Anbao 30th Anniversary Special | Joint Venture: First Step to Global Expansion with Thailand Operations

In 2004, Chairman Xiao Nan attended Sichuan Provincial Foreign Economic Cooperation Conference, where he met the procurement team of Uni-President Thailand and reached a preliminary supply cooperation intent. Anbao had already manufactured two containers of goods ready for shipment when a notice to suspend delivery arrived from Mr. Chan Shih-Chang, Managing Director of Uni-President (Thailand) Public Co., Ltd.

Earlier that same year, Mr. Chan and board members paid an inspection visit to Anbao. After touring the plant, production lines and paper packaging products, he immediately put forward a cross-border joint venture proposal and asked Chairman Xiao whether he was willing to build a factory in Thailand. Chairman Xiao readily agreed. His motivation to join the joint venture was to absorb advanced operation and management expertise and compete in the global marketplace. When asked what equity stake he desired, Chairman Xiao requested merely 1%, as he lacked prior experience and expertise in joint venture cooperation. One week later, the Thai partner granted him a 39% equity share outright, a testament to their high recognition of Anbao’s manufacturing prowess and rigorous quality control standards.

The two parties subsequently founded Anbao Paper Products (Thailand) Co., Ltd., with its factory built on the original Uni-President Thailand plant site dating back to the 1980s. Anbao dispatched technical specialists and management teams to oversee daily operations.

Now in its 22nd year of partnership, Anbao operates four production bases across Bangkok, Rayong, Chiang Mai and Si Racha, employing over 600 overseas staff. This cross-border collaboration triggered pivotal transformation within the enterprise: Anbao established a standardized financial management system aligned with listed company norms and set up a board of directors to steer corporate strategic development.

Growth forged through partnership, this overseas deployment marked Anbao’s landmark stride beyond domestic borders into global competition, laying a rock-solid foundation for the company’s international expansion roadmap.