Fraser & Neave was founded in 1883 by John Fraser and David Neave as the Singapore and Straits Aerated Water Company to produce carbonated soft drinks.[1] The company was renamed Fraser and Neave, Limited (F&N) in 1898.[2]
In 1931, F&N expanded into the beer-brewing business by entering into a joint partnership with Dutch brewer Heineken to form Malayan Breweries Limited (now known as Asia Pacific Breweries).[3] The company launched its flagship product, Tiger Beer, a year later.[4] In 1936, F&N managed to secure the Coca-Cola franchise for Singapore and Malaya.[5] F&N ventured into dairy products when it partnered American company Beatrice Foods to build a condensed milk plant in Petaling Jaya, Malaya, in 1960.[6] Its dairy operations in Singapore commenced in 1963 under Magnolia Dairies.[7] F&N subsequently expanded its dairy operations into Vietnam and Thailand,[8] selling dairy products under the Magnolia, Daisy and Farmhouse brands.[9]
Besides producing carbonated beverages such as its signature orange squash, sarsaparilla and ice-cream soda, F&N also diversified into other types of drinks. These included traditional Asian drinks such as chrysanthemum tea and barley water under its Seasons brand, fruit juices under the Fruit Tree brand, and isotonic drinks under the 100Plus brand.[10]
In 1987, F&N, together with New Zealand food giant Wattie Industries (later known as Goodman Fielder Wattie), acquired a controlling stake in Cold Storage.[11] The joint venture was dissolved in 1990 and F&N acquired Centrepoint Properties Limited, the property arm of Cold Storage.[12] In 2000, F&N made its first foray into the publishing and printing business with the acquisition of Times Publishing.[13]
Today, the F&N group has a presence in over 20 countries and employs more than 10,000 employees worldwide. It has made its mark in the food and beverage, property, and publishing and printing industries, and has total assets worth S$19 billion.[14]
References
1. Makepeace, W., Brooke, G. E., & Braddell, R. St. J. (Eds.). (1921). One hundred years of Singapore (Vol. 2, p. 194). Retrieved August 15, 2013, from Internet Archive website: http://archive.org/details/onehundredyearso02braduoft; Local industries. (1897, January 8). The Straits Times, p. 3. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. [This source puts the starting year of the company as 1882.]
2. "Fraser and Neave, Ltd”. (1898, January 27). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 3; The late Mr D. C. Neave. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 5; Fraser and Neave Limited. (1898, January 27). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Untitled. (1931, April 23). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), p. 2; A brewery for Malaya. (1931, April 21). The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. A wonderful achievement. (1932, September 30). The Straits Times, p. 12; Chop Rhimau beer to-morrow. (1932, September 30). The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Fraser & Neave has good year. (1937, March 21). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Fraser and Neave Limited. Annual report 2008: Charting the future (pp. 1, 21). Retrieved August 21, 2013, from Fraser and Neave website: http://www.fraserandneave.com/library/pdf/ir/reports/annual/2008/ChartingTheFutureFullReport.pdf; US experts for new milk factory. (1960, February 25). The Straits Times, p. 5; Cheaper milk by end of the year, he predicts. (1960, Februrary 27). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. New $1mil. milk plant: 'Sign of better living'. (1963, August 28). The Straits Times, p. 4; Fraser and Neave, Limited, 2008; Asia Dairies penetrates Japan ice-cream market. (1991, November 12). The Straits Times, p. 39. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. [Dairy operations in Singapore by Magnolia Dairies (under Cold Storage) started in 1963 at the Bukit Timah factory. F&N acquired the dairy interests of Cold Storage in 1990.]
8. Fraser and Neave, Limited, 2008, p. 21.
9. Fraser and Neave, Limited, 2008, p. 33.
10. F&N Foods Pte Ltd. (n.d.). Our brands. Retrieved August 21, 2013, from Fraser and Neave website: http://www.fnnfoods.com
11. Wattie pays for 34.23% of Cold Storage. (1987, August 22). The Straits Times, p. 25. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. F&N sees property, investments as key growth areas. (1990, June 16). The Straits Times, p. 45. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
13. Abiud buys Times shares. (2000, May 4). The Straits Times, p. 63. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
14. Fraser and Neave, Limited. (c2007). About us. Retrieved August 21, 2013, from Fraser and Neave website: http://www.fraserandneave.com/FN_aboutus.asp
The information in this article is valid as at 2011 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.