HeveaConnect gains traction with new investor and adoption by leading natural rubber suppliers.
- ITOCHU Corporation of Japan plans to invest in HeveaConnect.
- PT. Aneka Bumi Pratama of Indonesia and Von Bundit Co., Ltd. of Thailand to adopt HEVEAPRO standards and sell on HeveaConnect.
SINGAPORE, 22 February 2019 – HeveaConnect announced today that one of Japan’s largest trading companies, ITOCHU Corporation of Japan (ITOCHU), plans to invest into HeveaConnect. ITOCHU will join the region’s largest bank, DBS Bank Ltd (DBS) and Halcyon Agri Corporation Ltd (Halcyon Agri), the world’s leading natural rubber supply chain manager, as key partners of the platform for sustainable natural rubber, affirming their commitment to the long-term sustainability of the supply chain.
Mr Takahashi Yasuhiro, General Manager of ITOCHU added “We are glad to join HeveaConnect as a shareholder. We aim to make HeveaConnect the global platform for all stakeholders together with Halcyon Agri and DBS.”
Mr Daniel Thong, Chief Executive Officer of HeveaConnect, said, “We are pleased to welcome ITOCHU to the shareholding family of HeveaConnect. Together with DBS and Halcyon Agri, the investments demonstrate their commitment to support the drive for an industry approach for sustainable natural rubber.”
PT. Aneka Bumi Pratama of Indonesia (ABP) a fully owned subsidiary of ITOCHU, will adopt HEVEAPRO as their standard for sustainable natural rubber production. HeveaConnect is also happy to announce another leading producer, Von Bundit Co., Ltd of Thailand (Von Bundit) has agreed to join the HeveaConnect platform. Together, these two market leaders in their respective countries will add more than 1 million metric tonnes in potential volume to the HeveaConnect platform and join Halcyon Agri as early adopters and licensees of the HEVEAPRO framework.
Mr Yajima Hisashi, President Director of ABP, said: “We are eager to adopt the HEVEAPRO standard and transact on the HeveaConnect platform as we believe that HeveaConnect will be a powerful engine to ensure the supply of sustainable natural rubber and benefit the stakeholders in its supply chain.”
Mr Bundit Kerdvongbundit, Vice President of Von Bundit, mentioned: “We are delighted to join HeveaConnect and adopt HEVEAPRO as the industrial standard for sustainable rubber production. We will be working closely with HeveaConnect to get our factories audited by TÜV SÜD so that we can start distributing HEVEAPRO rubber via the platform.”
Mr Gerald Tan, Director Commercial Development of HeveaConnect added: “The adoption of HEVEAPRO by ABP and Von Bundit marks a key moment in the development of HEVEAPRO as the leading industry standard for natural rubber producers. Together with Halcyon Agri, all three leading natural rubber franchises have committed to further develop HEVEAPRO as an industry standard for sustainable natural rubber production across all producing markets.”
HeveaConnect was incorporated in August 2018 with the goal of encouraging a global shift towards measurable sustainable rubber practices where all stakeholders will benefit, from farmers to producers and consumers and the end users. HeveaConnect is also working with several NGOs on solutions and market studies that will benefit farmers directly. Further updates will be announced shortly.
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About ITOCHU
ITOCHU Corporation, one of the leading sogo shosha with approximately 110 bases in 63 countries, is engaging in domestic trading, import/export, and overseas trading of various products such as textile, machinery, metals, minerals, energy, chemicals, food, general products, realty, information and communications technology, and finance, as well as business investment in Japan and overseas.
For more information, please visit https://www.itochu.co.jp/en/index.html.
About PT Aneka Bumi Pratama
ABP is a processing factory of natural rubber with a production capacity of 0.3 million metric tonnes per annum and owned 100% by ITOCHU Corporation. ABP owns 2 processing factories and 2 branches in South Sumatra, Indonesia and has about 2,000 employees.
About Von Bundit Co., Ltd.
Von Bundit was founded in 1987 and is the largest natural rubber manufacturer and exporter in Thailand, supplying high quality natural rubber to customers around the world through strategically located hi-tech factories. Von Bundit is a premium supplier who is approved by all the top tyre manufacturers. Von Bundit owns 6 factories with annual production capacity of about 1,842,000 metric tonnes and has a work force of about 6,000 people.
About HeveaConnect
HeveaConnect is a digital marketplace for sustainably processed natural rubber. It serves the natural rubber market with a one-stop shop and exclusive platform for farmers, producers, consumers as well as facilitators such as financial institutions, logistics and warehousing suppliers. Through HeveaConnect, natural rubber producers and consumers can track pricing, access information and transact directly on the platform. Other offerings provided include value-added services such as financing, insurance and logistics.
For more information, please visit www.heveaconnect.com.
Media Contact: info@heveaconnect.com