NI firms get toehold in Vietnam

THE Newtownards company Agricultural and Veterinary Supplies has secured its first order from Vietnam since participating in the trade mission there last December.

But general manager, Mr Jacques Van't Hart, warned that it was only a small initial sale, and that it would take Vietnamese agriculture up to a decade to develop to a point where the market would become significant.

"We won this order through our extensive contacts in south east Asia, but just as in any country, before we can start to supply product, we need to obtain a government licence.

"We applied for a licence last year, and we expect to receive it shortly," Mr Van't Hart said.

Mr Van't Hart regards Vietnam as one of the most important emerging economies in the Asia Pacific region.

"I have worked in the Far East for 20 years," he said, "and I have no doubt that of the four countries which are currently the least developed - Laos, Cambodia, Burma, and Vietnam - it is Vietnam which is most likely to be the next tiger economy."

AVS produces disinfectants for veterinary use, including one in the form of a non toxic powder.

The Larne company, F.G. Wilson, Europe's largest manufacturer of diesel generators, is also confident that its visit to Vietnam will prove profitable.

Regional sales manager, Mr Phil Brady, said that the visit had confirmed the potential which he believed was there.

"It is definitely an expanding market although it will take time to develop. The main requirement is for generator for standby power supply, as the mains supply can be erratic".

Another participant in the visit was the Belfast company, Thrige Scott, which makes electric motors for industrial use, and which already has markets in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Its marketing director, Mr Brian Walker, says Vietnam is a market which will require a lot of hard work over many years.

"The motors the Vietnamese currently use come from Russia, and are now nearing the end of their working life.

"In meetings arranged for us by the IDB and the British Embassy, I found that most people want to update production facilities. That applied to many of the industries in which my company is most interested - rubber, plastics, steel, sugar, and cement," he said.