Beer and beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. will promote merger and acquisition activities in Asian markets following a series of acquisitions of companies in Oceania last year, its president said in a recent interview.
"We will next build business models in Asia," 63-year-old Naoki Izumiya, president of the holding firm, said.
Backed by the yen's sharp appreciation, Asahi also acquired a beverage firm in Malaysia, Permanis Sdn. Bhd., last year as a step toward expanding into high-growth economies in the region.
Izumiya said his firm will promote M&As in consideration of differences in economic growth rates among countries in the region to generate synergistic effects.
Regarding Asahi's future overseas strategy, Izumiya said he is "looking around the world" for investments and is willing to invest in the East European beer maker StarBev group under the control of a trust fund.
Izumiya also pointed to the significance of developing human resources, saying he plans to dispatch young employees to foreign firms bought by Asahi to study local business practices for one year.