FWF Full Well and Nisshin Logistics to receive investments from private equity firm EMIA
Through its new fund, ASEAN Frontier Markets Fund (AFMF), Singapore-based private equity fund manager Emerging Markets Investment Advisers (EMIA) announced its investment in FWF Full Well and Nisshin Logistics (FWF), Cambodia’s logistics service provider, on Thursday.
According to a statement from FWF, the investment is being made to increase its existing asset base in Cambodia’s cutting-edge logistics infrastructure.
The company observes Cambodia’s expanding logistical needs and the enormous demand for cold storage capacity, which is anticipated to increase by about 80% in the upcoming years.
To capitalize on its extensive industry experience and to assist the government’s logistics master plan, FWF has ambitious plans to increase the portfolio of logistics infrastructure assets in its possession.
With the help of the AFMF investment, the business will build a cutting-edge dry port in Kampong Speu, which is halfway between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville Port, the main deep-sea port for imports and exports in the nation. The port will operate under the name Warehouse One Enterprise Co., Ltd.
The dry port will increase the capacity for customs clearance, improve cargo flow between ships and important land transportation networks, and lessen congestion at the seaport.
A crucial aspect of the new facilities is that they will increase FWF’s current cold-chain capabilities, which are an essential but underdeveloped part of effective logistics in Cambodia.
The agribusiness, food, and import sectors of the economy will be supported, among others, by FWF cold chain facilities and refrigerated transportation assets.
By using the best environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, FWF is also committed to creating a sustainable and compliant business.
ESG advancement will therefore continue to be essential to the business in its upcoming phase of growth, driven by the desire to make a difference.
“We agreed to build a long-term partnership and relationship. EMIA’s expertise will prove invaluable to us as our company graduates to the next stage and transforms our family business into a more international standard corporation,
“We are also impressed by EMIA’s commitment to investees’ development journey in both commercial and ESG aspects,” said FWF Founder and Chief Executive Officer Lim Hor Poth.
He claims that FWF will implement strong E&S management systems, stakeholder engagement plans, and formal grievance mechanisms, promote transparency, ethical behavior, and the empowerment of staff and stakeholders, and address environmental and climate challenges, as well as social inclusivity, gender equality, and human rights.
The core logistical infrastructure in Cambodia, such as the cold storage and dry port facilities, offers tremendous opportunity for growth, according to EMIA Chief Investment Officer and FWF Deal Leader Mao Savin.
He claimed that this was made possible in particular by the expanding import and export of goods like high-end food products, pharmaceuticals, and products from sophisticated agriculture, as well as Cambodia’s desire to modernize its industrial structure and shift from a labor-intensive to a skilled-based one.
“We look forward to working even more closely with FWF’s team to further develop FWF’s businesses to achieve its ambitious plans,” he said.
Lim Hor Poth, a seasoned logistics expert in Cambodia, founded FWF, a full-service logistics business, in 1998.
The company’s main operations include managing project shipments, customs clearance, and vendor consolidation.
In order to cover Cambodia’s four main logistical hubs—the ports of Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh, Bavet (on the border with Vietnam), and Poipet (on the border with Thailand)—FWF currently maintains five offices in Cambodia and one in Vietnam.
