Japanese food group Umios has completed a US$77.5 million investment that gives it control of Malaysia’s Pet World International, and separately bought 25.1% of Thailand’s Pataya Food Group, assembling a Southeast Asian pet food platform in two transactions announced this week.
Executive Summary. Umios Corporation (TSE Prime: 1333, formerly Maruha Nichiro) invested approximately JPY 11.4 billion (US$77.5 million) through a newly established holding company to acquire 51% of Pet World International (PWI), Malaysia’s second-largest pet food manufacturer, in a joint venture with Wah Kong Corporation. The group also took a 25.1% stake in Thailand’s Pataya Food Group with a board seat. Umios targets roughly JPY 10 billion in pet food operating profit and an 18% return on invested capital by the fiscal year ending March 2028.
- Buyer
- Umios Corporation (TSE Prime: 1333; formerly Maruha Nichiro), Tokyo — 2025 group revenue approximately US$7.34 billion
- Target
- Pet World International Sdn. Bhd. (PWI), Malaysia — No. 2 in the Malaysia pet food market and No. 1 among local companies (NielsenIQ)
- Deal size
- Approximately JPY 11.4 billion (US$77.5 million) for 51%, via a newly established holding company
- Second investment
- 25.1% of Pataya Food Group (Thailand), terms undisclosed, with a Umios board seat
- Category
- Dog food manufacturer companies with wet- and dry-food capability, across dogs and cats, in one platform
- Seller partner
- Wah Kong Corporation; PWI CEO and shareholder Choy Peng Yew continues to lead the business
- Financial role
- Japan Corporate Advisory Institute (JCAI) advised on strategy, valuation, negotiation and documentation
- PWI profile
- Only BRC-certified pet food plant in Malaysia; ~350 employees; 10,000+ stores plus own e-commerce; sales of approximately JPY 12.4 billion (US$84.3 million) in the year ended September 2025
- Targets
- Pet food operating profit of approximately JPY 10 billion and ROIC of 18% by FY ending March 2028; PWI consolidated in Q2 of FY-March-2027
What Happened
Umios and Wah Kong Corporation completed the establishment of a strategic joint venture centered on PWI on 9 October 2026, with Umios paying roughly JPY 11.4 billion for a 51% interest. The deal was announced through Business Wire and detailed to trade press the same week. In parallel, Umios confirmed it had acquired a 25.1% stake in Pataya Food Group, a Thai seafood and pet food manufacturer whose 2025 revenue was approximately US$220 million and whose pet brands include Regalos and Remy.
PWI is not a small local brand. It holds the number-two position in Malaysia’s pet food market and ranks first among domestic companies according to NielsenIQ, operates the country’s only BRC-certified pet food plant, and sells through more than 10,000 physical stores alongside its own e-commerce channels. Its consolidated sales reached approximately JPY 12.4 billion in the fiscal year ended September 2025.
Background: from seafood trader to pet food manufacturer
Umios, the former Maruha Nichiro, has spent more than 145 years in fisheries, aquaculture and food processing and operates in over 70 countries. Pet food sits inside its fine chemicals and overseas strategy units, where the group already runs AIXIA, a Japanese wet pet food brand. The PWI transaction marks Umios’ first large-scale move into dog food, extending an existing wet-food franchise into dry formats for both dogs and cats.
Umios told GlobalPETS the Malaysian plant is expected to become one of the major manufacturing hubs for its pet food business, and that applied research on extending pets’ healthy lifespans — including DHA-based kidney support products — will run at PWI. The group plans to use AIXIA’s sales channels to carry PWI product into East Asian markets where it currently has no presence.
Industry Context
Global protein majors have been buying into pet food rather than building it, because the category rewards brand trust and manufacturing certification that take years to accumulate. A company searching the market for a pet food manufacturer with export-grade credentials will find few assets in Southeast Asia comparable to a BRC-certified plant with an established local share. The Pataya stake gives Umios a second production and brand platform in Thailand, where PFG’s own targeting of 10% average annual growth over the next three years signals continued investment in higher-value processed categories.
