By 1987, Marsman & Company, Inc. had grown to become one of the country's leading trading firms. The Company's success in the pharmaceutical promotion and distribution business attracted the interest of several local and foreign investors. After ensuring that the interests of the employees, principals and stockholders were amply protected, the Board decided to accept a very attractive offer from Zuellig, a major pharmaceutical distribution firm, to acquire Marsman & Company, Inc. The new owners were granted the right to use the Marsman name for 10 years.
1990
1993
1994
In 1994, the Group began operating the Mobilcom wireless
communications network and, through the foresight of George Marsman Drysdale Jr., the Group invested in various telecommunications companies (Skycable, RCPI, Pocketbell and BayanTel) as well.
Also in 1994, the acquisition of Philippine Far East Agro-Products, Inc. expanded the MDG's food processing operations into fruit puree and bottling, which led to the production of Drysdale juice drinks.
1996
1997
1998
The sale of Marsman and Company, Inc. in 1987 paved the way for another
expansion and diversification effort by the group. In 1990, Marsman's remaining businesses became known as the Marsman-Drysdale Group. After a redefinition of corporate direction, the Group focused on food-related operations which then accounted for 57% of the Group's total assets at the operating company level. The Group also continued its interests in health care by establishing the Medical and Industrial Products Division in 1990. From only three employees in 1990, the division has grown into a group of 40 dedicated, service-oriented professionals.
The acquisition of Pelican Agro-Products in 1993 allowed the Group to
complement its agribusiness plantation operations with food processing capabilities. A vapor-heat treatment (VHT) facility was operated in the FTI complex in Taguig. Here, fresh carabao mangoes from the Oro Verde orchards on Guimaras Island are VHT-treated before being shipped to the Japanese market.
Marsman-Drysdale Agri Ventures, Inc. (MDAVI), incorporated March 1994, is one of only two major asparagus plantations in the country.
MDAVI's asparagus and okra growing facilities received the prestigious ISO 9002 certificate on September 1999, making MDAVI the only ISO 9002 Certified
asparagus packing plant in the Philippines, and possibly the world.
The Alta Vista Agri-Ventures Corporation (AVAVC) was established in 1996.
It is now a subsidiary of MDAHI engaged in producing export-quality
Cavendish bananas to help Marsman-Drysdale satisfy the demand of the growing global market. The plantation was originally formed in 1994 in partnership with an Italian company, the De Nadai management, represented by Oribanex Services, Inc.
The management of the Marsman-Drysdale Group was passed onto George Marsman Drysdale when he was named Chairman and CEO of the Marsman-Drysdale Group. The son of Anne and George W. Drysdale, and grandson of the pioneering Jan and Mary Marsman, he was raised and educated in both the United States and the Philippines. He is a Juris Doctor recipient from the Stanford Law
School and earned an MBA degree from the Stanford Business School. Mr. Drysdale is committed to take the Marsman-Drysdale organization to new heights of accomplishment and success.
The Group's agribusiness interests were consolidated with the establishment
of Marsman-Drysdale Agribusiness Holding, Inc. (MDAHI) in 1998. This holding company coordinates the Group's various farms, creating a synergy for continued growth.