Business
Chiangrai’s Phetsuwan Mineral Water Started up with Buddhism Beliefs
CHIANGRAI TIMES – Phetsuwan Mineral Water started up with Buddhism beliefs when a well-known abbot in Phetchaburi pointed out a water source in Chiang Rai’s Wieng Pa Pao area. After being tested in the market for a couple years, the product is now ready to serve the demand of health-conscious consumers.
The springs were discovered on upper areas safe from contamination and the penetration of possible chemicals from nearby areas. Villagers believe that the mineral water from Wieng Pa Pao can cure pain in the joints.
Although Wieng Pa Pao is a well-known source of mineral water, the springs were found on the company’s grounds.
The water’s quality was certified by some institutions as containing only 0.01ppm (parts per million) of sodium. This convinced the company to start commercial production. However, production has not reached a high level due to strong competition from other brands. In the beginning, the company is focusing on health-food shops in Bangkok and Chiang Rai with three bottle sizes – 300ml, 600ml and 1.5 litre.
Managing director Sornsak Congtrakultien said recently that the company is focusing on traditional retail outlets and health-food shops. However, it plans to access the modern trade more this year.
“Due to our high-quality water, we plan to capture more medium to upper-market customers through our direct sales strategy,” he said.
The company is considering penetrating more markets in Bangkok but high logistics costs would delay market expansion. It is considering pooling with other goods to reduce its transportation costs. Meanwhile, it has to focus more on marketing upcountry. It would spend two years on the development of both packaging and management before entering the lucrative market in Bangkok.
The company is working on a new package design that will be completed in April. The new package will allow the product to be carried by convenience stores.
With only a small investment of Bt12 million, the company targets to sell 10,000 packs per month of those three bottle sizes. Its sells 4,000 packs per month now.
To promote the mineral water, the company will not only expand its direct sales marketing to Northern provinces such as Chiang Mai but also participate in more trade exhibitions.
“We have unique customers who always drink mineral water and avoid other water,” he said.
The company neither made a big investment nor dug holes randomly to search for water underground.
All it did was inviting a revered monk from Wat Pothaimanee in Phetchaburi province to sit in meditation. Before long, the monk could tell where the mouth of a spring was.
“Luang Por Noi told us there were two mouths of a spring at this site,” said Sornsak Congtrakultien, the company’s managing director.
“He even informed us there was a large, deep basin down there with plentiful mineral water,” said Mr Sornsak, speaking from the company’s compound in Ban San Khu, a small community about 900 kilometres north of Bangkok. The location is actually owned by Kasorn Kampor, a retired teacher who had long encouraged a former student and successful businessman, Mr Montri _ also the father of Mr Sornsak _ to search for mineral water.
She strongly believed there were springs in her 10-rai plot, where numerous longan and lychee trees grew. But at 70 years old, it was hard for Mrs Kasorn to start the business.
“We decided to lease the land, and drilling for mineral water began right after the assurance of the monk,” said Mr Sornsak.
The prediction was right. The drilling operation easily found the mouth of a spring by digging just 10 metres down, sending a strong stream of water gushing into the air.
Testing by Maejo University and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed the mineral water contained useful and appropriate amounts of calcium, sodium, sulphate, silicon, fluoride, potassium and phosphorus.
Mr Sornsak’s family set up Phetsuwan Mineral Water Co in 2009 and built a plant to process bottled mineral water for sale. The production process is in line with FDA regulations that require mineral water to be obtained directly from natural or drilled sources underground and packaged close to them.
Most importantly, the perimeter of the site is protected to keep pollution from affecting water quality.
The product won the Chiang Rai Otop Product Champion award in 2010.
Sales manager Janejira Wittayasomboon cited the bright outlook of healthy products such as mineral water.
Based on company surveys, mineral water is first on the list of demands by health-conscious consumers.
According to industry reports, bottled drinking water formed an 18-billion-baht market last year. Of the total market value, 2 billion baht was mineral water, 80% of which was made locally, with Aura and Minere among the leaders.
