Taiwan food giant looks to gain market share in China

The packaging production line of Lonely God, puffed food made of sweet potatoes, is in the Longchang Head Factory of Want Want Group in Longchang, Sichuan province, China, Aug 2, 2022. HUANG LERAN A food manufacturing giant from China s Taiwan region is looking for a bigger share in the southwestern China market for leisure food.

Want Want Group invested $3 million in a factory in Longchang, Sichuan province this year. This is the first venture with investment from Taiwan in the city of Neijiang, where Longchang is located.

According to Luo Xingguang, head of the factory, the Longchang factory will have six new production lines in the second half of 2022 to produce black and white sandwich biscuits and crunchy rice balls.

The production lines are expected to have an industrial output of 150 million yuan $22 million a year, according to Luo.

The factory was founded in 2001 and had fewer than 100 employees and its industrial output value was 7.5 million. It has 1,200 employees, and the industrial output value is nearly 800 million yuan, according to the officials.

Luo attributed his factory's rapid expansion to the rising market demand in southwest China.

The Longchang Head Factory of Want Want Group in Longchang, Sichuan province honors its retired employees on August 2, 2022 to mark its 21st anniversary. HUANG LERAN The Longchang municipal government has always been supportive to help the factory overcome its difficulties, he said.

Natural gas is very important for the production of the factory. To mark its 21st anniversary, the factory granted certificates of honor to retired employees, excellent employees and model workers on Tuesday.

On August 2, 2022, workers play drums at the Longchang Head Factory of Want Want Group in Longchang to mark its 21st anniversary. HUANG LERAN The Want Want Group has always attached importance to its business layout in Sichuan, because the province can radiate its influence on the southwestern and northwestern parts of the country, said Luo.

The group used to have only one factory in Sichuan, but it made a strategic plan to launch a new factory there thanks to the continuous opening-up and growing local market potential in the province.