RFM Corporation


RFM Corporation is a publicly listed food and beverage company in the Philippines. RFM is a manufacturer of flour and flour-based products, milk, juice drinks, and ice cream. As of June 2013, RFM had an asset base of P12 billion and a total market capitalization of P17.1 billion.
WWW rfmfoods.com

History

Its founders included Salvador Z. Araneta, José N. Concepcion, Sr., B.J. Server, Albino Z. SyCip, Zoilo Alberto, Francisco D. Gamboa, Edward Miller Grimm, Leonardo Eugenio, David SyCip and Charles "Chick" Parsons. In 1973, RFM entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Swift & Company to use the brand "Swift" for its meat processing business. For the next 15 years, RFM concentrated on growing its established core businesses and also introduced other grocery products, such as cake mixes, hotcake mixes, and ingredient mixes.
As it entered the 1990s, RFM began acquiring of a number of local companies and established partnerships with foreign companies.
In 1994, RFM divested its interest in hog operations and the poultry operations became known as Swift Foods Inc.. In 1995, RFM Properties and Holdings, Inc. was established to consolidate RFM's real estate assets as well as break into the property development business.
Between 1995 and 2000, RFM briefly ventured into noodle manufacturing, tuna processing, bakeshop business with the acquisition of the Rolling Pin trademark, food franchising and thrift banking.
In 1999, RFM formed a partnership with Unilever to produce Selecta ice cream under the joint-venture company, Selecta Walls Inc.,.
In 2001, RFM sold its soft drink subsidiary Cosmos Bottling Corporation to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc.. Cosmos continued to be listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange until 2013. Thus, unfortunately making sure that Cosmos didn't get to see its centennary which would have happened in 2018.
In 2003, RFM spun off Swift Foods Inc., which formerly operated RFM's Swift poultry business, to become a separately owned company.
By the end of the first decade of the 2000s, RFM significantly reduced its holdings in Philtown Properties, Inc. after 66% of the outstanding shares were declared as property dividends in 2008 and 15% in 2009.

Recent developments

In November 2012, RFM sold its Swift processed meat business to the Pacific Meat Company, Inc. RFM said the transaction's total value could reach between P800 million and P850 million.
In January 2014, RFM acquired the Royal pasta brand from Unilever Philippines for $47.8 million. RFM's Fiesta brand was then the top pasta brand in the Philippines, while the Royal brand came second.

Brands

Bulk flour:
  • Republic Special
  • Cinderella
  • Altar Bread
  • Milenyo
  • Hi-Pro Majestic
  • Señorita
Cake mixes:
Pasta:
  • Fiesta
  • Royal
Beverages:
Refrigerated margarine:
  • Butterfresh
Ice cream :
UHT Milk:

Corporate social responsibility

RFM Foundation Inc. is the social development arm of the company. Among its notable projects are the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines and Project Pagsulong.
The Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines seeks to honor students who made excellent academic performances and their contributions to society.
Project Pagsulong invites young Filipinos to form a team and come up with innovative business ideas good enough to stand against proposals from other teams, as well as viable enough to provide real-life solutions for alleviating poverty.