AVING News interviewed Lee Min-young, the CEO of Iga, which participated in the MIK HOT SPOT (Made in Korea Online Exhibition) Local Economy Stimulating Project.
Dry Series Duck Tenderloin
Q. Please introduce your company.
A. Iga started the business in 1999 after
confirming the growth potential of the group catering market expansion. I
started the pet food business because I felt the need for creating a new
market, and when I started the pet food business, the domestic pet food market
was dominated by Chinese products. Excluding four to five Korean manufacturers,
the industry was mostly homemade and was inferior. We thought we could succeed
if we manufacture food that is hygienic and safe, so according to the market
research, we started the pet food business in 2018.
Through many trials and errors, we have
reached the technological level that maintains the flavor of raw materials and
secures the shelf life without using additives, and we have produced products
that are recognized in the market.
Dry Series Duck Neck Bone
Q. Please tell us about your major products and system.
A. The main products are three dry series
(chicken breast, duck tenderloin, duck neck bone), three vegetable stick series
(maqui berry, spinach, sweet pumpkin), and three moist series (blueberry, red
quinoa, carrot).
We have specially designed large-capacity
dryers, autoclaves capable of sterilization, metal detectors, cutting machines,
and raw material blenders. Specially-made dryers can supply moisture to raw
materials while performing hot air drying, so you can produce products that are
crispy yet maintains the luster of raw materials compared to other products.
Moisture Series
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. Through continuous R&D, we succeeded
in experimental production of Turkey Chew, which is really popular globally,
and terrine, cooked food drawing interest from the consumers, and they are
about to be launched. We can manufacture the semi-dried seafood products for
cats on order, and we can produce more products in dry and moist series by
expanding the raw materials.
Vegetable Stick Series Spinach
Q. Direction sought by the company
A. As the company that specializes in
school meal products, we take making food with no additives added to the raw
material as the first priority. Also, with the HACCP certification, we are
producing safer products hygienically. Our products safely produced by using
the best raw materials for your loved ones will be your best choice.
We aim to become a company that satisfies the happy consumption of consumers through the satisfaction of pets that are like a second family to us, by producing safe products at reasonable prices that can replace products that are cheap but low quality and too expensive. We aim to become the number one pet food company in Korea. Also, as our company grows, I want to share the growth with my staff.
Vegetable Stick Series Sweet Pumpkin
The Local Economy Stimulating Project from
Daegu, which supported companies participating in the MIK HOT SPOT (Made in
Korea Online Exhibition) is running as a major national project for balanced
national development. The Local Economy Stimulating Project had been running
since last year to solve the industrial crisis and revitalize the industrial
ecosystem.
Especially this year, to support SMEs in
Daegu that are directly hit by COVID-19 and to overcome the local economic
downturn, two areas (automotive parts, cosmetics, and food) in Daegu were
additionally selected to receive 12 billion won of national expenditure for
each project for two years. Daegu is expected to prepare 4.1 billion for the
supplementary budget.
The global news network AVING News has
begun holding the MIK HOT SPOT (Made in Korea Online Exhibition) to help small
and medium-sized companies enter the market and attract investment 365 days a
year. AVING News has been running online exhibitions since 2005 and had 975
online exhibitions so far. Its YouTube online exhibition has placed itself as
Korea's largest online exhibition hall that opens with 19,000 videos (booths)
with more than 800,000 visits per month which means more than 10 million visits
per year.
The MIK HOT SPOT online exhibition is
scheduled to be held regularly according to the field, target market, and
participating institutions, and it will be presented as a new type of online
business by transforming the know-hows and values of the participating
companies according to the trend. Companies that want to participate can apply
and apply through the marketing support projects from supporting institutions
in the local governments. Refer to the institutions for more information.
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