After spending years pursuing post-graduate education in Japan, Adisak Ruckariyaphong not only sharpened his knowledge about the science of management but also broadened his horizons in terms of learning how this most creative of nations can incorporate the use of high technology into little goodies along with regular foods and beverages.
Adisak Ruckariyaphong is a health pioneer.
That experience inspired him to turn his family's traditional Thai cookies and sweets business into health and beauty drinks, with several billion baht in sales revenue.
As the second generation of Sappe Plc, the beverage and health drink producer, Mr Adisak said when his family started their food business in 1993, his parents Anan Ruckariyaphong and Somnuck Isoonpisansiri were passionate about making local bakery goods under the "Piyajit" brand. From a tiny oven, they baked cookies every day to serve travellers at train stations and bus terminals, with the business expanding in terms of products, output and marketing channels.
Mr Adisak said the variety of beverages available in the Japanese market inspired him to create a new product line for his family business as Thailand's drinks market had plenty of room to grow.
"Once I saw the opportunity, I collected products and drink tastes such as green tea and juices mixed with different kinds of ingredients," he said.
"After I graduated in 2000 I began pursuing my idea. I wanted to offer various types of beverages for health and beauty in Thailand."
He started by gathering a team to research new products at the old Piyajit cookie factory located in Bang Chan Industrial Estate.
Mogu Mogu — a juice mixed with coconut jelly — was the first product under Mr Adisak's management of the family business in 2001.
Even though the success of Piyajit cookies was overwhelming, Mr Adisak said he was confident that he successfully adapted the family business to meet the fast-changing lifestyle and behaviour of Thai consumers.
"I would say our product created a trend in Thailand for drinks you can chew — you can drink juice with chewable jelly," said Mr Adisak.
The company name was changed from Sapanan General Food to Sappe Beauti Drink in 2006 before setting up a representative office in Indonesia in 2011 and increasing paid-up capital to 225 million baht in 2012.
The company now offers 13 brands of health food and drinks such as Sappe Beauti Drink, Sappe Beauti Shot and St Ann in 50 countries worldwide.
Currently, the domestic and export markets account equally for the company's revenue, but the proportion from exports is expected to increase in the future due to rising demand for healthy food and drink products globally, especially in Asia, he said.
Among the health and beauty products are weight-control beverages such as Preaw Coffee, Swiss Garden Coffee and Slimfit Coffee.
The company is preparing to take another step, with Sappe making its initial public offering of 75 million shares at a par value of one baht, with proceeds going to support future expansion.
Kasikorn Securities is the lead underwriter. Trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand is expected to start this month.
Funds from the IPO will be used to increase beverage production capacity and build a PET packaging factory, though details have yet to be disclosed.
The company's health drinks capacity is 100,000 tonnes per year, and PET packaging is 164 million bottles per year.
Last year Sappe Plc posted total revenue of 2.38 billion baht, an increase of 32% from the year before, for a net profit of 136 million, up from 67 million.
For the first quarter of 2014, the company had revenue of 774 million baht for a net profit of 146 million, up from 471 million and 26 million, respectively, in the same period the year before.
Mr Adisak said his future business goal was to achieve 5 billion baht in 2017.