Master Kong (simplified Chinese: 康师傅控股有限公司; traditional Chinese: 康師傅控股有限公司; pinyin: Kāng-shīfu Kònggǔ Yǒuxiàngōngsī) is the largest instant noodle producer in China.
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| Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corporation 頂益（開曼島）控股有限公司; Dǐngyì（Kāimàn dǎo）Kònggǔ Yǒuxiàngōngsī | |
Native name | 康師傅控股有限公司 |
| Company type | Public company |
| SEHK: 322 TWSE: 910322 | |
| Industry | Foods |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | China |
Key people | CEO Wei Junxian[1] |
| Products | instant noodles, beverages, baked goods, soft drinks, bottled water |
| Parent | Ting Hsin International Group (33.48%) Sanyo Foods Co., Ltd (33.48%) |
| Website | www |
Established in 1991, Master Kong is a branded company headquartered in Shanghai and Tianjin. It specializes in the production and distribution of instant noodles,[2] beverages, cakes, and relevant supporting industries. In 1996, it was listed in Hong Kong and is currently constituent of MSCI China Index and the Hang Seng China 100 Index.[3]
In 2019, Master Kong achieved revenue of 61.978 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 2.13%; achieved net profit of 3.331 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 35.22%.[4] According to Nielsen, the sales volume of Master Kong instant noodles in 2019 accounted for 43.3% of market shares, ranking first in the market.[4] According to Kantar, in 2019, Master Kong's juice ranks second in juice market penetration. Meanwhile, the penetration of Master Kong RTD tea reached 38%, 10 percentage points higher than the second.[4]
In November 2011, Master Kong and PepsiCo established a strategic alliance for the production and sales of all non-alcoholic beverages in China.[5] In March 2015, Master Kong and Starbucks officially entered into cooperation agreement for the production and sales of Starbucks bottled and canned ready-to-drink products in China.[6]
In June 2018, Master Kong was shortlisted in the national brand project of Xinhua News Agency.[7]
History
The company was founded in Tianjin by the Wei brothers from Changhua County, Taiwan in 1991.[8] It was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1996.[9]
It is owned 33.48% by Ting Hsin International Group[10] and 33.48% by Sanyo Foods.
In March 2011, Unilever was fined 2 million Yuan for the distribution of information about future price hikes and Tingyi was given a warning about publicly discussing their price increases.[11]
In June 2011, Master Kong[12] was recognized by market research firm, TNS, to be the second most valued brand in China.[13]
As of 2013, its main competitors are Want Want China and Uni-President.[2]
In 2014, Master Kong was facing the food safety problem in Taiwan.[14]
In 2015, Master Kong stopped distributing its instant noodles in Taiwan. The group's board of directors has approved a plan to completely withdraw from the Taiwanese market.[15]