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Ready for the Challenges Ahead, URC Celebrates Its 65th Year with Hope

The company aims to emerge from the pandemic better and stronger than ever
by URC And JG Summit Teams | Sep 15, 2021
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Universal Robina Corporation is marking its 65th year in business, focused as ever on its customers while taking stock of new challenges and opportunities ahead.

“As we celebrate our 65th anniversary, we are also acutely aware that millions of people have had to navigate a very difficult period shadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This strengthens our commitment to marshal on, so that we can help our nation, as well as our other markets across the globe, come out of this darkness better and stronger,” said URC President and CEO Irwin Lee.

Springing forth from the humble trading business that the late John Gokongwei Jr. ran on his bicycle, URC has grown into one of the largest food and beverage companies today, having the market-leading share of the snacks, candies, chocolates, and ready-to-drink tea segments in the Philippines. The company also has a strong market position in instant noodles and powdered coffee.

URC traces its roots to 1956, when Universal Corn Products, a company Gokongwei put up through a loan from China Bank chairman Albino Sycip, introduced Panda Corn Syrup to local consumers.


An aerial shot of the first URC factory along the Pasig River, which was popularly known in the community as the Panda Plant, after the cornstarch brand it produced. 

With his eyes always on the future, Gokongwei quickly expanded to other segments of the food business to ensure his company would flourish and later expand abroad. Thanks to Mr. John’s vision, today URC has a presence in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Laos, and Cambodia.

In 1961, he and his brothers put up Consolidated Food Corporation. Two years later, CFC introduced Blend 45, which became the best-selling coffee brand at the time.

After instant coffee, CFC diversified into candies, wafers, and other food products.

The URC brand as we know it today was officially born in 1966. It quickly dominated the snack food business, rolling out products that have become staples across generations: Chiz Curls, Chippy, Nips, and Jack 'n Jill Potato Chips, among others. Later best-sellers were Nova, Jack 'n Jill Pretzels, Piattos, Maxx candy, and Payless noodles.


URC entered the agro-industrial and commodities business in the 1970s with its foray into hog farming and flour milling, followed by sugar milling in the following decade. These were vertically integrated with existing businesses and allowed URC to weather volatility in the commodities market.

URC expanded its beverage lineup with its C2 ready-to-drink tea in 2004, a pivot inspired by Gokongwei seeing brewed tea being widely sold in China and Japan in PET bottles. When URC introduced C2, it sold 100,000 bottles in a month. Just three years later, it was selling over 30 million bottles a month.  


URC’s first venture abroad was via a small factory it set up in Hong Kong to produce Jack ‘n Jill Potato Chips. The company eventually set up operations in six countries, with a presence in 10 markets in the region. Its Fun-O and Tivoli brands are currently the market leaders in Thailand’s biscuit and wafer categories, while C2 is a strong player in the ready-to-drink segment in Vietnam. It also exports to areas in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, North Asia, Oceania and the Pacific Islands.

With its six decades of success, URC stands as a cornerstone of the Gokongwei group of companies, with a market capitalization of over P300 billion.

“Thanks to Mr. John’s constant innovation, entrepreneurial zeal and strong desire to please the customer, URC has risen to become one of the largest branded consumer food and beverage companies in the Philippines, with a significant and growing presence in the ASEAN markets,” said Lee.

URC’s people-first approach has helped the company weather the difficult period shadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past year, the company has pushed boundaries to ensure the well-being of employees, customers and communities.

It has kept its factories and mills up and running despite the rolling lockdowns and quarantine restrictions to make sure millions of Filipinos can stock their pantries with essential food items they need while working or sheltering at home.

Throughout these uncertain times, URC has steadfastly stayed true to its mission, that of making lives a truly fun experience.

For more information on URC, visit urc.com.ph

Banner image courtesy of URC

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