Vitarich Corporation was incorporated and organized in 1962. The brothers Feliciano, Lorenzo and Pablo Sarmiento established the forerunner of Vitarich in 1950, when they founded Philippine American Milling Co. Inc. (PAMCO). PAMCO eventually moved from its original location to a more modern feed plant in Marilao, Bulacan. This move marked the beginning of Vitarich’s fully integrated operations and the trade name “Vitarich” was subsequently adopted.

In 1962, after PAMCO acquired additional machinery and equipment to increase capacity, the Corporation was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the name “Vitarich Feedmill, Inc.” The Corporation entered the poultry business and built an experimental poultry farm. In the years that followed, the Corporation entered into agreements with U.S. companies Cobb International and Babcock Poultry Farms for the exclusive franchise and distributorship of Cobb broiler and Babcock layer breeds respectively in the Philippines. The Corporation’s corporate life has been extended for another fifty years starting on July 31, 2012.

By the early 1970s, the Corporation further expanded its operations and extended its vertical integration by acquiring dressing plants and cold storage facilities. In 1981, the Corporation expanded outside Luzon by setting up the Davao satellite feedmill. The following year, the Corporation increased its feedmilling capacity in Marilao, Bulacan and at the same time, started operating its Cagayan De Oro feedmill and hatchery. Subsequent areas of expansion in the Visayas included the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.

In 1988, the Corporation entered into a joint venture agreement with Cobb-Vantress, Inc. (CVI) (formerly Cobb International Inc.) and formed Breeder Master Inc. (BMI) (formerly Phil-American Poultry Breeders, Inc.) to engage in the production of day-old parent stocks.  CVI is 100% owned by Tyson Foods, Inc., the world’s largest chicken Company. BMI, which is currently known as Cobb Vantress Philippines, Inc., is a domestic corporation, which was 80% owned by Vitarich and 20% owned by CVI.

In 2002, the Corporation decided to dispose of its investment in BMI and agreed to pay its liabilities to BMI by returning all of its shares of stocks to BMI. Thus, on February 12, 2003, the Corporation entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with BMI and CVI, the minority shareholder of BMI.  Under the MOA, the capital investment of Vitarich in BMI will be returned in payment of Vitarich outstanding liability to BMI. This will leave CVI as the sole shareholder of BMI.

On May 31, 2007, The Regional Trial Court of Malolos, Bulacan (Rehabilitation Court) approved the  Company’s proposed Rehabilitation Plan (Plan).   The implementation of the Plan resulted mainly in the restructuring of Company debt aggregating P3.2 billion (at original amount) resulting to longer payment terms and the lowering of interest.

On March 30, 2012, the SEC approved the extension of its corporate life for another 50 years.  The Company’s shares of stock were registered with the Philippine Stock Exchange on February 8, 1995.

On October 16, 2013, the SEC approved the debt to equity conversion and the Company’s increase in authorized capital stock.  Consequently, Kormasinc acquired 85.29% ownership of the Company.    

In 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors (BOD) approved the disposal of its major feed mill and the land where it is located at Marilao, Bulacan and several noncore assets. The proceeds were used to further reduce outstanding liabilities and generate needed working capital.

On  November 5, 2015, the Company filed with the Rehabilitation Court a motion to exit the Plan. Management believes that the motion for successful exit in the Plan will be granted by the Rehabilitation Court.

On September 16, 2016, the Rehabilitation Court granted the Company’s motion for a successful exit from the Plan.

The registered principal place of business of the Company is located at Marilao-San Jose Road,
Sta. Rosa I, Marilao, Bulacan.  The Company has operating offices in Luzon, Iloilo and Davao, and maintains satellite offices in Southern Philippines.

Gromax, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Vitarich, which started commercial operation in January 1996. Previously, Gromax was a division of Vitarich, which was spun off to a separate entity. Gromax was registered with SEC on November 10, 1995.

Effective April 1, 2015, the operations of Gromax, manufacturing animal health and nutritional feeds, was reintegrated into the Company. Specialty feeds supplement the product offering of animal feeds produced by the Company. Pursuant to the reintegration, Gromax transferred all its employees to the Company. Retirement benefits accruing to these employees were transferred accordingly.

