"Satra’s Desire to Conquer World Market"

Satra is a leading trade company in Vietnam. Since its inception in 1995, Satra has grown from a state enterprise into a strong economic group with more than 70 subsidiaries, associated companies and joint ventures.

 

The current success is a result of Satra’s ability to promote its advantages as a multi-business group with many famous brand names such as Vissan, Cau Tre, Agrex Saigon, Binh Dien, APT, Cofidec, Nhabexim and Satra Rice. Satra has developed retail distribution chains, Satrafoods convenience stores, Satramart supermarkets, Satra Pham Hung Centre Mall, and others. In addition, by strengthening cooperation between the parent company and subsidiaries, Satra has signed many highly valued commercial contracts on input materials, fuel, rice and food.

 

At present, the domestic economy is facing numerous difficulties like low growth, high inflation, growing inventory, and exorbitant interest rates. Alarmingly, these problems have driven many companies into bankruptcy. Satra is no exception to the trend, and has encountered hardships. Luckily, sound development policy and unity of all leaders and staff have brought in positive business results.

 

Specifically, in the first six months of 2012, Satra Group raked in total revenues of VND19,687 billion (equal to 52 percent of the full-year plan and up 19.60 percent against the same period of 2011), and earned export turnover of US$67.63 million (equal to 52 percent of the yearly plan and up 39 percent year on year). Profit reached 54 percent of the yearly plan and rose 17.9 percent over the same period in 2011. Key programmes and projects have been positively deployed.

 

These results confirmed the huge efforts of the entire staff of Satra - one of seven backbone corporations of Ho Chi Minh City - in stabilising the domestic market, expanding foreign markets, and creating momentum for plant implementations in 2013. A Satra official said, although its achievements are encouraging in this difficult context, Satra is not self-conceited. The group will further focus on developing domestic and global markets, thus creating momentum for Satra to move towards sustainable development.

 

In the coming time, Satra will also promote cooperation and development in the Japanese market where Satra opened a representative office. The governing People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City also assigned Satra to perform the function of representative office for the city in Japan. The office is responsible for promoting investment, tourism and trade for the city, as well as serving as a bridge and supporter for the city’s companies to access prospective customers. The opening of a Japanese representative office had great significance and marked a new development milestone of Satra Group, as the Japanese market is always a potential target market for Satra.

 

Japan is very well known for its exacting requirements for imports. Every process and step must be tightly controlled and quality requirements must be prioritized. Satra is one of the leading businesses in Vietnam. With its current capabilities, it can completely meet any requirements from Japanese partners and the Japanese market. “For Satra, with an overwhelming proportion for export, its affiliated companies specialising in frozen foods, processed foods, woodwork and handicrafts always attach great importance to technical standards, quality, safety, labelling and packaging requirements. In 2011, Satra’s export turnover to Japan totalled US$41 million. The group is also implementing various trade promotion activities to expand this market in the future. Therefore, Satra is confident to supply food in this fastidious market,” said the Satra official.

 

Satra’s key upcoming tasks are studying and applying measures to tackle difficulties and accelerate key projects; restructuring the organizational and personnel apparatuses of the parent company and deploying a human resources development programme for the 2010 - 2015 period, completing local distribution system development planning towards 2015 to facilitate the expansion of the Satramart supermarket chain and Satrafoods convenience stores; stepping up cooperation programmes on the principle of equal cooperation, mutual benefit and mutual development; deploying IT development programmes; and completing food reserve programmes.