Unilever: Strong Commitments to the Future of Vietnam

On its 15th Anniversary in Vietnam, Unilever Vietnam is honoured with the prestigious first rank Labour Medal by the President of the State of Vietnam. With this, Unilever Vietnam has become the first foreign-invested company in its industry, and among very few foreign invested firms in Vietnam, to be honoured with this prestigious award. This honour marks a new milestone in the operation of Unilever Vietnam, furthering its leading position as one of the most successful businesses in its industry in Vietnam as well as reaffirming its strong commitments to the future of Vietnam and its people.

Starting operation in Vietnam in 1995, Unilever Vietnam has continuously achieved strong and solid growth over the last 15 years, averaging at double digit growth and resulting in total revenues of nearly one percent of the country’s GDP as of 2009. The company is employing 1,500 direct employees and over 7,000 indirect people. The company’s factory in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City not only shows Unilever Vietnam’s strong commitments to technology, innovation and quality but also stands among the best run factories within the Unilever group.

With its stated mission being to help improve the life of every Vietnamese, Unilever Vietnam has always considered Vietnamese consumers as its first priority through its commitment to providing international quality product choices that aim to satisfy the needs of Vietnamese consumers across different income segments. Almost all of Unilever Vietnam’s brands have successfully established themselves as leading brands in all categories that they compete. Brands like OMO, Lifebuoy, Sunsilk, Clear, Pond’s, P/S, Lipton, Knorr, VISO, VIM, Sunlight … have become number one household brands in Vietnam as illustrated by the fact that nearly five million products from Unilever Vietnam reach local households everyday across the country. From 1995 to 2009, the company delivered more than 540 product innovations to the market, and is Vietnam’s number one company for market and consumer insights research.

The first 15 year journey of Unilever in Vietnam has witnessed the rapid development and expansion of the company’s Sales and Distribution network which is regarded as one of the best in Vietnam, with 100 pecent coverage in every village, city and provincial town, about 180 distributors nation-wide, and business cooperation with all fast growing modern trade chains in Vietnam, ensuring availability of products to consumers whenever they need.

The most important factor underlying the success of Unilever Vietnam in the last 15 years is the fact that not only it is successful as a business, but it has become a deeply rooted business entity in the local economy and community, successfully cultivated and nurtured a very close links and partnerships with local SMEs, whether they are partners, suppliers, 3Ps or distributors. Unilever Vietnam is maintaining close business relationship with a network of ten 3P manufacturers, over 100 raw material and packaging suppliers. Specifically, the close and mutually beneficial relationship between Unilever Vietnam and local SMEs has evolved from direct investment of capital in technology and assets; transfer of technology and skills; technical assistance to local SMEs to close cooperation with local 3Ps via contract manufacturing and technical assistance for enhancing local firm’s competitiveness, both in local and export markets, to future cooperation in local production of import substitutions in raw materials, as seen in the long-term strategic cooperation agreement between Unilever Vietnam and Vietnam National Chemicals Group (Vinachem) signed in 2009.

The journey of Unilever Vietnam in the past 15 years has also seen the company as an excellent case to prove that through its business a company can make real contributions that help both promote the business and benefit the society. Unilever Vietnam has succeeded in using the company’s competencies (including its brands, its scale and presence in the market, its people …) to help address the country’s key social concerns and problems. Focusing in three key areas as health and hygiene; education and children development; and women empowerment, Unilever Vietnam has implemented its CSR commitments through the long-term strategic partnership with the relevant Government authority (Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education and Training; and the Vietnam Women Association); annual grants and donation made through the Unilever Vietnam Foundation (UVF) to community-initiated projects; and through its employees’ own donation and efforts. In the past 5 years, Unilever Vietnam has committed over VND 70 billion per year to all CSR activities by its brands and corporate, having benefited millions of Vietnamese people, especially women and children across Vietnam, particularly in disadvantaged and remote areas.

Unilever Vietnam is proud of the success that it has achieved in its first 15 years in Vietnam, and is committed to growing with Vietnam towards a better future.

VCCI

Tags: Unilever Vietnam, Vietnam enterprises

Posted by VBN on May 5 2010. Filed under Enterprises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry