Industry, Logistics & Shipping

Sime Darby Oils, Advoc form Mena partnership

Malaysia-based Sime Darby Oils (SDO) and Abu Dhabi Vegetable Oil Company (Advoc), owned by Dr B R Shetty, have entered into a strategic partnership to market oils and fats products in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

SDO is a fully owned subsidiary of Sime Darby Plantation (SDP), a leading global oil palm plantation company (by planted area) and the world’s largest producer of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO).

Via the partnership, SDO and Advoc will operate in the region as a single sales and marketing team, focusing on basic and specialty fats (including bakery fats, shortening, industrial margarines, spread fats, dairy replacers, confectionary fats and cocoa butter substitutes and replacers), said a statement.

This will benefit regional customers by providing them access to the companies’ combined sales expertise, production capabilities and extensive product range.

With evolving customer needs playing an increasingly critical role in businesses, companies recognise they need to accelerate the development of innovative solutions to ensure they remain competitive.

In view of this, Sime Darby Oils-Advoc partnership aspires to help support customers in the Mena region through bespoke solutions using the combined skills and understanding in the oils and fats category, product ideation, development and deployment.

Dr Shetty said: “The Sime Darby Oils-Advoc partnership is a powerful combination. Sime Darby Oils’ understanding of specialty fats, its deep R&D expertise, and agile, collaborative approach is uniquely complimentary to that of Advoc’s.”

“Over the last two decades, Advoc has earned the reputation of being a customer driven and reliable supplier of a wide variety of oils and fats in the Mena region,” he said.

Mohd Haris Mohd Arshad, managing director, SDO, said: “The Mena region is a key growth market for our company.”

“Partnering with Advoc enables us to establish an on-the-ground presence through enhanced local market knowledge and capabilities and open up opportunities for sustainable products and supply chain. Through this partnership we can leverage our respective assets to offer compelling customer propositions,” he added.

Nirman Shetty, director of Advoc, said: “The teams are working closely to set up the operations, structure, portfolio, marketing and route-to-consumer strategies, licensing and other operational matters.”

“Together, working as one team, we will unlock the full potential of global expertise and local requirements, and place our clients on the best path for success,” Nirman Shetty added.

By connecting Advoc’s local market understanding with SDO’s extensive oils and fats know-how and expertise, the collaboration represents a step-change in the way both entities address the needs of the market, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service