanao, 35% in Visayas, 15% in Luzon). Furthermore, the products is being exported to the United States, Middle East, Southeast Asia.

Family’s Brand Sardines comes in the number of variant to suit every Filipino’s discriminating taste, including sardines in tomato sauce, with or without chili, sardines in barbeque sauce, fried sardines in coconut milk, Spanish style sardines, and mackerel in tomato sauce. Each can of sardine is guaranteed to be fresh, tasty and packed with quality fish caught by the company’s own fishing vessels. In fact, Family’s Brand Sardines was recently awarded the …

Agora Product Excellence Award
Philippine Star Brand Award
National Product Quality Excellence Award
National Shopper’s Choice Award
Philippine Marketing Excellence Award
Philippine Business Excellence Award


… for the Most Outstanding Sardines Brand in the country. Not a simple feat for a sardines just over 8 years in the market, and a well-deserved recognition of out efforts in providing excellent product quality

The Fishmeal Plant is considered the biggest technological advanced fishmeal processing plant in the country. Constructed using Japanese Technology, the fishmeal plant can process cannery waste material (heads, tails, entrails) at the rate up to 10 – 12 tons an hour. It produces high quality steam dried fishmeal with protein content of up to 72% (for whole fish) under strict sanitation procedures. Eighty percent (80%) of it’s fishmeal products are exported to Japan and Korea. Moreover, the plant has the capacity to produce crude fish oil at a rate of 12 tons per day. These are being sold to various feeds, chemical and pharmaceutical companies.

This group of companies confers a unique, fully integrated process from source to end product, be it canned sardines or fresh fish.


Expansion and Acquisitions (2008)

The company recently invested on the acquisition of other known sardine brand and establishment of new facilities to support an aggressive market diversification campaign both locally and abroad. The sardine brand acquired by Universal Canning, Inc. include MASTER sardines each include with strong brand recognition and demand in certain regions of the Philippines. Furthermore, the company also put up 5 ton blast freezer with 1,000 capacity cold storage facility, and a new club can manufacturing line. These new facilities are targeted to be fully operational by the middle of the year

These expansions are designed to enable the company to tap new markets, especially, the European Union, Australia and Central America, and likewise expand its local market, to firmly establish its growing reputation as the premier sardine manufacturer in the country.