There are many Thai companies I love but none more than Charoen Pokphand Foods Plc. (CPF), or CP Group. Owners of 7-11 convenience stores in Thailand, where I spend half my time, as well as CP brand foods (love their boiled ham), CP Group is not only one of Thailand’s most successful companies, it’s one of the biggest in Asia too. Which also helps to explain why CP Group’s CEO, Dhanin Chearavanont is Thailand’s richest man.
So, I was interested to switch on Channel News Asia last night just in time to see Khun Dhanin being presented with a Lifetime Award at the 2012 Channel News Asia Luminary Awards.
Interesting too was what Dhanin Chearavanont had to say about why he thought CP Group had been so successful, especially in so many other countries. He said the secret of CP Group’s success was that they used modern technology to provide a high-quality product at a very low price, particularly in developing countries.
That way, not only could CP Group make a good profit, but they could also help people, who didn’t have much money, to buy food products far cheaper than what they could before.
You’ve got to love the simplicity of it, haven’t you? And it’s so true. It’s one huge reason why I buy so many CP Group products. The quality of their food is very high, yet the price is up to 50 percent cheaper than their closest competitors.
Yes, it’s easy to see why Dhanin Chearavanont is Thailand’s richest man. How could a manĀ that smart not be? Plus, he just seems so nice.