IOI CORPORATION BERHAD

IOI CORPORATION BERHAD stands as one of Malaysia’s most influential plantation-based conglomerates — a company that transformed agriculture into a global industrial force.

From estates in Malaysia and Indonesia to refineries in Europe and beyond, it operates across the full value chain of palm-based products, positioning itself as a key player in global food, chemical, and industrial supply systems.

Its journey reflects a powerful truth — that industries rooted in the land can grow to shape the world.

Founder:

Tan Sri Dato’ Lee Shin Cheng

Current Leadership:

Group Managing Director & CEO: Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor

The leadership continues to guide the Group with a focus on sustainability, global integration, and long-term value creation across its plantation and manufacturing businesses.

Some companies are built on capital — IOI was built on perseverance.

The story began in 1969 as Industrial Oxygen Incorporated, a modest industrial gas business.

Its defining turning point came when Lee Shin Cheng, who rose from humble beginnings to become a plantation leader, took control and reshaped its direction.

Seeing beyond short-term cycles, he turned toward the land. In the 1980s, IOI entered the oil palm plantation sector, followed by bold acquisitions of estates that significantly expanded its scale.

These moves carried risk, but they laid the foundation for long-term growth.

Over time, the company expanded downstream into refining, oleochemicals, and specialty fats, evolving into a fully integrated palm oil enterprise with global reach.

From hardship to international presence, its journey reflects a powerful truth — that resilience, when compounded over time, becomes empire.

Core Activities include:

• Oil palm plantation and estate management

• Palm oil refining and oleochemical production

• Specialty fats and food ingredient manufacturing

• Global downstream distribution and industrial applications

The Group’s operational model focuses on controlling and integrating the palm oil value chain from upstream plantations to downstream manufacturing. By combining estate management, refining, oleochemicals, specialty fats, and international distribution, IOI CORPORATION BERHAD positions itself as both a plantation group and a global resource-based manufacturing player.

Notable Offerings Include:

• Crude and refined palm oil products

• Oleochemicals for cosmetics, detergents, and industrial use

• Specialty fats for global food manufacturers

• Sustainable palm-based solutions across multiple industries

These offerings have enabled IOI CORPORATION BERHAD to serve industries ranging from food manufacturing and personal care to household products and industrial applications. Its integrated capabilities allow the Group to transform palm-based resources into higher-value products for global markets.

1969 – Incorporation as Industrial Oxygen Incorporated

1980 – Listing on Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange

1980s – Entry into oil palm plantation business

1990 – Landmark acquisition of Dunlop Estates

1990s–2000s – Expansion into refining and oleochemicals

2010s–2020s – Growth into a global integrated palm oil group

IOI CORPORATION BERHAD has played a significant role in positioning Malaysia as a global leader in palm oil production and resource-based manufacturing.

Through its integrated operations, the Group has built one of the world’s major palm-based supply chains, connecting plantations, refineries, oleochemical plants, specialty fats production, and international customers.

Its downstream expansion has contributed to the growth of Malaysia’s oleochemical and specialty fats industries, supporting export activity and strengthening the country’s presence in global food, chemical, and industrial markets.

By transforming agricultural output into value-added products, IOI has demonstrated how plantation companies can evolve into globally connected industrial groups.

Some companies cultivate land — IOI cultivates scale, value, and continuity.

From a single enterprise to a global agricultural-industrial powerhouse, its legacy is not defined only by what it grows, but by what it transforms.

Its journey stands as a testament that from the soil can rise industries that feed, supply, and sustain the world.