Ms Janejira said competition among local products is intense. To crack the market, Phetsuwan has aggressively entered specialty outlets such as vegetarian food stores, educational institutes and government organisations.
Distribution via direct sales at fairs and trade events will help Phetsuwan fight the big brands, she said.
Mr Sornsak said the firm’s successful business plan has prompted an increase in capacity to 10,000 packs a month from 4,000 packs.
Bangkok accounts for 60% of sales volume, with Chiang Rai and nearby provinces making up the balance. “At this pace, we’re confident of capturing a 5% share in locally made bottled mineral water next year,” Mr Sornsak added.
Business
PepsiCo Reduces Revenue Projections As North American Snacks And Key International Markets Underperform.
(VOR News) – In the third quarter of this year, Pepsi’s net income was $2.93 billion, which is equivalent to $2.13 per share. This was attributed to the company.
This is in stark contrast to net income of $3.09 billion, which is equivalent to $2.24 per share, during the same period in the previous year. The company’s earnings per share were $2.31 when expenses were excluded.
Net sales decreased by 0.6%, totaling $23.32 billion. Organic sales increased by 1.3% during the quarter when the effects of acquisitions, divestitures, and currency changes are excluded.
Pepsi’s beverage sales fell this quarter.
The most recent report indicates that the beverage and food sectors of the organization experienced a 2% decline in volume. Consumers of all income levels are demonstrating a change in their purchasing habits, as indicated by CEOs’ statements from the previous quarter.
Pepsi’s entire volume was adversely affected by the lackluster demand they encountered in North America. An increasing number of Americans are becoming more frugal, reducing the number of snacks they ingest, and reducing the number of times they purchase at convenience stores.
Furthermore, Laguarta observed that the increase in sales was partially attributed to the election that occurred in Mexico during the month of June.
The most significant decrease in volume was experienced by Quaker Foods North America, which was 13%. In December, the company announced its initial recall in response to a potential salmonella infection.
Due to the probability of an illness, the recall was extended in January. Pepsi officially closed a plant that was implicated in the recalls in June, despite the fact that manufacturing had already been halted.
Jamie Caulfield, the Chief Financial Officer of Pepsi and Laguarta, has indicated that the recalls are beginning to have a lessening effect.
Frito-Lay experienced a 1.5% decline in volume in North America. The company has been striving to improve the value it offers to consumers and the accessibility of its snack line, which includes SunChips, Cheetos, and Stacy’s pita chips, in the retail establishments where it is sold.
Despite the fact that the category as a whole has slowed down in comparison to the results of previous years, the level of activity within the division is progressively increasing.
Pepsi executives issued a statement in which they stated that “Salty and savory snacks have underperformed year-to-date after outperforming packaged food categories in previous years.”
Pepsi will spend more on Doritos and Tostitos in the fall and winter before football season.
The company is currently promoting incentive packets for Tostitos and Ruffles, which contain twenty percent more chips than the standard package.
Pepsi is expanding its product line in order to more effectively target individuals who are health-conscious. The business announced its intention to acquire Siete Foods for a total of $1.2 billion approximately one week ago. The restaurant serves Mexican-American cuisine, which is typically modified to meet the dietary needs of a diverse clientele.
The beverage segment of Pepsi in North America experienced a three percent decrease in volume. Despite the fact that the demand for energy drinks, such as Pepsi’s Rockstar, has decreased as a result of consumers visiting convenience stores, the sales of well-known brands such as Gatorade and Pepsi have seen an increase throughout the quarter.
Laguarta expressed his opinion to the analysts during the company’s conference call, asserting, “I am of the opinion that it is a component of the economic cycle that we are currently experiencing, and that it will reverse itself in the future, once consumers feel better.”
Additionally, it has been noted that the food and beverage markets of South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa have experienced a decline in sales volume. The company cut its forecast for organic revenue for the entire year on Tuesday due to the business’s second consecutive quarter of lower-than-anticipated sales.
