Starting nearly 20 years ago, HaYen Corporation is a leading manufacturer and trader of industrial kitchens and laundry equipment in Vietnam. Proud to be a pathfinder and leader bird of the industry, Ha Yen is solidifying the No. 1 position in this industry in Vietnam. The company’s development process has passed three phases: first phase (1996-2000): providing kitchen equipment, mainly for canteens; second phase (2001 - 2008): providing products for 4-star restaurants and hotels; and third phase (2009 - present): serving 5-star hotels and exporting its products to the international market. The Vietnam Business Forum has an interview with Ms Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, CEO of HaYen Corporation, to learn more about the company development and strategy. Mai Pham reports.
Ha Yen-branded products are highly appreciated by domestic and international partners for quality. Would you be kind enough to tell us about your company’s process of conquering the domestic and international markets, especially Japan?
We started with the industrial kitchen business in 1996 when the industry was very fledging. No industrial kitchen producers in the country were reported at that time. Seeing opportunities and challenges in this new industry, we persisted in the road we had chosen: “Developing production capacity” with product quality expected by customers.
In the first phase (1996-2000), HaYen successfully focused on customers like Japanese, US and European factories. The company supplied kitchen equipment for canteens which did not require sophisticated technical and aesthetic requirements. In the second phase (2001-2008) when we made products with higher technical and aesthetic requirements, we approached 4-star restaurants and hotels. The company gained a very high prestige in Vietnam.
In 2003, HaYen reallocated its old plant with a modest area of 1,000 squ. metres to a 5,000 squ. metre factory in Tu Liem Industrial Zone, Hanoi to meet production and management demands. Also during this period, we started training staffs and guiding them to apply 5S methodology (in 2004) and ISO quality management standard (in 2006) in order to boost product quality.
Since 2009, HaYen entered a new development stage, approached 5-star hotels in the country and searched for export markets, particularly Japan. In this phase, the company’s necessary and sufficient capacity did not limit to “production capacity” but “capacity to carry out large-scale projects”, including organisational capacity, good technical troubleshooting, smooth coordination with contractors to install equipment with high quality and aesthetics standards. HaYen’s big projects included Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang, InterContinental Danang Resort, Danang Vinpearl Resort, Novotel Han River Hotel, Novotel Saigon Hotel, Ba Na Hill Resort, Crowne Plaza Nha Trang Hotel. Exported stainless steel kitchen equipment has been shipped to such markets as Japan, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The company is currently preparing to export to the United States. These products require the most meticulous and thorough completion to achieve the highest aesthetic level. Besides, we are proud to receive orders to make products which could previously be made in Japan due to complication.
To date, Ha Yen has built relatively sustainable relationships with Japanese partners. So, how has your company oriented development to satisfy requirements of Japanese partners?
HaYen now has a Japanese strategic customer through which the company’s products are distributed to most Saizeriya stores, one of four popular fast-food restaurant chains in Japan. To become a regular and trusted partner of this customer as well as most other export partners, we deeply study customers’ requirements for products, quality and price. And we also express our responsibility to our products. We care about the receipt and use of products, receive and process complaints quickly. In the past year when the global economic crisis worsened, most manufacturers increased their prices, HaYen kept its prices unchanged for customers. Even, we reduced prices of some products.
We also understand that cost reduction is sustainable and effective only when labour productivity is boosted and production wastes are avoided. HaYen is striving to improve technology to produce better products in a shorter time.
Besides, we do not have direct confrontation with Chinese competitors because we focus on niche markets, i.e. accepting orders of small quantity and product diversity.
To deepen Vietnam - Japan relationship, what does Ha Yen do to promote linkage and exchange with Japanese businesses?
Working and cooperating with Japanese partners is a pride and luck for Ha Yen. We have learned a lot from our partners and customers about Japanese culture in general and Japanese business culture in particular. We frequently participate in seminars, exchanges and training sessions to learn about Japanese social culture and business culture organised by VJCC, VCCI, Vietrade and Jetro. Hence, we have better understanding of Japanese people and culture. This thus creates good conditions for deeper exchange and cooperation between the two parties.
We hope to have more opportunities to cooperate and supply stainless steel industrial kitchen equipment for the Japanese market in the future.
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