Ekachai Savetsomphob, Managing Director of the biggest Thai import company for food and snack products is being honoured with the ISM Award 2024 for his contribution to the sweets and snacks industry in Thailand. Since Sino-Pacific was founded by his father in the year 1970, he has significantly influenced the development of the market.
In the 1970s, when the sweets market in Thailand was mainly limited down to sweets, Ekachai Savetsomphob recognised the opportunity of establishing the chocolate market in Thailand. In spite of fundamental challenges, like the limited number of climatised sales outlets, he introduced the first chocolate brand, Van Houten. This courageous decision laid the foundation for Sino-Pacific’s impressive success. Their market shares in the year 2023 were 60% in the chocolate category, 35% in the sweets and fruit gums section, 25% in the biscuits and 15% in the snacks sections.
Having worked in the food industry since 1973 and a significant player on the Thai market, the Savetsomphob family not only pursued business interests on importing chocolate to Thailand. Their vision was to actually transform the market.
In a tropical country like Thailand, the quality assurance of the chocolate products was priority number one for Ekachai Savetsomphob from the very start. His professional training at Allied Chocolate Company Limited, especially in the chocolate quality section, enabled him to implement a continuous air-conditioning along the entire logistics chain.
His exceptional contribution to the further development of the sweets and snacks industry will be distinguished at ISM by an international jury comprising of representatives from the industry, trade and science sector.
Receiving the ISM Award is a great honour for Ekachai Savetsomphob and the company. “The ISM Award not only reflects my personal success, but also the success of the entire team and the support of all those people who have accompanied me on this path. It serves as motivation to continue making a significant contribution to the Thai sweets market and shaping the industry with our innovative spirit,” Ekachai Savetsomphob emphasised. The ISM Award 2024 will be presented during the festive ISM dinner on the Sunday of the fair, on 28 January. Pablo De Abadal, Senior Commercial Manager at Sino-Pacific Trading, will hold the laudation. Savet Savetsomphob, son of the prize winner, will accept the ISM Award on behalf of his father.
Koelnmesse is the organiser of ISM and its industry sponsor is the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair Task Force (AISM).
[image caption] 2023 winner of ISM Awards – Majlen Fazer