Market & Business Impact
For suppliers and co-packers, the deal changes the regional OEM map. Malaysia gains a Japanese-capital manufacturing hub aimed at both domestic share and export, and the pet market southeast asia gets a consolidated player with wet- and dry-food capability across dogs and cats. In the pet market japan, AIXIA’s channels give PWI products a ready-made route to East Asian consumers. Companies that position themselves as dog food manufacturer companies for private-label programs in ASEAN will now compete against a better-capitalized incumbent, and the region’s dry pet food brand directory listings — the shortlists retail buyers work from — gain a heavyweight entrant with deeper R&D resources.
Companies & Brands Involved
Umios Corporation (TSE Prime: 1333, formerly Maruha Nichiro) — acquirer. Pet World International Sdn. Bhd. — Malaysian target, 51%. Wah Kong Corporation — PWI shareholder and JV partner. Pataya Food Group — 25.1% stake; brands Nautilus, Mongkut Talay, Sea Crown, Regalos and Remy. AIXIA — Umios’ pet food subsidiary and distribution channel. Japan Corporate Advisory Institute (JCAI) — financial advisor.
Data & Evidence
Deal value: JPY 11.4 billion (US$77.5 million) for 51% of PWI, per the Business Wire release. PFG revenue: approximately US$220 million in 2025, per GlobalPETS. PWI sales: approximately JPY 12.4 billion in the year ended September 2025, per the release. Market positions: NielsenIQ, as cited by Umios. Profitability targets: approximately JPY 10 billion operating income and 18% ROIC by FY-March-2028, per Umios.
What This Means
Umios is buying manufacturing certification, local market share and distribution in a single transaction — assets that would take a greenfield entrant five to ten years to replicate. The sequencing matters: consolidate production in Malaysia, add optionality in Thailand, then push brands through AIXIA into East Asia. Competitors in ASEAN co-manufacturing should expect sharper pricing on long-run wet and dry contracts from FY-2027 onward.
Key Takeaways
- Umios paid about JPY 11.4 billion (US$77.5 million) for 51% of Malaysia’s Pet World International, the country’s top local pet food maker.
- The same week, Umios took a 25.1% stake in Thailand’s Pataya Food Group, which reported about US$220 million revenue in 2025.
- PWI operates Malaysia’s only BRC-certified pet food plant and will become a major Umios manufacturing hub.
- Umios targets roughly JPY 10 billion pet food operating profit and 18% ROIC by the fiscal year ending March 2028.
- AIXIA’s Japanese and East Asian sales channels will carry PWI product into markets where Umios has no current presence.
FAQ
What did Umios acquire in Malaysia?
Umios acquired a 51% stake in Pet World International Sdn. Bhd. for approximately JPY 11.4 billion (US$77.5 million) through a newly established holding company, forming a strategic joint venture with Wah Kong Corporation, which retains the minority position.
Why does the Pet World International plant matter?
PWI operates the only BRC-certified pet food plant in Malaysia, ranks second in the national market and first among local companies according to NielsenIQ, and sells through more than 10,000 stores plus its own e-commerce channels — credentials that make the site usable as an export hub immediately.
What is the Pataya Food Group investment?
Umios bought 25.1% of the Thai manufacturer and joined its board. Terms were not disclosed. PFG generated about US$220 million in 2025 revenue and owns pet food brands Regalos and Remy alongside seafood brands.
What are Umios’ financial targets?
The group expects its pet food business to generate approximately JPY 10 billion in operating income and an 18% return on invested capital by the fiscal year ending March 2028, with PWi consolidated from Q2 of FY-March-2027.
Sources
- Primary — Business Wire, “Umios and Wah Kong Complete Strategic Pet Food Joint Venture in Southeast Asia”, https://www.businesswirechina.com/en/news/64184.html, 2026-10-09
- Secondary — GlobalPETS, “Japanese seafood group Umios ramps up pet food expansion across Asia”, https://globalpetindustry.com/news/japanese-seafood-group-umios-ramps-up-pet-food-expansion-across-asia, 2026-10-09
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