BUSINESS 2022.07.22

Preparations to establish a local subsidiary in Vietnam are underway! Introducing two of our local members.

Since 2017, we have been conducting market research and expanding into Vietnam. By the end of this year, a local subsidiary of ASNOVA (hereinafter referred to as the current law) is scheduled to be established, and preparations are progressing steadily. Vietnam, which continues to grow rapidly among emerging Asian countries, expects high demand for scaffolding rentals, but it is no exaggeration to say that the success of this business will be possible not only with demand and services, but also with "members who carry the ASNOVA signboard." For about a year, we have been working in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, with a total of three people, one Japan expatriate and two local members. This time, we interviewed local members, Mr. Mii Han, Sales Manager, and Mr. Chan, Management Manager, about their reasons for joining the company, their roles, and about VIETEBUILD 2022, one of the largest international architecture trade fairs in Vietnam, which they exhibited at in June.

Text and Photo: Mei Ogata

INDEX

PROIFILE

Tran Thi My Hanh: Joined the company in July 2021.
Tran Thi Quynh Trang: Joined the company in August 2021.

ASNOVA Global Expansion

Establishing a local subsidiary in Vietnam

2017: Test marketing begins

July-August 2021: Two local employees join the company
November 2021: Japanese employees begin working in the company

June 2022: First exhibition at the large-scale architectural exhibition VIETBUILD 2022
October 2022: Local subsidiary to be established

Why ASNOVA?

Miihan (left) and Chan (right) working in the temporary office before moving to the new office

Your Japanese is amazingly good. When did you start studying Japanese?

My Hanh: I think I'm better at Japanese than Vietnamese now (laughs). After graduating from high school, I decided to go to a university in Japan where I could study while working in an international environment. Before studying abroad, I studied Japanese in Vietnam for nine months and attended a language school in Japan for a year and a half. After that, I entered a Japanese university and got a job, so I lived in Japan for ten years.

Trang: I first encountered Japanese through anime, and I particularly liked Doraemon. When I was a university student in Vietnam, I worked part-time at a Japanese travel agency, and learned Japanese while serving customers.

You've had a connection with Japan since your student days. What led you to join ASNOVA?

My Hanh: I have had contact with President Ueda and his team since ASNOVA began test marketing. I thought they were great people when I worked with them. When choosing a workplace, regardless of the work content, I consider whether it is an environment that suits me and whether I can work with people who I feel comfortable working with. This is one reason.

Another reason is a change that occurred while ASNOVA was conducting market research. At one time, I was in a consulting role, connecting ASNOVA with local rental companies in Vietnam. As the project progressed, it was not easy to remain neutral, and I began to feel that I had to make a decision. Finally, when I started to think that I wanted to help ASNOVA with this big project, I saw a job opening at ASNOVA Vietnam, so I decided to take the plunge and apply.

Trang: Well, there were two reasons. I was looking for a new job at the time. The second reason was that ASNOVA was going to establish a local subsidiary. I had no experience in the field of local subsidiary establishment. So I joined ASNOVA because I expected that I would be able to take on new challenges and acquire new knowledge.

Also, I have been a team leader for various projects, but I think it is very interesting to be involved in new projects. Specifically, the reason I think it is interesting is that I can research various things on my own, persuade various people, and learn things that I didn't know before, and this knowledge becomes my own. There are many things I don't know, so I feel happy when I learn something new.

At first, I didn't know what to do, so even when I looked into it, I was confused, wondering, "Is this right? Is that right? Should I ask this person?" But after gathering various information, I analyzed what was the most correct thing to do and came to understand. After all, I couldn't do it on my own, so I asked the people around me for advice and help, and I was finally able to solve the problem that was bothering me.

"If you try new things, you will grow as a person," said Chan.

Responsibility

What kind of work are you in charge of?

My Hanh: I am a sales manager. My main role is to use my experience to connect with customers as a salesperson. Over the past year, I have been in charge of expanding our network and conducting market research. The first three months after I joined the company were during the lockdown period, so there were limited things I could do. In Vietnam and in this industry, face-to-face interactions are common practice, and I was not used to meeting people online, so it was difficult. When I was unable to move around much, I worried about whether I was fulfilling my job role and how I could utilize my abilities.

Trang: I am the manager of administrative tasks related to human resources, general affairs, and accounting. I perform my daily duties with the support of our partner companies. For example, in terms of recruitment, HR consulting is not often used in Vietnam, so I was in charge of posting the details of ASNOVA's positions on a job site and arranging interviews.

We also prepared for the first Equipment Center store to open in Vietnam, and we received more than 100 applications for the Center Manager opening.

In Vietnam, new companies are popular places to work. The reason is that in existing Vietnamese companies, there are few opportunities for new employees to become managers, so those who are motivated to advance their careers and are early members have more opportunities. In addition, we handle all aspects of company operations, such as general affairs, preparation of new offices, bicycle parking, and internet, so it feels like we are providing a service to everyone who works there!

