Pulmuone
Pulmuone Co., Ltd. (Korean: 풀무원) (KRX: 017810) is a South Korean company that produces plant-based foods such as tofu and soybean sprouts. It was founded in 1981, is based in Seoul, South Korea and sells its products both within Korea as well as internationally. The company provided major funding for the establishment of the Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul in 1986.[1]
Type | Public |
---|---|
Industry | Food |
Founded | 1981 |
Headquarters | , South Korea |
Products | Plant-based foods |
Website | pulmuone.co.kr |
History
The company was founded by Won Kyung Sun as a small vegetable store. There is a subsidiary in the United States, called Pulmuone Wildwood, Inc., with offices in Fullerton, California, Watsonville, California, San Rafael, California, Grinnell, Iowa, and Tappan, New York.
In 2016, the company acquired Vitasoy USA,[2] which included Nasoya Foods, Inc. Nasoya was founded in Leominster, Massachusetts in 1977 and produces Nayonaise.[3]
As of 2019, Pulmuone produces pet food for Amio Organic Senior, Organic Farmer's Dut, Skin & Beauty, Slim Up, Organic Farmer's Puff, Supermilk, Legacy Chicken, and Calcium Chicken Chest.[4]
In 2021, Pulmuone declared a "specialized vegetable food company".[5] It plans to minimize the use of meat for the global environment and provide food that uses only vegetable ingredients.[5] Pulmuone has been running the PPM division since 2020, a research division dedicated to plant proteins. Based on this, it will establish a three-stage mid- to long-term road map by 2023 to introduce plant-oriented new products sequentially.[5]
In addition, Pulmuone's overseas subsidiaries have established roadmaps to release vegetable-oriented products. Pulmuone USA, a U.S. corporation, is the market leader with the largest market share in the U.S. tofu market (75%).[5]
Following Pulmuone LOHAS Market ORGA Wholefood's Bangi branch, a total of four stores, including ORGA Banpo Branch, By ORGA Ahyeon New Town Branch, Jeju English Village Branch and Jeju Island Branch, have been newly designated as "green specialty stores."[6] Green specialty stores are green stores designated by the Korean government's Ministry of Environment that minimize the use of plastic containers and plastic bags.[6]
In 2021, it won the 15th Korea Packaging Contest, an eco-friendly salad container.[7]
Pulmuone signed a business agreement with the preparatory planning team for the 2021 P4G summit in South Korea to promote mutual public relations cooperation.[8]
Products
The company sells products under the brand names Pulmuone, Chan-ma-ru, Saeng-ga-deuck, and Soga. In addition to soybean products, it also sells fresh noodles, dumplings, eggs, kimchi, mushrooms, laver, pastes and sauces, desserts, frozen foods, soups, and juices.
Tofu-myeon KIT (packaged product with sauce that can be mixed with tofu noodles), cube tofu, and tofu bar, which are home-style snacks that replace flour, were released.[9] The cumulative sales of tofu noodles surpassed 5 million in just one year since its launch.[10] It has become popular with consumers who want to cut down on carbohydrates.[10] Pulmuone has also expanded its tofu noodle production line.[10]
Pulmuone introduced a vegetable meat product that emphasized the texture of meat for the first time.[11] Other alternative meat products include tofu tender, which replaces chicken, and tofu crumble rice sauce.[9]
The company quickly jumped to second place in sales by introducing the thinnest dumpling on the market.[12]
Pulmuone Foods challenged the ramen market with 'Nature is Delicious' in 2011 and failed.[13] However, Pulmuone, which challenged the ramen market again, released unfried ramen and sold more than 10 million bags in March 2020.[13]
It released a new product with Barilla, an Italian pasta brand.[14]
It's Protein, a protein drink, sold more than 1 million bottles in just three months.[15] The product contains 15g of protein based on a bottle of 260ml product and 400 mg of calcium, or 57% of the daily nutrients.[15]
Pulmuone entered the baby food market by releasing 12 types of baby food that can be stored at room temperature.[16]
Plant-based Activia is a vegan-certified alternative yogurt made from coconut instead of milk.[17]
Pulmuone introduced a high-protein tofu product that makes it easy to enjoy representative vegetable protein food tofu.[18]
Sales
It recorded 2.31 trillion KRW in sales and 45.9 billion KRW in operating profit in 2020. Although its sales decreased by 2.9%, its operating profit grew by 50% at 45.9 billion KRW. Net profit was 14.3 billion KRW of deficit in 2019 but it shifted to $7.5 billion to surplus in 2020.[12]
References
- 풀무원 김치박물관에 오신 것을 환영합니다
- "Pulmuone taking over Vitasoy USA". Dairy Reporter. 2016-03-29. Archived from the original on 2020-04-22. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
- Shurtleff, WHistory of Soymilk and Other Non-Dairy Milks (1226-2013)...", by William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi; Soyinfo Center; 2009, p. 1838.
