Life Water diversifies beyond beverages with acquisition of sauce and condiment maker Twinine

The Sun

29-05-2025

PETALING JAYA: Life Water Bhd, a Sabah-based beverage manufacturer, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% equity interest in Twinine Sdn Bhd, a well-established sauce and condiment manufacturer, for RM10.5 million.
The acquisition marks Life Water's first major diversification beyond beverages, strengthening its footprint in the broader fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
Founded over 35 years ago, Twinine has established a strong presence on the west coast of Sabah, part of Sarawak and in Brunei, with a consistent financial track record.
The company recorded revenues of RM8.6 million in both FY22 and FY23, as well as an unaudited revenue of RM8.5 million in FY24, alongside a three-year average net profit of RM910,000.
The strategic move enables Life Water to leverage its existing logistics and distribution network, thereby accelerating market penetration for Twinine's products.
'This acquisition is a natural extension of our FMCG portfolio. With overlapping distribution touchpoints and similar consumer demographics, we see significant cross-selling opportunities and operating synergies. More importantly, our network gives us the ability to broaden Twinine's reach across Sabah, especially into the east coast region, further strengthening its market presence,' Life Water managing director Liaw Hen Kong said in a statement.
Growth plans include introducing two production shifts at Twinine's facility to boost output in line with demand, as well as exploring a new manufacturing site at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park to support long-term expansion in East Malaysia.
Twinine's founder will remain with the company for a two-year transition period to ensure continuity and provide guidance on growth strategies, including the development of the new facility.
The acquisition is expected to contribute positively to Life Water's earnings.
The acquisition coincides with the release of Life Water's third-quarter ended March 31, 2025 (Q3'25), in which it reported a net profit of RM6.48 million. The group recorded RM43.12 million in revenue, a 0.95% increase from the preceding quarter, supported by seasonal demand for carbonated and fruit drinks.
The drinking water segment remained the largest contributor, accounting for 82.6% of total revenue.
Life Water posted a gross profit of RM19.52 million, with a margin of 45.3%, while profit before tax stood at RM8.11 million, reflecting a margin of 18.8%.
While margins moderated quarter-on-quarter due to the implementation of the minimum wage policy and temporary operational inefficiencies from expansion initiatives, the group remains confident in its long-term earnings resilience.
For the nine months, Life Water reported revenue of RM128.42 million and a net profit of RM20.97 million, translating to a 16.3% margin.
The group's new Keningau plant commenced operations in early 2025, adding 59 million litres of annual production capacity and bringing total drinking water capacity to 448 million litres per annum.
The Sandakan Sibuga Plant 1 is commissioning a new manufacturing line, expected to begin operations in the second half of 2025, which will add 178 million litres of capacity and increase total annual production to 626 million litres, representing a 40% increase.
Life Water continues to pursue a two-pronged strategy of organic expansion and strategic diversification.
With the Twinine acquisition, Life Water is now well positioned to capture synergies across multiple FMCG segments, while reinforcing its core strength in beverage manufacturing.
As Sabah's consumer landscape continues to evolve, Life Water remains optimistic about its growth trajectory in the current financial year and beyond.