Universal Canning, Incorporated (UCI) is one of the largest and most dynamic seafood processing and canning facility in the Philippines.
Strategically located in the bustling port city of Zamboanga, the company boasts of a fully mechanized, semi-automated canning plant built according to the most stringent international requirements and standards. The plant is HACCP- and EU-accredited, employs over a thousand factory workers, and has a rated capacity of producing approximately 1.2 to 1.5 million 202 x 306 jitney cans a day. Since i
ts inception, UCI has gradually emerged as the most dominant player in the local canned sardine industry. It's FAMILY’S brand sardines is regarded as the fastest growing sardines brand in the country and has been awarded ‘Most Outstanding Sardines Brand’ by multiple respectable agencies nationwide. International recognition subsequently followed with the prestigious International Europe Award for Quality: New Millennium Award by the Spain-based Trade Leader’s Club. In 2008, the company acquired three (3) well known sardines brands to complement its FAMILY’S BRAND sardines. These are MASTER, ATAMI, and MIKADO sardines. Each brand possesses strong brand recognition and following in various regions around the country, and since then, has had increased market growth with utilization of the company’s resources. Capitalizing on the support of an extensive nationwide distribution network, updated market research, continuous technology upgrade, and aggressive development of innovative flavors, the company has successfully weaved its products deep into the fabric of the Filipino consumer’s everyday life and culture. Moreover, with the operation of a modern club can sardines manufacturing plant, blast freezer and cold storage facilities, Universal Canning, Inc. has tapped new markets for canned sardines, specifically the European Union, and likewise expanded its product line to include dried and frozen fish, firmly establishing its growing reputation as the premier seafood processing company in the country. Behind the success of Universal Canning, Inc. is the support of its affiliated companies:
Zamboanga Universal Fishing Corp., the largest deep-sea fishing company in Mindanao: Catches the fish;
Universal Shipyard: Maintainsthe fishing fleet;
Universal Ice Plant and Cold Storage: Provides the means of ensuring the fish catch stays fresh before processing
Southern Philippines Fishmeal Corp: Processes cannery waste materials (heads, tails, entrails) into fishmeal and fish oil. Together, these resources collectively afford an independent and vertically integrated process of providing fresh fish to the market, or the cannery, bringing into reality the concept of “straight from the sea to the can.”
