“Transforming UBE: Sureeyot Kousurat’s Mission to Turn Ethanol and Starch Business into FoodTech”

Getting to know Sureeyot Kousurat
Former UBE CEO
with the mission to transform the business…to FoodTech

Have the opportunity to meet the CEO of UBE or Ubon Bio Ethanol Public Company Limited. Sureeyot Kousurat Chief Executive Officer And the President said that they were both amazed and impressed. With the personality of the new CEO, friendly, energetic and has the body (knowledge) to take responsibility for management positions from a young age. and was also selected as President of the Tapioca Atanal Association as well

Khun Sureeyot or Nun, a talented young woman of the third age, second generation heir, daughter Mr. Sittichai Kowsurat Former Deputy Minister of Interior and Mrs. Saisunee Khuhakan humble when complimented Bring success to the whole team. “Because there is a good team. and being lucky to learn work together with parents Always take it with you to learn how to work get to know adults in the trade industry I have learned how to welcome and take care of adult guests, called on the job training since I was a child since I can remember.”
Khun Nun has been involved with business since birth. With Agong running a gas station business that Ubon Ratchathani Province, the brand of 3 military pumps is now the PTT gas station. doing construction business And come to break up the ethanol-starch business In an era when the government promotes alternative energy “ethanol” to solve the problem of high oil prices and to support agricultural crops Raise the price up

“My father always had ideas. I want to do here and there when the government promotes alternative energy Ethanol was popular at that time. therefore encouraging Ubon Ratchathani farmers who mainly grow rice to grow cassava instead Supplying output to companies with starch and ethanol plants Make a contract farming model. Currently, there is an area to grow it in Ubon Ratchathani province, about 5-6 hundred thousand rai that do contract farming.

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The company has been established since 2006, with Khun Nun having been involved since the establishment. But just came into full management as MD, the company completed a year on April 1st. Tell the company’s direction from now on will focus on 2 main businesses, namely ethanol and starch. have a similar proportion of income “Ethanol” Around 3,500-4,000 million baht. “Pang” is almost 3,000 million baht. Total income is about 7,000 million baht per year.

“After listing the company on the stock exchange Investors see us as the energy sector, but we want to switch ourselves to the food sector, aiming to transform into food tech in the next 3 years.”

The plan is to make cassava grow bigger. Making more premium organic flour make new products that comes out as a retail by studying to make a line group Like pasta, there are no calories. It is considered an innovation of starch that can be done in a variety of food, industrial and cosmetic areas. The company has a research and development team. And including doing M&A (mergers) which started talking with partners from abroad, including Japan, the United States and Asian countries. to enhance technology know-how Including helping to expand more global markets

“Aim to transform Because I don’t want to be just an ordinary flour mill. At present, the competition is high and fluctuating. It’s tiring. Therefore, we want to convert to something that is high value more.” Khun Nun reiterated the business direction of the company that will continue to move forward. At present, half of the flour mill’s production capacity has done what he said. is converted to high value like a brand “Tasuko” It is considered the first owner in Thailand to make Concept Powder Organic Flour as a premium brand product that is good for health. And the other half is trying to change the normal flour to all organic flour. Modify is a clean label for health lovers. Ethanol is still possible and will continue to grow. look to the future SAF industry (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) or the aviation industry Bioplastics is a clean fuel for airplanes. “I am pushing this matter to the Ethanol Association. There are many sectors involved, including FTI, because at present, Europe requires airlines flying to Europe to use clean fuel. Global trends in many countries will be more applicable. while Thailand has not yet started this story Because it still focuses on the policy to support electric cars or EVs, it can be said that UBE’s business will be all future businesses.”

Therefore, this year’s plan is still focusing on tapioca flour “Tasuko”, a new brand. who do research with universities to improve qualifications for the better sent to the 7-Eleven store in March to make Tasuko Organic Potato Powder more tangible after launching in 2021, including setting a market budget to create wider market awareness through cooking programs such as celebrities
Chefs and the 12 Chefs campaign follow the chef’s recipe by using Tasuko raw materials, as well as expanding the tapioca flour factory with a capacity of 100 tons per day, which is considered the largest in the country. to support the health lovers market Because it’s a gluten-free flour.

Cutting-edge ideas are emerging, not just beginning. But Khun Nun had ideas and had done many things before, for example, conducting R&D with PTT Innovation Institute on ethanol about 4-5 years ago when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred. Thai strains of yeast developed together were brought to produce alcohol. At that time, there was a high demand for protection against the COVID virus. Help save production costs. Makes it available at a much cheaper price because it does not have to be imported from abroad and also get better quality

In addition, it is a fully integrated zero waste model factory with many agencies and institutions. Contact for continuous work in utilizing waste management to complete the loop “on an area of ​​2,061 rai of the factory, commencing zero waste operations since 2006 in a jigsaw puzzle style. Make a wastewater treatment system to bring clean water back to use on the villagers’ crop fields. Tapioca residue from the flour mill will go into the pond to produce biogas. get power for factory boiler Reduced the cost of importing teak wood for burning by 30% and was able to sell 9 MW of electricity. or waste from cassava chips, used to make fertilizer, make animal feed, have solar, floating, etc.

“From zero waste to becoming a circular economy, we have been doing this for a long time. Or disruption, we have been working on Cashless since 2015. Both Zero waste and Cashless have done and successfully pushed before the government seriously pushed until today, there is no cash payment here. Farmers who contract with us will receive money transferred into their accounts within 30 minutes of selling their cassava. or the slowest within one day

or if Thailand is entering an aging society Khun Nun had already thought about this issue, which would be a shortage of raw materials in the future. If the parents of the farmers retired Will the child’s generation still be a farmer? Therefore, a project was born to raise the generation of children to become heroes, creating a camp to bring young people back to help their parents grow organic potatoes. but to the end Khun Nun admits that in the future, machines, robots will inevitably have to replace humans!!

Answered eloquently in all matters. I can’t help but wonder if I planned my studies for this or not. heard answer not as you think Nun plans to live in Australia after graduation. therefore choosing to study at a faculty that can work in Australia but was called back to work at home Therefore decided to study MBA at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn University. After coming to work at home for 2 years to increase management knowledge This was the moment that Ubon Bio Ethanol Public Company Limited was established.

“I never thought that I would have to deal with cassava. didn’t know about it before Ask if there is a problem There is already a problem at work, solve it if you are tired of work. To recharge myself is to travel and eat, including traveling abroad. scouting for food Traveling in the forest, trekking, is liberating.”

Although it is something that the person has not chosen to do. but Khun Nun said What I do now becomes what I like. “The work that is being done today Doing it is fun doing it. Is someone who likes to do new things Probably heredity. Workaholic is in ‘DNA’. I have seen my parents working since childhood.”

Therefore, the challenging mission of transforming UBE from the energy business sector to “Food Tech” may not be too far from CEO “Nun”.

Kesmanee Nanrattanapong