JITRAMAS TO FOCUS ON CHEF BOX GROWTH

       Jitramas Trading will focus more next year on its catering services and fostering brand awareness for its Chef Box ready-to-eat meals.
       Jitramas said premium services now accounted for Bt500 million of Thailand's Bt20-billion food-catering market.
       Sales and marketing director Wannadda Khorprasert yesterday said the firm would add three or four more distribution centres to the one it had now, for more efficient delivery of Chef Box ready-to-eat meals to corporate customers, seninars and conferences.
       Corporations, the main target group, will benefit from the recovery, and Chef Box and the company's Party Solutions catering unit can ride that to revenue growth, Wannadda said.
       The company began delivering Chef Box meals early this year.
       "We'll focus on raising brand awareness among corporate customers through public relations, the media and direct and telesales," she said.
       Jitramas is also negotiating with budget airlines to allow it to cater passengers' meal service. It already has Nok Air as a client.
       Wannadda said the company would also increase its meal service for Transport Co bus routes.
       Jitramas expects sales revenue of Bt450 million next year, up from a projected Bt350 million this year.
       However, some units have been affected by the economic slowdown.
       "Rice Station, our unit operating in food courts, has been affected by the slowdown," she said.
       Wannadda said the company would increase the proportion of domestic sales from 30 per cent to 40 per cent while cutting exports from 70 per cent to 60 per cent, in order to diversify risk.
       She said the firm should not rely too much on exports, because foreign markets fluctuated more. Jitramas exports frozen foods and seasoning sauces to Australia, Europe, the US and Canada.