Vitamilk
Thai soy milk brand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vitamilk is a soy milk product produced by Thailand's Green Spot Co., Ltd. Vitamilk was introduced in 1958 as the first ready-to-drink soy milk brand in Thailand, and is now (as of 2019) second in market share at 27 percent, following the market leader Lactasoy at 55 percent.[1]
Green Spot Co., Ltd. was established by banker/entrepreneur Chin Sophonpanich in 1954 as the local bottler for the Green Spot brand of orange drink. The company's soy milk products now account for 95 percent of its revenue, 30 percent of which comes from exports, mainly to Asia and Africa.[2]
History
In 1934, Green Spot Co., Ltd. was founded in the United States and began selling an orange-flavored soft drink under the Green Spot brand, eventually expanding distribution to other countries, including Thailand.[3]
In 1954, Green Spot entered the Thai market by establishing a bottling plant in Thailand in partnership with a Thai-Chinese financier “Chin Sophonpanich”.[4] Later in 1958, the company officially launched its soy milk in Thailand under the “Vitamilk” brand, which became the first ready-to-drink soy milk product sold in glass bottles in Thailand.[5]
Manufacturing and process
Green Spot Co., Ltd.’s first manufacturing plant in Thailand was established in 1953, which produced orange-flavored soft drink. Later in 1958, the plant began producing Vitamilk drink, which was subsequently introduced to the market for the first time.[5]
In 1973, the company opened a 8.70 acre manufacturing facility in Hua Mak, Bangkok, to respond to its expanding business operations. Later on, the facility became the company's headquarters.[3] In 1991, Green Spot established a new manufacturing facility in Rangsit, covering an area of approximately 28.8 acres, in response to the expansion of its product line called “Vitamilk to Go,” which contains glass bottles.[3]
The company opened a new manufacturing plant in Saraburi Province in 2016,[6] which became its third manufacturing facility. The plant has the capacity to produce more or less than 1 million glass bottles of Vitamilk per day.[7]
Dr. Matar Patchkhikw, Production Planning Manager at the Green Spot Co., Ltd., has described the production process, from the importation of soybeans and cooking process until the bottling stage.[7]
Vitamilk product range and variants
Vitamilk offers a range of soy milk products in different formulations, flavors, and packaging formats. Iles product range includes Original Soy Milk, Vitamilk UHT, Vitamilk Togo, Vitamilk V-Soy and Vitamilk Champ.[8]
Vitamilk’s product range includes:[9]
- Vitamilk Low Sugar
- Vitamilk Choco Shake
- Vitamilk Energy
- Vitamilk Corn
- Vitamilk Vegetarian
V-soy is positioned towards older customers. The product uses soybeans imported from Canada, which is made from non-GMO soybeans.[7] The products are formulated to provide nutritional benefits from soy.[10]
Vitamilk Champ target group is towards young children.[11] The product contains nutrients intended to support children's nutrient needs, including Choline in Phosphatidylcholine, Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9 and high amounts of vitamin B12.[7]
