Arla’s new regional offices in Asia open

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark opens the new Arla office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia today.

It will be the main office for all of the company’s activities in Asia and a regional leader will set the strategy for all activities within retail and foodservice in Asia.

Representatives from Malaysian Ministries and European embassies will be present at the grand opening. The Danish Crown Prince Frederik will give the opening address, after which Arla’s products will be presented and sampled.

“We are very proud that the Crown Prince is opening our new head office in Kuala Lumpur. This sends a strong signal about our ambitious plans for the Asian market,” said Jesper Colding, senior vice president for Arla’s Asian business unit.

Arla has significant opportunities for dairy export to the region

With a population of 2.3 billion, Asia is crucial to Arla’s future growth. Moreover, Asia has a raw milk deficit which presents Arla with significant opportunities for dairy export as there is strong demand for dairy products.

China has been a strategic growth market for Arla for many years, while South East Asia (SEA) has been identified as a region that has the potential to become a new strategic growth market. For this reason, Arla will focus on China first and foremost but there are many similarities between the Asian markets, which the company hopes to take advantage of.

“The Asian markets are growing in affluence and have an increasing awareness of the importance of good health and the need for a choice of nutritious products. There is a growing appetite for family nutrition products, such as long-life milk and infant formula and for a variety of different cheeses. This presents us with strong possibilities for establishing synergies within our brand and product portfolio, marketing activities and innovation,” said Jesper Colding.