Interview: “Vietnam offers ideal conditions“
Tesa has laid the foundation stone for a new plant in the Vietnamese port city of Haiphong. We spoke to Stefan Schmidt, Head of Supply Chain and Operation at Tesa, about the new plant and the market in Vietnam.
You have laid the foundation stone for a new plant. What reasons led to this decision?
Stefan Schmidt: The markets in Asia are developing very dynamically and therefore we want to strategically position ourselves there for the future. Access to markets, fast and flexible delivery to customers and the development of local raw materials are important factors in international competition. It is a strategic decision to be present in Asia where many of our customers are located. This enables us to respond quickly and flexibly to our customers’ requirements. The decision is also in line with our sustainability strategy, because it means we don’t have to transport raw materials and finished products around the world.
Why did you decide on a location in Vietnam?
Schmidt: With the plant in Vietnam, we ideally complement our existing network. Vietnam offers ideal conditions. The economic development of Vietnam in recent years is impressive and even during the Corona crisis the country grew steadily. Vietnam has very good trade relations with many countries and is in the world’s largest free trade zone, Asia. In addition, more and more extremely important Tesa customers are settling there, for example from the electronics and automotive industries. And our declared goal is to always be close to our customers. Because we want to be in a position to identify customer challenges and then offer tailor-made solutions for them.
To what extent does the new location affect existing plants in Asia?
Schmidt: Overall, we are creating the necessary capacities and can serve the market there more locally. From Vietnam we can supply not only China, but also countries like Thailand and Korea. Currently, Tesa operates 14 production facilities worldwide, including large plants in Germany (Hamburg, Offenburg), in Italy, in the USA, and in China. The plant in Suzhou, China, has been in operation since 2005. Tesa supplies high-tech tapes for electronic devices from Suzhou, for example, to bond components and displays in mobile phones and tablets.
