Pluk Phak Praw Rak Mae PCL (SET: OKJ) Eyes Expansion as the 'King of Organic Salad', Business Wires News

PUBLISHED ONOctober 04, 2024 6:00 AM

BANGKOK, Oct 4, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Pluk Phak Praw Rak Mae PCL (SET: OKJ)("OKJ", "the Company"), a leading of food, beverages, and health products services provider known for its slogan "Be Organic from Farm to Table", focuses on organic agriculture to strengthen its growth as the "King of Organic Salad" in Thailand after listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) today, reinforcing its strong business fundamentals. The Company confirms positive feedback from investors and is ready to move forward with expanding its organic farming and health-focused businesses by opening new branches of 'Ohkajhu,' 'Oh! Juice,' and 'Ohkajhu Wrap & Roll,' targeting to be over 150 branches by 2028.

Mr. Chalakon Eakchaipatanakul, Founder and CEO of OKJ PCL, whose Company shares started trading on October 4, 2024, on the SET under Agro & Food Industry / Food & Beverage Sector, using the ticker "OKJ", "This milestone marks a significant step in strengthening the Company's financial structure to support future business expansion. With the Company's potential and its business fundamentals in providing organic foods, beverages, and health products under concept "Be Organic from Farm to Table" encompassing the brands "Ohkajhu," "Oh! Juice," and "Ohkajhu Wrap & Roll," which will support OKJ to reach out positive feedback from investors who are seeking to invest in a growing business against economic trends with long-term sustainable growth."

The Company aims to establish itself as the "King of Organic Salad" in Thailand by continuously developing food and beverage recipes to meet the diverse demands of customers, and leveraging the expertise, experience, and readiness of its R&D team. As a result, OKJ has become a pioneer in creating delicious, unique, and easy-to-eat healthy food that attracts consumers' interest and boosts sales. OKJ typically takes only 1-2 months to develop and launch new menus or products.

Moreover, OKJ is committed to expanding its business with strategies to develop and introduce new brands, as well as exploring and innovating new products to create New S-Curve business. Over the next five years (2024-2028), the Company plans to open new branches across its 3 brands. This includes expanding the "Ohkajhu" to be 67 branches from its current 37 branches, which include Full-service Restaurants and Deliver & Kiosk formats. The "Ohkajhu Wrap & Roll" will grow to be 20 branches from the current 1 branch, while "Oh! Juice" will expand to be 70 branches from its current 8 branches, leading to a total of 157 branches by 2028. These branches will cover Bangkok, its vicinity, major tourist destinations, and key regional cities.

Additionally, the Company distributes its products through various channels to reach a wide range of customers. These include Delivery and Kiosk format with a focus on delivery and Grab & Go, drive-thru services, snack box services, and online sales via various food delivery platforms. The Company is also supported by OR, one of its indirect shareholders and a strong partner that helps drive growth in multiple areas. This includes expanding branches at PTT Stations in strategic locations and distributing the Company's products through Café Amazon. Moreover, the Company sells organic products, such as fresh vegetables and ready-to-eat salads, through Rimping Supermarket in Chiang Mai and Gourmet Market in Bangkok. OKJ also plans to expand its healthy food and beverage services, including selling meal plans and offering catering services, which align with changing consumer trends and the growing focus on health and wellness.

The CEO of OKJ added that the Company prioritizes research and development to enhance crop yield efficiency, to maintain its leadership in organic farming. It has been studied and developed industrial organic farming methods to consistently produce the organic products, without the expansion of farming area. The Company plans to use the raised funds to invest in equipment and infrastructure that has researched and designed, with an expected increase of around 300% in yield compared to current production. Furthermore, the Company has strategies to invest and develop machines, equipment, and infrastructure to improve planting efficiency, such as seeders, transplanting machines, fertilizer spreaders, plows, and irrigation systems.

At the same time, OKJ commits to expand its organic farmers network to promote sustainable organic farming, which help diversify sourcing, create income and jobs for farmers, reduce chemical usage, and restore forests and watersheds to local communities. To ensure the quality of products from the farmers, the Company plans to develop an "In-house lab" to test the vegetables purchased from farmers, ensuring they meet the Company's standards for use in restaurants and sale under the "Ohkad" project. OKJ also certifies its organic standards (Ohkajhu's Certified) for farmers' agricultural products to guarantee that all vegetables sourced from farmers are organic and free from toxic substances and chemical.

In addition, the Company is preparing to develop production machines and equipment to increase capacity and enhance efficiency throughout the value chain, with a plan to develop a new central kitchen in Bangkok, located in the Rangsit, Pathum Thani. This facility is expected to begin operation by Q3/2025 to boost production capacity and introduce new product lines. The Company also plans to develop machinery, equipment, vegetable washing facilities, and information technology systems to enhance production efficiency in the central kitchen, manage raw material and inventories, and improve office operations to support future growth.

Mr. Pichet Sithi-Amnuai, President of Bualuang Securities PCL, as the financial advisor and lead underwriter, stated "OKJ is a leader in the healthy food and beverage industry in Thailand, which has received strong interest from institutional and retail investors during the recent IPO subscription period. The "Ohkajhu" brand is widely recognized as a leader in health-focused restaurants, offering premium-quality food. The Company uses high-quality ingredients, including fresh vegetables directly from their organic farms, which provide health benefits. Additionally, OKJ offers over 50 varieties of vegetables and flowers, distinguishing itself compared to other restaurants. The Company continues to innovate and develop a wide range of products, positioning itself as a trendsetter in creating unique, health-focused menu. As a result, OKJ has solid business fundamentals with significant potential growth in the future."

Released by Public Relations Dept, MT Multimedia Co., Ltd. for Pluk Phak Praw Rak Mae PCL
For more information, please contact: Orn-anong Pattaravejkul (Fah)
Tel. +66 86-801-8888; E-mail: ornanong.p@mtmultimedia.com

Pluk Phak Praw Rak Mae PCL [SET: OKJ; OKJ/F; OKJ-R] https://www.okjgroup.com/en/home