The night had built up to this moment. The music reached a crescendo and the colours of a perfectly ripe palm fruit swirled from the centre of the panoramic LED screens into a gleaming logo. The words “Unlocking Nature’s Superpower” appeared beneath. The 1,000 strong crowd burst into applause; this is what they were waiting for at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre at 10:30 pm, on 30 May 2024. In the ever-evolving corporate landscape, SD Guthrie Berhad (formerly known as Sime Darby Plantation), one of the largest and oldest companies in the plantation sector had managed to create an identity that was both new and old at the same time.

The new brand combines the first and oldest company that is part of the group, Guthrie, with the initials of Sime Darby to create SD Guthrie. This nod to the 200-year heritage of Guthrie and the more recent incarnation as Sime Darby Plantation, celebrates an illustrious past while simultaneously setting the stage for new directions – as the word “plantation” is dropped, signaling a new beginning and new business ventures. SD Guthrie had announced on 7 May 2024 that it is planning to co-develop a green industrial park supported by solar energy on a 1,000-acre site in Kerian, Perak. The company is one of the largest landowners in the Malaysian private sector and as such, has lost valuable hectarage over the years through compulsory acquisitions. With its entry into these new verticals, SD Guthrie will be able to protect its land and at the same time, realise its full value and potential, while establishing sustainable revenue streams. A win-win-win situation, if ever there was any.

Industrial parks, particularly those designed for data centers, are the hottest thing in the market right now, as demand increases exponentially. While several companies have announced their intention to enter this space, SD Guthrie stands apart from the pack – with its vast landbanks, it has the capacity to develop solar parks and supply green energy. The green energy solution will appeal to hyperscalers who are on the lookout for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

While its new business verticals attract the attention of the market, SD Guthrie is also focusing on driving sustainable growth in its traditional plantation business. It has been one of the world’s largest producers of certified sustainable palm oil for more than a decade and has a thriving downstream business that includes 11 refineries in 7 countries – all of which are key markets for its products.

The history of SD Guthrie bears telling as there are few that can compare, both in terms of endurance and sheer tenacity. Imagine Singapore in the 1820s, soon-to-be founded by Sir Stamford Raffles. The first company that bore the Guthrie name was Messrs Guthrie & Clark, which a scant decade later was renamed Guthrie & Co. In 1844, another trading house was established, this time in Liverpool, England, the precursor to Harrisons & Crosfield. And then in 1910, Sime, Darby & Co set up shop in Melaka. The three groups flourished separately as they all moved into Malaya, then Malaysia, and eventually out across the world.

A second new beginning for all three groups occurred between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s. The Malaysian government-initiated measures to wrest control of companies under British-controlled but operating in Malaysia. The Guthrie story is perhaps the best documented of the lot, and a favourite to recount. A perfectly planned and executed raid at dawn on the London Stock Exchange on 7 September 1981, brought ownership of Guthrie home. Permodalan Nasional Berhad, under the chair of the legendary Tun Ismail Ali, ably assisted by a young (not yet) Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim were the heroes of this tale, and ordinary Malaysians the winners. This extraordinary second beginning for Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad was the precursor of similarly audacious moves.

In 2007, the three, Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad, Golden Hope Plantations Berhad and Sime Darby Berhad were merged and rebranded Sime Darby. This enlarged Sime Darby was in its heyday, one of the largest conglomerates in the region. Its largest business division was Sime Darby Plantation.

Ten years after the merger, the decision was made to break the company up into pure plays, each to be listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange separately. Sime Darby Plantation was listed on 30 November 2017.

Following its listing, Sime Darby Plantation retained the “Sime Darby” brand, a privilege it paid for as a licensee to Sime Darby Berhad, its former parent. For over six years this state of affairs continued although it became increasingly a hindrance when ambition and circumstance collided to create opportunity. Plans to create new business verticals started the management team down a path of no return. The question everybody grappled with was how to remain a Sime Darby company while growing into new verticals that would put it into direct competition with at least one of the other Sime Darbys. The answer became clear in early 2024 and finally on 2 February 2024, the Board of Sime Darby Plantation decided that it was time to change the brand and embrace a new future.

The proposed new name received overwhelming support from shareholders at an Extraordinary General Meeting held on 28 May 2024 – with 99.99% of shareholders voting in favour of the new brand.

With its new tagline, ‘Unlocking Nature’s Superpower’, SD Guthrie is embracing its new identity and all that it represents, poised to embark on an exciting journey of growth, discovery, and success.

Click to see the article