- "식품업계, 블루오션 '펫푸드' 1조 시장..앞다퉈 뛰어들어". 데일리팝 (in Korean). 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
- "풀무원, 웰빙·환경에 '식물성 전문기업' 선언" [Pulmuone declares 'vegetable enterprise' in well-being and environment]. 천지일보 - 새 시대 희망언론 (in Korean). 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
- "풀무원 올가홀푸드, 4개 매장 '녹색특화매장' 추가" [Pulmuone Allga Hole Food, 4 stores added "Green Specialized Stores"]. 뉴스1 (in Korean). 2021-05-28. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- "풀무원, 친환경 샐러드 용기 '제15회 대한민국 패키징 대전' 수상" [Pulmuone wins '15th Korea Packaging Contest' in eco-friendly salad container]. 아시아경제 (in Korean). 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- "풀무원, 탄소중립 비전 실현 위한 MOU 체결" [Pulmuone signs MOU to realize carbon neutral vision]. 이투데이 (in Korean). 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- ""식물성 식품 기업" 선언 풀무원, 비건 제품 강화" [Declaration of "Plant Food Companies" Pulmuone Strengthens Vegan Products]. hankyung.com (in Korean). 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
- "풀무원, '두부면' 출시 1년만에 판매량 500만개 돌파" [Pulmuone sold more than 5 million tofu noodles in just one year.]. 이코노믹리뷰 (in Korean). 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
- "진짜 치킨 맛…풀무원 '두부텐더'" [Real chicken flavor...Pulmuone Tofu Tender.]. hankyung.com (in Korean). 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
- "美·中·日 법인 폭풍 성장… 풀무원, 올해 매출 3조 넘을까" [Big growth in overseas subsidiaries.]. 뉴데일리. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
- "핫한 라면시장, 풀무원 재도전…" [Hot ramen market, Pulmuone re-challenge...]. 식품외식경제 (in Korean). 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-06-04.
- 동효정 (2021-06-06). "풀무원, 이탈리아 파스타 브랜드 바릴라와 신제품 출시" [Pulmuone, launching new products and Italian pasta brand, or we will bari]. 스포츠서울. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- "식품업계 '단백질 바람' 무섭다" [Protein wind in the food industry is scary.]. 글로벌이코노믹 (in Korean). 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- 황상욱 기자. "풀무원녹즙, 상온 이유식 시장 진출…12종 선보여" [Pulmuone Green Juice, Entering the Baby Food Market at Room Temperature...Show 12 different types.]. 부산일보 (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- "풀무원다논, "MZ세대 호응 얻는 요거트 3종으로 시장 트렌드 선도"" [Pulmuone Danone, "yogurt market trends in the three leading to get response generation mz"]. 소비자가 만드는 신문 (in Korean). 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- "풀무원, 식물성 단백질 '고단백 큐브두부' 출시" [Pulmuone Launches Vegetable Protein High Protein Cube Tofu]. 아시아경제 (in Korean). 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-06-09.