Magnolia Inc. is one of the largest dairy companies in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc. The company comprises over 90% of the non-refrigerated margarine market and over 80% of refrigerated margarine market in the Philippines.
History
Magnolia, Inc. was established in 1981 when San Miguel Corporationspun off its butter, margarine and processed cheese assets into a joint-venture with New Zealand Dairy Board, forming Philippine Dairy Products Corporation. The company was a business unit of SMC's Magnolia Division and engaged in the manufacture of butter, margarine and processed cheese. Its production facility was the Magnolia Dairy Products Plant on Aurora Boulevard. The Aurora Boulevard plant remained as its production facility until 2000 when it transferred to a new facility in General Trias, Cavite. In 1994, PDPC acquired the margarine brands Star Margarine and Dari Creme from Procter & Gamble Philippines, Inc.. In 1996, SMC spun off its ice cream and milk business into a joint-venture with Nestlé, forming Magnolia-Nestlé Corporation. The Aurora Boulevard property remained under the ownership of SMC and served as the venture's main production facility and site of its ice cream parlor. After SMC withdrew from the venture in 1998, albeit still owning the property, Nestlé Philippines continued with the business under the Nestlé brand name. PDPC and Nestlé’s ice cream production was gradually transferred a new facility in General Trias, Cavite. By 1999, Nestlé ceased ice cream production operations in the Aurora Boulevard facility. In 2008, SMC sold the Aurora Boulevard property to Robinsons Land Corporation, a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, Inc. News reports cited that the property was sold reportedly in the amount of P1.6 billion. The property was developed by RLC into a mall and residential condominiums. One of the mall’s first establishments was a Magnolia-franchised ice cream parlor named Magnolia Flavor House, which operated from 2012 to 2017, as a fitting homage to the property’s roots. In July 2002, SMC gained full ownership of the company after NZDB divested its stake. With this, the company name was changed to Magnolia, Inc. and became a subsidiary of San Miguel Pure Foods Company, the corporate parent for the entire food and beverage portfolio of SMC. Magnolia, Inc. has since diversified from the manufacture of butter, margarine and processed cheese, to include jelly snacks, cooking oil, salad aids and the revived Magnolia ice cream and milk products.
The plant facility located along Aurora Boulevard, Quezon City was inaugurated in 1970 by SMC as the Magnolia Dairy Products Plant, producing ice cream, milk, butter, margarine and processed cheese. The property where the plant stood was owned by SMC. When the plant closed, the property was sold to Robinson's Malls.