Philippine’s Favorite Chicken Inc. (PFCI), one of the subsidiaries of Vitarich, entered into distribution agreements in 1995 with America’s Favorite Chicken Company (AFC), a Company that operates the Church’s Chicken and Popeye’s Chicken restaurants in the United States. Under these distribution agreements, PFCI will distribute the paper goods, restaurant supplies, equipment, and food products to Texas Manok Atbp. Inc. (TMA). The latter corporation, which is owned by the Sarmiento family, in turn, entered into a development and franchise agreement with AFC. Under the development agreement between TMA and AFC, PFCI was granted the exclusive right to develop an aggregate of fifty (50) Texas Chicken and fifty (50) Popeye’s Chicken restaurants in the Philippines in consideration for territorial and franchise fees payable to AFC as stipulated in the agreements. In addition, a 5% percent royalty fee based on sales is assessed for each franchised restaurant. This royalty is being paid by TMA, the operator of the restaurant.

The franchise agreement allows the PFCI to use the Texas Chicken and Popeye’s Chicken trade names, service marks, logos, food formulae and recipes, and other exclusive rights to the proprietary Texas and Popeye’s Chicken System.

The development of the restaurants is scheduled over a period of seven years starting in 1995 for Texas Chicken and 1996 for Popeye’s. The franchise agreement shall be for a period of ten (10) years for each restaurant unit, renewable for four additional periods of five years each, at the option of the franchisee. However, PFCI, in 2000, lost its right to develop Popeye’s Chicken in the Philippines.

On October 1, 1998, the Board of Directors of PFCI approved the conversion into equity of the advances of Vitarich Corporation to PFCI amounting to 165 million to be applied to its unpaid subscriptions and for additional shares of stock of PFCI. Out of the 165 million advances to be converted into equity, 25 million was applied to Vitarich’s unpaid subscription while the remaining 140 million was shown under Deposit on Future Stock Subscriptions account pending the approval from the SEC of the conversion.

In 2003, PFCI reverted the investment in shares of stock in PFCI to Advances to subsidiaries amounting to 140 million, as the Board of Directors of PFCI decided not to pursue its application with the SEC to convert into equity the advances received from Vitarich. PFCI initially recorded the transaction as an increase in investment in shares of stock in PFCI and a decrease in advances to subsidiaries when the Board of Directors of PFCI approved the proposed conversion in 1998.

AFC unilaterally terminated its development and franchise agreements with PFCI in 2001. As a result, in August 2001, PFCI and TMA filed a case against AFC and some of AFC’s officers, such as Tom Johnson, Anthony Pavese and Loreta Sassen, among others, for undue termination of the development and franchise agreements with the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City, docketed as Civil Case No. 68583. The case called for injunction, specific performance, sum of money, and damages against AFC and some of its officers.

In connection with such legal action, in 2001, PFCI recognized as claims receivable, as of December 31, 2001, certain losses arising from the closure of certain Texas Chicken restaurants and legal fees incurred relating to the case filed against AFC. Losses recognized as claims receivable include, among others, the loss on write-off of leasehold and building improvements relating to the closed stores. The total amount recognized as claims receivable (presented as part of Other Non-current Assets account in the condensed interim consolidated balance sheets) totaled 23.2 million as of December 31, 2001.

The Regional Trial Court of Pasig City, in a decision dated April 3, 2002, approved the issuance of a preliminary writ of attachment on the properties of AFC in the Philippines upon posting of PFCI and TMA of a bond amounting to 100 million. Management believed that this case would be settled in favor of the PFCI and TMA.

On September 24, 2003, the trial court granted the Motion to Dismiss filed by two of the defendants. PFCI, in turn, filed a Motion for Partial Reconsideration of the order. Moreover, AFC has filed a Petition for Certiorari before the Court of Appeals assailing the validity of the trial court previously issued writ of attachment.

On December 22, 2004, the parties have entered into a compromise agreement for the settlement of the case of which the parties have filed a joint motion to dismiss before the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City, Branch 152.

On March 4, 2005, the Regional Trial Court of Pasig City, Branch 152 had approved the Joint Motion to Dismiss filed by the parties based on the Compromise Agreement entered into by them, thus, putting an end to the case.

In 2005, the Company discontinued operations of its Texas Manok’s Restaurants. Accordingly, it terminated all its employees and provided full valuation allowances on all its remaining assets.

Although the BOD and stockholders have not yet formally adopted a plan to liquidate the Company, the financial statements are presented under the liquidation basis of accounting to appropriately reflect the significant changes in the Company’s status of operations.