My Hanh: Besides my regular work, I was preparing to exhibit at VIETBUILD, a large construction exhibition. Although it was before the establishment of the local subsidiary, we exhibited for the first time in order to increase awareness and expand our network. I worked with Tran on everything from applying for the exhibition to setting up the booth.

Trang: We arranged for Japanese and Vietnamese interpreters and created pamphlets and novelty goods.

What kind of exhibition is VIETBUILD 2022?	The event will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for four days from June 24 to 28. Many local companies, Asian countries, Europe and the United States participated, and the latest products and services related to architecture, construction materials, real estate, interior and exterior decoration were presented at 2,000 booths. * The state of the exhibition will be distributed on KAKERUBA at a later date.

What kind of exhibition is VIETBUILD 2022?

The event will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for four days from June 24 to 28. Many local companies, Asian countries, Europe and the United States participated, and the latest products and services related to architecture, construction materials, real estate, interior and exterior decoration were presented at 2,000 booths. * The state of the exhibition will be distributed on KAKERUBA at a later date.

The opening ceremony and our booth

Exhibition in Vietnam

This exhibition was the first opportunity for people in Vietnam to learn about ASNOVA. What were your thoughts when you went to this exhibition?

My Hanh: Before the event started, I was a bit unsure of what to expect. I knew that some of the other exhibitors had very extravagant booths, so I was a bit worried that ours might be a bit plain, or that we wouldn't attract attention.

There were four people, including Chan, who were in charge of company presentations at the exhibition, and when we listened to their feedback, they said, "I was surprised that more people were interested in our products than I expected." I felt the same way.

The reaction to the Japanese products was as good as expected, so I'm sure everyone understands that the quality is good. However, there is an image that "Japanese products = expensive," so I think pricing and other aspects will be an issue.

Trang: We were really looking forward to spreading our brand mark through the exhibition. As a new company, we think it will be difficult to expand if we don't make a good impression in Vietnam, so we hoped that this exhibition would help us to convey our strengths.

In addition, two Japanese-speaking interpreters joined us as temporary staff, and we wanted those who worked for such a short time to want to work for ASNOVA in the future. We prepared for them to fully understand the company and our services, and to do their best to explain them. As a result, we were glad that we received a good evaluation.

What was the actual response and reaction of visitors?

My Hanh: Some of us are already negotiating with a communication tool called Zalo*. We are sending you a quote and detailing our services. There were a few people who wanted to rent right now. Since the current law has not yet been established, we are currently using the method of introducing partner companies that provided ASNOVA's scaffolding equipment.

*Zalo is a social networking site that is like the Vietnamese version of LINE. It is used not only for personal purposes but also frequently for business purposes.

Trang: More people than I expected stopped by and showed interest in our services.

We were able to hear what kind of people in the industry are interested in renting a scaffolding, what kind of projects are available, and what problems they have with the scaffolding they are currently using. The good thing was that we were able to create a splendid booth even in a small area. At first, I was worried about the size of the booth, such as whether I would be able to secure a position for the exhibitors. It's small, but I'm glad I was able to stand out.

Miihan is always looking for new opportunities and never loses her ambition

Company Culture and Values

What do you think are the differences between corporate cultures in Japan and Vietnam?

My Hanh: I've only worked for Japanese companies, but the employees were all Vietnamese, so I'll talk from that perspective. I think the biggest difference is how employees treat each other. In Japan, even if you get along with your coworkers, they each have their own privacy, but in Vietnam, I think that close colleagues often share information about their families.

For example, Chan and I get along well, so we can talk about our family situations and consult each other about our worries. I think this is a good thing. Being able to talk about things other than work and relieve stress helps us work more effectively. When I see Chan's face that day, I immediately know that something happened today, and by listening to him, I can relieve some of the stress to a certain extent, which makes it easier to work. I hope that this kind of environment can be created at work.

Trang: I have only ever worked for Japanese companies in Vietnam, so based on that experience and what I have heard from others, I think Japanese companies follow the rules more strictly. There are procedures for every job, and they are followed. Vietnam is changing now, but small companies sometimes don't have rules or division of labor. I think larger companies have strict rules.

Office in preparation - Create your places of tomorrow with the power of "kasetsu". This is where the first step begins.

Finally, please tell us about your future activities and enthusiasm.

My Hanh: Yes, I want to create a good environment for my coworkers. I want to work happily together and make the people I work with happy.

When I went to Japan for training, I was very impressed with the environment that President Ueda created, so I would like to create a similar environment in Vietnam.

Trang: I have a long list of tasks to do, such as the establishment of the current law, the interior work of the new office, the office move, the recruitment of staff, legal affairs, the preparation of signage, the launch of the equipment center, etc., but I like to be busy, so I don't have any problems. Among them, there are two things that I would like to value. The first is to ensure that the establishment of the current law goes smoothly. The second is to keep the staff members who have joined the company motivated to work. No matter how much you create a company, you will be in trouble if you are not motivated, so we will support you firmly. Many people choose not only companies with good conditions, but also an environment with a good atmosphere and a comfortable working environment, so I would like to achieve the latter.