Page 22 - From Zero To Hero

22 | fromzerotohero
Langkawi (Kedah), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), Labuan
and Kuching (Sarawak).
Movingforwardfromthe80s,DRGroupacquired
a factory in Batu Tiga, Selangor where it formed a
platform for their original equipment manufactur-
ing (OEM) activities. Prior to this, DR Group ac-
tivelyworkedwithrepackagingavarietyofproducts,
chocolatesincluded.Truetotheirnatureofensuring
clients with quality and a service of excellence, the
companymanaged tocloseadealwithVanHouten,
anexclusivecocoamanufacturerinAmsterdam.This
formed a solid base for the company to learn and
experience first-hand, all that was needed to run a
successful chocolatemaking factory.
Quality assurance and consistency, tied with
a certain discipline were key factors that allowed
many global brands to work with DR Group. Some
well-known names the company manufactures for
– includeMorinaga (Japan) andNestle. To support
their growing business and chocolate demands,
DRGroup invests a significant sum in research and
development to ensure all their processes and tech-
nologies are up to par with industry expectations.
Besides this, all necessary certifications and
accreditations were in place early in the business,
ensuring that the company was ready for interna-
tional penetration. Among certifications obtained
includeGMP, Halal, ISO9001 and ISO20000:2005
andHACCP certifications.
Thecompanyalsoinvestedinautomatedmachin-
ery to ensure unparalleled consistency and quality
of their chocolates. Shifting from semi-automated
tofully-automatedmachineryrequiredasignificant
amountof capital, all ofwhichwas inplace toensure
less room formistakes.
The firm is proud to have pioneered the concept
of chocolate boutiques in the country, being the
first to be brave enough to venture into this area
of the business. Looking back, they have definitely
been trendsetters in the region. As such, DRGroup
caused a lot of ripples in the market, particularly
with regards to its innovativemarketing campaign.
DR Group’s hard work and meticulous efforts
did not go unnoticed as the firm has won a range
of awards over the years. Their exclusive brand,
Fidani, has wonMost Innovative Chocolate by the
Malaysian Cocoa Board, the Best Manufacturer
(2004)–MalaysianCocoaBoardandMostIngenious
Packaging by the International Halal Showcase
(MIHAS) for three years (2007, 2008 and 2010).
Other prestigious awards include the 2011
Duty Free News International Award for Best New
ConfectioneryandFineFoodStore, 2009DutyFree
News International award forBestMarketingCam-
paign (Confectionery and Fine Food) throughout
the World, 2007 Malaysia Tourism Award for Best
Speciality Shop andmany others.
PROGRESSING FURTHER
Leveraging on MATRADE trade missions and
exhibitionshasbeenkeyinensuringasteadystream
of overseas business for the company.
Dato’ Dahlan Rashid, GroupManaging Director
and Founder of DR Group speaks highly of the
assistance renderedbySMECorpandothergovern-
ment agencies for equipment andmachinerywhen
the business was in its infant stages.
Dahlan views MATRADE as an agency that
is necessary and crucial for entrepreneurs in the
Scenes at the satellite duty-free outlets owned by DR Group Holdings Sdn Bhd