'G Mark Certification' Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, Leaping Toward the 'Second Harim'

From Feed Agency to Livestock Industry Innovator
Zero Mass Deaths Through Thorough Quarantine and Quality Control
Aiming for 200 Billion KRW in Sales by 2030

"I am rather worried that demand will increase. Because we cannot handle it all," said Park Jong-geun, chairman of Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, a livestock specialized company, whose thoughts differed despite the ongoing media coverage about the decrease in students and school closures in Gyeonggi Province. This company supplies pork for school meals to about 400 schools located in Gyeonggi Province. He foresaw the company's growth potential even amid the anticipated crisis.

On the 27th of last month, during the 'Management Innovation Excellent Companies' field tour hosted by the Korea Management Innovation Small and Medium Business Association (MainBiz Association), Chairman Park, whom we met at the Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, emphasized, "School meals are not something just anyone can do." This single statement reflected his strong confidence in the quality of his company's products. According to Chairman Park, as the market shrinks, the demand for high-quality products increases even more.

From Feed Agency to Sixth Industry Innovation

Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation was established in 2004 by Chairman Park, with its roots tracing back to a feed agency he operated in 1991. At that time, after researching the close relationship between feed and pig farming, he realized that feed is the core of pig farming and established Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation to fully engage in pig farming.

Park Jong-geun, chairman of Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, is holding a press conference at the company building. Provided by MainBiz Association

His research became the driving force for the company to secure an advantage in the qualitative competition of meat. Through stable feed supply and a hygienic production and processing system, the company slaughtered and processed 40,000 pigs last year and supplied them to about 400 schools in Gyeonggi Province. Additionally, it established a stable distribution network through transactions with companies such as NongHyup Economic Holdings, Hanaro Mart, and CJ Freshway.

Chairman Park also pursued continuous growth of the company by diversifying business and building a 'sixth industry' structure that combines the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. He expanded the primary industry farm, invested 10 billion KRW in the secondary industry meat processing facilities, and completed a business structure organically connecting production, processing, and distribution through franchise businesses such as the directly managed stores 'Gogi Jangin Baekjeong' and 'Geukrakdon' in the tertiary industry. Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation, which achieved sales of 50 billion KRW last year, plans to expand production to 50,000 pigs at its own farms and 100,000 pigs annually for slaughtering and processing, and to develop meat-related brands to further strengthen competitiveness in the tertiary industry.

G-Mark Quality Certification, Zero ASF and Foot-and-Mouth Disease Damage

The company supplies pork for school meals through the pork brand 'Sosabeol Pork,' which obtained the G-Mark certification from Gyeonggi Province in 2018. G-Mark means agricultural products that are Guaranteed by the Governor, Good in quality, and Green or environmentally friendly. As of last year, only 29 suppliers in the province participated in the G-Mark excellent livestock school meal project.

Chairman Park Jong-geun of Nokdon Agricultural Cooperative Corporation is introducing the work site. Provided by MainBiz Association

To obtain G-Mark certification, strict procedures such as on-site inspections by consumer groups and review by the G-Mark review committee must be passed. Even after certification, surprise inspections are conducted at least once a year. Since the company obtained certification on its first application, it thoroughly manages and operates HACCP, eco-friendly, and antibiotic-free livestock products from the primary slaughterhouse to the secondary processing plant.

Livestock farming is vulnerable to infectious diseases such as African Swine Fever (ASF). Because the risk of mass death due to outbreaks is always lurking, strict quarantine and disinfection work were being carried out at the headquarters building and processing plant visited by the press on that day. Chairman Park asserted the company's strong blocking quarantine system, saying, "We have never suffered damage from diseases such as swine cholera, ASF, or foot-and-mouth disease. We have never been included in culling areas." He explained that the period of business expansion from 2018 to 2022, including the start of processing business and direct store operations and the establishment of a new factory, coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic but rather became an opportunity.

Challenge Toward Becoming the 'Second Harim'

Chairman Park set a goal of achieving 200 billion KRW in sales by 2030 and expressed a strong will to leap forward as the 'Second Harim.' He mentioned the case of Harim Chairman Kim Hong-guk, who started from nothing and grew a poultry farm into a large corporation, saying, "Since I also started from nothing, I want to try growing into a big company once."

He recalled that, like Chairman Kim, who personally cared for chickens and chicks in muddy poultry farms in the past, he also grew by directly engaging in the field. Chairman Park said, "At night or early morning, I ate jajangmyeon with employees in pig barns, lived with flies, and took care of all the piglets born. Those experiences ultimately allowed me to achieve better results than others."

Furthermore, he stated, "We will solidify advanced livestock integration and contribute to the public's diet with safe and clean livestock products," and expressed his ambition, "Although there is a long way to go, I will continuously invest and improve the distribution structure until the day we become a representative livestock company succeeding Harim."