Thai Wah eyes export boost

Ho Ren Hua, chief executive officer, said that the company will build tapioca plants in Thailand and Cambodia. 
In Cambodia, the company |established TWPC Investment (Cambodia) Co early this year to build a tapioca plant in Cambodia for distribution in the country. 
It set up Thai Wah Vietnam Co early this year to build a cellophane noodle plant in Ho Chi Minh City and enter other food businesses in Vietnam.
Both plants will start operating in the second half of this year.
Last year, the company’s sales rose 12 per cent to Bt6.16 billion and net profit 54 per cent to Bt669 million.
The capital expenditure budget will be funded by internal cashflow and, if needed, bank credit.
“We had cash of Bt1.75 billion as of the end of 2016 and we also have a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.3,” the chief executive said.
“ We have room enough to get loans from the bank to support our business expansion this year and the next.”
The company also is studying expanding to Myanmar and Laos this year with the focus on tapioca, cellophane noodles and others food products in both countries.