The company’s performance during the quarter was adversely affected by the Quaker Foods North America recalls, the decrease in demand in the United States, and the interruptions that occurred in specific international markets, as per the statements made by Chief Executive Officer Ramon Laguarta.
Pepsi has revised its forecast for organic sales in 2024, shifting from a 4% growth rate to a low single-digit growth rate. The company reiterated its expectation that the core constant currency profitability per share will increase by a minimum of 8% in comparison to the previous year.
The company’s shares declined by less than one percent during premarket trading. The following discrepancies between the company’s report and the projections of Wall Street were identified by LSEG in a survey of analysts:
SOURCE: CNBC
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Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
Business
Old National Bank And Infosys Broaden Their Strategic Partnership.
(VOR News) – Old National Bank, a commercial bank with its headquarters in the Midwest, and Infosys, a firm that specializes in information technology, have recently entered into a strategic expansion of their link, which has been in place for the past four years.
This expansion is more likely to take place sooner rather than later, with the likelihood being higher.
For the purpose of making it possible for Old National Bank to make use of the services, solutions, and platforms that are offered by Infosys, the objective of this expansion is to make it possible for the bank to transform its operations and processes through the application of automation and GenAI, as well as to change significant business areas.
This lets the bank leverage Infosys’ services, solutions, and platforms.
Old National Bank Chairman and CEO Jim Ryan said, “At Old National, we are committed to creating exceptional experiences for both our customers and our fellow employees.”
This statement is applicable to Old National Bank. Infosys is carefully managing the business process innovations that it is putting us through, putting a strong emphasis on efficiency and value growth throughout the process to ensure that it is carried out efficiently.
This is a routine occurrence throughout the entire operation. Because of Infosys’ dedication to our development and success, we are incredibly appreciative of the assistance they have provided.
Old National has been receiving assistance from Infosys in the process of updating its digital environment since the year 2020, according to the aforementioned company.
Ever since that time, the company has been providing assistance. The provision of this assistance has been accomplished through the utilization of a model that is not only powerful but also capable of functioning on its own power.
Infosys currently ranks Old National thirty-first out of the top thirty US banks.
This ranking is based on the fact that Old National is the nation’s largest banking corporation.
It is estimated that the total value of the company’s assets is approximately fifty-three billion dollars, while the assets that are currently being managed by the organization are valued at thirty billion dollars.
Dennis Gada, the Executive Vice President and Global Head of Banking and Financial Services, stated that “Old National Bank and Infosys possess a robust cultural and strategic alignment in the development, management, and enhancement of enterprise-scale solutions to transform the bank’s operations and facilitate growth.”
This remark referenced the exceptional cultural and strategic synergy between the two organizations. Dennis Gada is the one who asserted this claim. This was articulated explicitly concerning the exceptional cultural congruence and strategy alignment of the two organizations.
We are pleased to announce that the implementation of Infosys Topaz will substantially expedite the transformation of Old National Bank’s business processes and customer service protocols. We are exceedingly enthusiastic about this matter. We are quite thrilled about this specific component of the scenario.
Medium-sized banks operating regionally will continue to benefit from our substantial expertise in the sector, technology, and operations. This specific market segment of Infosys will persist in benefiting from our extensive experience. This phenomenon will enable this market sector to sustain substantial growth and efficiency benefits.
SOURCE: THBL
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American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
States Sue TikTok, Claiming Its Platform Is Addictive And Harms The Mental Health Of Children
Qantas Airways Apologizes After R-Rated Film Reportedly Airs On Every Screen During Flight
Business
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
The largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States stated Monday that it had been the target of a cyberattack, forcing the company to halt invoicing to consumers.
American Water, The Largest Water Utility In US, Is Targeted By A Cyberattack
American Water, based in New Jersey and serving over 14 million people in 14 states and 18 military facilities, said it learned of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and quickly took precautions, including shutting down certain systems. The business does not believe the attack had an impact on its facilities or operations and said employees were working “around the clock” to determine the origin and scale of the attack.
According to their website, American Water operates over 500 water and wastewater systems in around 1,700 communities across California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
SOURCE | AP
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