Filipinos are now enjoying Germany’s nonalcoholic drinks that has been refreshing the European market since early-1900s, thanks to the collaboration and common passion of Enrique Ely and his two partners, who put up Euro Interbev Corp., and become the sole distributor and licensee of Sinalco in the Philippines.
Sinalco International is the oldest soft drink brand in Europe and is headquartered in Duisburg, Germany. It is known for its natural refreshment drink concocted from tropical and local fruits.
Ely said the business partnership started when he developed a fascination for the beverage industry because he thought it was always exciting to continue to expand and diversify alongside the population. His first partner invested in secondhand machines for packaging because he wanted to engage in beverage manufacturing while the second partner backed up the idea because the three friends shared common spiritual and moral aspiration. “We all want to give back and help the needy through this company,” Ely, the president of the company, told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview.
Moreover, he said, the Filipinos’ penchant for carbonated drinks is mind-boggling, consuming more than 1 billion liters annually. Meanwhile, Ely noted that other sectors in the industry have also displayed growth and popularity, especially those that are related to health and fitness.
Having a German brand as a main principal which happens to be the first European beverage company, Ely believes the European affiliation will be advantageous to the business. Eurobev Corp., the original name of the company, was replaced by Euro Interbev Corp. because their first choice was already taken. Nevertheless, Ely said the current name also carries the same impact and prestige to their business.
Challenges
Ely said running European Interbev in the early years was very challenging as the company hurdled many obstacles in getting approvals, permits from government agencies, acquiring a reliable distributor, accreditation and acceptance in store outlets, but patience, perseverance, hard work and persistence helped them through all the challenges.
The company, he added, is aware that it should keep on innovating to remain relevant and competitive. He said the current management style is still working to their advantage since the organization is strong and lean. “As long as we maintain the core values of the company to uplift each family and pay back to the community, whatever works for the business, we will support the required changes,” he said.
Brand launch
Incorporated in 2016, Euro Interbev had to endure the long process of accreditation by the principal, as well as determining acceptability of the products through test sampling, financial viability, among others. The long wait finally paid off when they got the compliance requirements by the different government agencies resulting in receiving Sinalco, their first imported product in December 2017.
“The company is fairly new and we are still in the process of creating brand awareness for Sinalco here in the Philippines. We have already created presence for our products in known convenience stores and grocery chains nationwide. We can attribute growth through our availability by continuing to grow channels and adding more product lines,” he said.
Ely and the company decided to bring Sinalco brand to the country because of its high quality, rich product portfolio and history. Ely and his partners visited Sinalco’s head office in Germany and met the whole management team. Upon seeing the plant and the processes in making Sinalco, Ely applied to be the sole distributor and licensee in the Philippines because it believes Sinalco can develop a strong showing in the local market.
“Our experience in the beverage industry was highly noted by the Sinalco management to entrust their brand to us. The managing director of Sinalco visited the Philippines, validated the potential market and further screened Euro Interbev’s readiness to push the business here, and a few months after the visit, we signed the agreement. Euro Interbev became the licensee and distributor of Sinalco products in the Philippines,” Ely said.
There is a wide array of Sinalco products—from carbonated drinks, juices, teas, sports drinks, non-alcohol beer and mineral water. It also has unique lines that will be out in the market in the future called Multi Vitamins juice and canned juices with fruit bits.
Sinalco products are available at 7-Eleven stores nationwide and in some leading supermarkets, such as Landmark, South Supermart, Makati Supermart, Puregold (Lifestyle), Sta. Lucia, Freshto, Hitop and Iloilo Supermart.
Furthermore, Ely said Sinalco, is now open for subdealers that any interested party can reach out to the company.
As far as issues on diabetes and obesity are concerned, Ely said moderation should always be the norm. He said anything consumed excessively like sugar is bad to the body.
“On the other side, we need sugar and other carbohydrates for energy. Sinalco is continuously conducting research on how to lower sugar usage without any effect on taste and aroma. We are hoping this can be implemented soon to address health issues of consumers,” he said.
The success of European Interbev seems to have been inspired by Brazilian author Paolo Coelho who always tells people to go with the flow and follow your dreams. Moreover, the combined knowledge of the three entrepreneurs led by Ely was a big factor, too.
“I have dedicated my whole career totaling 40 years in this industry. My passion and familiarity towards this kind of business, coupled with the business exposure of two of my other partners bring so much expertise, which we will use to our advantage to make the company grow and be successful, he added.