(SGT-HCMC) Malaysian-equitized Interfood Shareholding Co. (Interfood) yesterday hosted a reception in honor of its strategic investors and partners on the eve of its bourse debut set for today.

Interfood will become the third foreign-invested concern to list on the HCMC Securities Trading Center, the country’s so-called organized stock exchange, after Taya and Chang Yih.

It will trade 5.73 million shares with a face value of VND10,000 per share.

The company has two factories in HCMC’s neighboring province of Dong Nai, producing some 200 different types of canned beverages, fruit and food, as well as biscuits and wafers bearing Okayo, Wonderfarm and other brands.

Chairman and general director of Interfood Pang Tee Chiang said the bourse listing would open a new chapter for Interfood development in Vietnam.

“The management and all our staff strongly believe that the stock exchange shall be a very cost-effective channel for capital mobilization for us to expand our production and business.”

Since its establishment in 1991, Interfood has reported strong growth in terms of capital, assets and business performance.

Its investment capital increased from US$1.14 million in 1991 to US$13 million in 2005. After its conversion into a shareholding company, it launched an IPO early this year to increase its charter capital to VND242 billion (US$15.3 million).

The six-time High Quality Vietnamese Goods Awards winner has actively participated in many international industry exhibitions worldwide.

Its export revenue rose to US$11.43 million last year, tripling its performance in 2004. The proportion of its exports in the total net sales increased from 20% in the period 2001-2004 to 35% in 2005.

Its net sales amounted to US$32.4 million last year, a 47.94% increase from 2004. In the first half of 2006, its net sales were put at US$20.8 million and its pre-tax earnings in 2005 totaled US$3.77 million.

The dividend paid in 2005 was 23%, up from 10.52% in 2004.

Pang Tee Chiang (2nd, R) chairman and general director of Interfood, and Tran Dac Sinh (2nd, L), director of HCMC Securities Trading Center, pose for photographs after the former receives the listing license from the latter yesterday