Zest-O Corp., the beverage unit of the Yao Group of Companies, is finalizing the acquisition of a Texas-based facility in the US to produce Philippine tropical fruit juices as a mainstream product for American consumers.
“There is a team in the US now that is doing all the necessary things to finalize the asset acquisition. We are hoping to come to terms before the year is over,” Zest-O president and chief executive Alfredo Yao said in an interview Wednesday.
Zest-O will produce all tropical fruit juices the company is making in the Philippines–Dalandan, Calamansi and Guyabano juices–in the US using the Doypack technology.
While the company is already exporting Zest-O products to the US, it plans to better penetrate the US beverage market by acquiring a manufacturing plant and produce the beverages in the US to lessen transportation costs.
Yao said his products coould withstand competition from US beverage brand Caprisonne, a popular drink in the US.
“We will also produce orange flavored juices and other temperate juice products once we have established tropical fruit juices as a mainstream product,” he said adding a US-based company would be formed to handle US operations of Zest-O.
The company’s Southeast Asia expansion program will also engage partners to pursue regulatory arrangements in Thailand and Myanmar.