Southeast Asia: Popular as manufacturing back-up
For almost four decades, a. hartrodt has established strong roots and an excellent network in the region.
More and more companies are setting up an alternative or additional production site in Southeast Asia. In this growth region, a. hartrodt has had strong roots for almost four decades with a tight network. The freight forwarder employs over 400 people in more than 20 offices in Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. In Thailand, a. hartrodt has a joint venture, and in Cambodia and Laos local agents. "For German or European companies with regional headquarters in Southeast Asia, we are the ideal logistics partner," says Nils Hansen, National Sales Manager at a. hartrodt Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
Vietnam: Young, multilingual workforce
"In Vietnam, Korean electronics companies such as Samsung and LG are investing a tremendous amount in production sites," reports Thorne Laudy, Managing Director of a. hartrodt logistics (Vietnam) in Ho Chi Minh City. For a long time, Vietnam was regarded as a "low-wage country" for textile and shoe production, but according to Laudy, the young, multilingual workforce "with a very good school education" is increasingly taking on more complicated tasks.
Malaysia: Demand for project logistics
Malaysia has long been established as a production site, "for example, for high-quality medical products, electronics and semiconductors or automotive suppliers," says Hansen. Foreign direct investment in Malaysia is currently on the rise, which also reflects the demand for project logistics at a. hartrodt: "We are importing production machinery for the new factory of a European packaging manufacturer," Hansen explains. Furthermore, he says, a German furnishing manufacturer wants to set up a plant in Malaysia in addition to Shanghai. Customers in Vietnam include an electric car manufacturer that wants to set up factories in the USA and Germany.
However, Hansen reports from Southeast Asia that "many things work more manually" than in Europe. "Documents have to be stamped by customs at the terminal," Laudy gives an example. But Hansen emphasizes: "Customers can trust our local knowledge and high standards due to German management."