With a renewed perspective and desire to better serve its partners and customers, in 1999, DPO International established its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Over the next two decades, it solidified its position as a leading food distribution company in the region with the setting up of local sales and distribution hubs in 24 locations across 7 countries. This effectively allowed the company to penetrate deep into local communities, thus making these markets more accessible than ever before for its foreign partners. Seeing the need to provide partners and customers with a more holistic experience, DPO International has gradually evolved from a simple food importer into a full-fledged food distributor. The company’s ability to offer value-added services broadened, from regulatory advice to recipe innovation, marketing and promotions, warehousing facilities as well as last mile delivery.

As DPO International’s coverage grew both geographically and in the range of capabilities, there was a need for better systems to streamline daily operations in order to make them more effective and efficient. Driven by this necessity, the company’s ICT Division was expanded to provide a more extensive range of expertise. The goal was to have a fully capable in-house technological support. This eventually led to the internally developed proprietary management systems for its logistics operations – the Order Management System (OMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), and Distribution Management System (DMS). Spreading its reach into new areas, DPO International established its first commercial kitchen in Kuala Lumpur in 2017 which successively gained the HACCP certification in 2020. Consequently, this also allowed the company to expand its offerings including food product repackaging, customizations, and innovations. The success of this led to subsequent commercial kitchens being set up in Penang and Jakarta.
To cater to a wider customer base, particularly the end consumers, two in-house brands were born. These include BIGbox Asia, an online grocery store in 2015, and Foodcraft, a food brand in 2018. Following that, in 2021, the company successfully acquired De Sunshine Foods (M) Sdn. Bhd., a leading distributor for the foodservice sector that had a strong foothold in the northern region of Malaysia. As a result, DPO International was able to connect to consumers on a deeper level, thus echoing its core value of being committed to the communities it serves. 2021 also marked one of the best performing years for the entire group, achieving the highest annual revenue in the company’s history.

After an illustrious 30-year journey, DPO International has certainly made its mark in the Asian food industry. Having faced two economic crises, overcoming an international health catastrophe and rising above a global pandemic, the company now turns to the future with a fervent spirit.
The company has developed a deep understanding of the local markets, a sound business process and a far-reaching network. With that combination on its back, DPO International now moves forward with the goal to reach and connect with more people through the basic human necessity – Food!