| Chi Limited | |
| Founded: | 1980 |
| Industry: | Consumer Goods |
| Num Employees: | 2500 and indirect employment to an estimated 50,000 people throughout its value chain.[1] |
| Location City: | Lagos |
| Location Country: | Nigeria |
| Key People: | Cornelius Vink (Chairman) Rahul Savara (Group Managing Director) Eelco Weber (Managing Director) |
| Products: | Juices and Nectars, Milk and Yogurt Drinks and Snack Foods |
Chi Limited, incorporated in 1980, is a fast-moving consumer goods company that provides consumer products in the dairy, beverages, and snacks sectors. The company's headquarters are in Lagos, Nigeria, and it is primarily owned by The Coca-Cola Company.[2]
Chi Limited's major manufacturing facility is located in Lagos.[3] The flagship products of the firm are Capri-sonne and Chivita;[4] it holds the Nigerian license to market Caprisun.[5]
Incorporated in Nigeria in 1980 by Dutch entrepreneur Cornelis Vink, it began operations in March of the same year. The company became part of the Tropical General Investment (TGI) conglomerate, which has diverse business interests in food, healthcare, agriculture, engineering, and other industries.[6] The company began distribution of Capri Sonne in 1982, which later emerged as one of its flagship brands.[7] In 1990, it introduced CHI juice, which was originally sold in cans, but after a couple of years, it was packaged in Tetra Pak. In 1996, the firm introduced Chivita orange flavoured juice to the market, and like the previous drink, it was originally sold in cans until 1997, when a paper carton packaging machine was installed. The firm later launched three new flavurs in Tetra Brik: pineapple, mango, and apple, and in 1999 it introduced blends of orange and pineapple.
CHI Limited was a pioneer in the industry in the use of Tetra Pak packaging for its dairy product, Hollandia.[8]
On 30 January 2016, Coca-Cola announced a binding agreement for The Coca-Cola Company to acquire an initial minority equity shareholding in Chi Limited. Within the agreement, Coca-Cola made an initial 40 percent equity investment in Chi Limited and intends to increase ownership to 100 percent within three years, subject to regulatory approvals, while working on other long-term commercial structures.[9]
On January 30, 2019 The Coca-Cola Company announced that it now has a 100 percent ownership stake in CHI Limited after acquiring the remaining 60% it did not already own.
Chi Limited signed an endorsement deal with Manchester United F.C. making them the official drink partner of the Manchester United F.C. in Nigeria. The partnership allows CHI Limited to use the Manchester United F.C's brand assets on a range of Chi products in Nigeria. The partnership is expected to burnish the company's image especially amongst the 50 million followers of Manchester United F.C. in Nigeria.[10]