Kärcher Leverages Vietnam as Manufacturing Base for Asia-Pacific

As Kärcher deepens its footprint in Vietnam with manufacturing, logistics, training, and service infrastructure, the country is emerging as both a key market and a strategic production base in the company’s Asia-Pacific roadmap. General Manager of Kärcher Vietnam Henry Le shared more with Vietnam Business Forum on the company’s development strategy.

Grand opening of Kärcher Vietnam technology company, July 2024

Kärcher has expanded across Vietnam with logistics, maintenance, spare parts, and training. How do you view this presence and Vietnam’s role in your Asia-Pacific strategy?

Kärcher has indeed been expanding its footprint across Vietnam, establishing a comprehensive infrastructure that goes beyond just sales. Here's a breakdown of our presence and Vietnam's role in Asia-Pacific strategy:

Vietnam's position in Kärcher's Asia-Pacific regional market development strategy:

Strategic manufacturing hub: The investment in a cloud-native production facility in Vietnam highlights the country's strategic importance as a manufacturing base for Kärcher in the Asia-Pacific region. This likely leverages Vietnam's competitive manufacturing environment and its position within Southeast Asia. This move also helps Kärcher reduce delivery routes and potentially mitigate geopolitical risks by producing goods closer to the target markets.

Growing domestic market: Vietnam itself presents a growing market for cleaning solutions, both for home and professional use, driven by increasing urbanization and a rising middle class. Kärcher's direct presence and expanding network position them to capitalize on this growing demand.

Regional hub: Vietnam's geographical location within Southeast Asia makes it a potential hub for Kärcher's operations in neighboring countries. The manufacturing facility could serve as a key supplier for other markets in the region.

Cloud-first strategy implementation: The choice of Vietnam for their first fully cloud-native factory demonstrates Kärcher's forward-thinking approach to digitalization in their global operations. The success of this venture could serve as a template for their other facilities worldwide.

Focus on emerging markets: Kärcher's establishment of new companies in regions like Uzbekistan and Vietnam indicates a strategic focus on developing and capturing market share in emerging economies within Asia.

In summary, Kärcher is building a robust and integrated presence in Vietnam, encompassing manufacturing, logistics, service, and training. Vietnam plays a crucial role in their Asia-Pacific strategy, serving both as a key manufacturing hub and a growing domestic market, aligning with Kärcher's broader goals of regional growth and technological advancement.

What flagship cleaning products is Kärcher prioritizing in Vietnam, and who are your key customer segments?

Our current priorities in terms of flagship cleaning products and technologies are strategically aligned with the evolving needs of the Vietnamese market and leverage our global innovations.

We identify high-pressure washers and floor care solutions as strategically significant product categories within the Vietnamese market. With a focus on user-centric design and enhanced cleaning performance, the company places considerable emphasis on sustainability, utilizing environmentally responsible materials in production and implementing green technologies within its manufacturing facilities to reduce emissions.

In Vietnam, Kärcher's solutions are vital for maintaining operational efficiency and hygiene standards within manufacturing industries such as the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, electrical industry, automotive industry, logistics, and hospitality industry, which represent our core customer segments.

Our strategy in Vietnam is to cater to these key segments with tailored solutions, leveraging our globally renowned German engineering and increasingly our local production capabilities. We are committed to providing high-quality, efficient, and increasingly sustainable cleaning technologies to meet the diverse needs of the Vietnamese market.

Has Kärcher introduced initiatives in Vietnam that support clean, green cities or help industries improve environmental hygiene?

While we may not have specific "pilot projects" branded under the "clean, green, smart cities" umbrella yet in Vietnam, our overall strategy and several key initiatives directly contribute to these goals and to raising environmental hygiene standards across various industries. Moreover, the Kärcher Group was awarded the German Sustainability Prize in 2022 and 2025 for this commitment. In its statement, the jury particularly praised our “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” initiative (2022) and our role as a “pioneer and role model in the German economy” with our sustainable solutions (2025).

Here are some notable ways Kärcher Vietnam is actively involved: Contributing to clean and green cities through promoting sustainable cleaning practices, applying water-efficient technologies, providing durable long-lasting equipment, supporting cleanliness in public spaces, and focusing on battery-powered solutions; Helping industries transition towards higher environmental hygiene standards by providing advanced cleaning technologies for industrial and commercial sectors, offering chemical-free disinfection options, delivering expertise and training, tailoring solutions to specific industry needs, and maintaining sustainability as a core goal.

While we may not have specific "smart city" pilot projects focusing on sensor-integrated cleaning solutions in Vietnam at this moment, our focus on efficient, sustainable, and high-performance cleaning technologies directly supports the foundational aspects of clean and green urban environments and enables industries to meet increasingly stringent environmental hygiene standards. As Vietnam continues its journey towards smart city development, Kärcher Vietnam is well-positioned to contribute with our innovative and sustainable cleaning solutions. We are actively engaging with various sectors to understand their evolving needs and explore opportunities for collaboration in building a cleaner and more sustainable future for Vietnam.

On the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany ties and the 30th of GBA, how do you see the role of German business in Vietnam and its coordination with government to boost cooperation?

As the General Manager of Kärcher Vietnam, I see the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany diplomatic relations and the 30th anniversary of the GBA as significant milestones, underscoring the enduring partnership and growing economic ties between our nations. The German business community has played, and continues to play, a vital role in Vietnam's economic development, bringing not just investment but also technology, expertise, and a commitment to quality.

From Kärcher's perspective, our investment in Vietnam, including the recent opening of our advanced production facility, is a testament to the attractive business environment and the skilled workforce we find here. We are proud to contribute to Vietnam's industrialization and to serve the growing demand for high-quality cleaning solutions in the country and the wider region.

Looking ahead, I believe there's immense potential to elevate bilateral economic cooperation further through strategic coordination between enterprises and the Vietnamese government. Key areas where this collaboration can be strengthened include: for enterprises, such as long-term investment and technology transfer, adherence to international standards and best practices, active engagement in local value chains, and commitment to human capital development; for the Vietnamese Government, including continued improvement of the business environment, focus on infrastructure development, support for innovation and technology adoption, and promotion of sustainable development; and for coordination between enterprises and government, through regular dialogue platforms, joint working groups, public-private partnerships, and showcasing success stories.

In conclusion, the 50th anniversary and 30th anniversary provide a valuable opportunity to reflect on the strong foundation of Vietnam-Germany relations and to chart a course for even greater economic cooperation in the future. By fostering a collaborative environment where German enterprises continue to invest and contribute their expertise, and where the Vietnamese government provides a supportive and enabling framework, we can together elevate our bilateral economic partnership to new heights, benefiting both our nations. Kärcher is committed to being an active and contributing member of this journey.

Thank you very much!

By Duy Anh, Vietnam Business Forum