Captain's Call

Chair and president of Srithai Superware Sanan Ngubolkul has steered the company over nearly four decades to its position as the largest melamine manufacturer in the world. He is determined to see it carry on with new young blood at the helm.

- Steve Crowe

IN FOCUS

NAME: Sanan Angubolkul

COMPANY: Srithai Superware

POSITION: Chair & President

LOCATION: Bangkok, Thailand

Not often do seasoned executives suggest that they hire young people to learn from them. But Sanan Angubolkul is happy to concede that clever young people are the way forward for Srithai Superware, the company he presides over. “I believe that capable young people who work for me make me cleverer,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “We like to be really flexible and work with young people. That is why I was the Chair of Young President’s Organization (YPO) Thailand Chapter and YPO Asia-Australia-Pacific Area Vice President.”

Srithai Superware started out as Industrial Partnership Limited Srithai Plastic, founded by Sumit Lertsumitkul in 1963 to manufacture plastic household products. Its name was changed to Srithai Superware Industry Limited Partnership in 1972, when it took on the manufacture of melamine tableware products and employed Sanan as factory manager. It is now the largest manufacturer of melamine products in the world, and exports a vast range of products to 110 countries.

In 2020, Srithai Superware split off its melamine business to Korat Thai Tech, a wholly owned subsidiary. Since August last year, Srithai has focused on plastic products, while Korat Thai Tech has concentrated on melamine products.

The company’s products reach across the spectrum of plastic products for food and beverages, rigid packaging, materials handling, waste containers and bins, tableware, lifestyle products, and commercial products for restaurants, hotels, offices and factories.