KARACHI, Dec 10: Pakistan occupies prominent position on the investment map of a leading consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble. The giant US firm refused to let negatives influence their business strategy in Pakistan.

“We have had a good run in this country so we have chosen Pakistan as a key destination in the region for initiatives to cement the company's gains”, Werner Geissler, vice-chairman Global Operations, P&G, told Dawn in a brief exclusive interview in Karachi. He was in the city last week to attend inauguration of the second manufacturing plant of the company in Pakistan.

Commenting on comparative performance of Pakistan in the region as the top executive admitted that his company's performance in the country has been more promising than other South Asian countries.

“Our dollar sale per head in Pakistan is higher than India but a little less than China. However, this is not how we benchmark our performance. We profile markets in term of potential and the scope of the company. In Pakistan we see huge future for our company as there is still room for growth in personal consumption of the majority of its 170 million people”.

The company is well known in Pakistan through its multiple consumer product brands, advertised extensively all around the country. The executive declined to disclose the actual quantum of the company's sales in Pakistan but confirmed its outreach to 570,000 retail outlets in the country where the retail sector posted consistent growth with little regard to reported depressing economic indicators.

The total number of shops that the company intends to cover in future could also not be provided by the executive or the local staff present on the occasion.

“We do not disseminate country-wise sale figures but I can tell you that we are deeply impressed by the performance of our team in Pakistan. Actually our Pakistan team is so strong that it has also been feeding manpower to our global operations. At least 50 P&G personnel of Pakistani origin are serving at responsible positions in other parts of the world”, the executive stated. Dawn

Responding to a question regarding the narrow production base of the company in the country he said that the company already owns two manufacturing units in Pakistan of total 140 plants world wide. “Most emerging markets do not have any plant and are fed on imports”, Geissler told .

“Pakistan enjoys advantage of vast consumer base, dynamic P&G team and enviable performance record of the company, so it would be foolish to ignore it in the localisation of production strategy of the company”, he added.

“The company acquired a site at Port Qasim, where our recently inaugurated laundry plant occupied hardly 20 per cent of the area. So site is already available when and if the company decides to set up more manufacturing plants in Pakistan”, Geissler said.

The parent company of P&G Pakistan posted net sales of $78.9 billion in 2010 up from $76.7 billion in 2009, the home website of the company shows. The diluted net earning per common share in 2010 was $4.11 and the dividend is shown to be $1.15 per common share during the current year.