An Viet Long flying high in domestic tech sector

Why is your company shifting focus to the Vietnam market for the coming year, instead of concentrating on exports as usual?

As you know, An Viet Long Co., Ltd (AVL), a 100-per-cent Vietnamese workforce collaborating with experts from Italy, Thailand, Russia, and China in the manufacturing of the best and most competitive products, specialises in producing radio-controlled airplane toys as well as remote controlled helicopters for crop spraying. Initially, we did outsourcing for other companies, then after doing some market research we invested more in technology and personnel, and built our brand on direct exports. We started off in a 100-square-metre workshop with ten employees in 2007. However, now we have grown to a staff of 300, with a 6,000-square-metre workshop. Mostly our projects are exported to the US, Canada, and Germany, etc. Recently we noticed that industry in Vietnam is growing very fast as more big companies are moving their production facilities here to capitalise on the fast-growing market. Companies such as Apple, Boeing, and Airbus have already set up in Vietnam, with many more expanding their investment. The upcoming AEC and TPP present huge opportunities for many more companies in terms of economically efficient and convenient mass production. That’s the reason why we now see more room for us to develop within the Vietnamese market over the time to come, and benefit from opportunities to gain a competitive position in the ASEAN region as well as the global market.

Who are your target customers, and what key products are you offering them?

AVL conducts its business in the following industries: aerospace, dental equipment, telecommunication accessories, remote control helicopters, aerial photography, carbon fibre rotor blades for remote control helicopters, precision agriculture equipment, body 3D scanning and 3D printers, aluminium anodising, water decal, composite arts, multiple colour chrome plating, and motorcycle parts.

We believe Vietnam is potentially a lucrative market for us as we can reach buyers via our CNC machining service, our metal surface finishing and new electrophoretic coating technology. Vietnam will also be an important platform for us to launch our latest SLA 3D printers.

With this leading-edge technology, all of the collected data will be sent to the server in Vietnam to process and construct the 3D images. Customers can also keep the scanned image file for future printing. The company is currently sourcing high-resolution cameras at a reasonable price in order to manufacture low-cost 3D scanners in large numbers. Compared to the hand-held 3D scanners currently available, this model has been designed to be faster and more affordable in order to meet customer demand. At Vietnam Manufacturing Expo 2016, AVL highlighted our key products with an aim to introducing new equipment and products with outstanding quality and competitive prices to prospective customers.

You mentioned the opportunities available to Vietnam’s manufacturers to gain a competitive position in the ASEAN region and global market, but is there a downside?

In the field of information and technology, like in other firms, the main obstacle is in human resources. The shortage of skilled workers will hinder both domestic and FDI firms, as the demand for jobs is very high. We will have to compete with other countries for FDI by increasing workers’ productivity, not by offering lower wages. At present, the productivity of Vietnamese workers is low compared to regional peers like China or Thailand.

As most enterprises active in the supporting industries are small- and medium-sized, they are weak in finance and governance and typically unable to access modern technology. Meanwhile, the use of modern technology is now a requirement for many international enterprises, and this is a fact that Vietnamese industries can no longer afford to ignore.

Given the AEC and the upcoming TPP, more high precision products are being requested. What is AVL’s plan for providing more quality products and serving the increasing demand in Vietnam as well as in other countries and regions?

The first priority in this plan is human resources, followed by good final products, and finally selling strategies. Be persistent, maintain a strategic mindset, and always retain the desire to explore and learn worthwhile things from others.

AVL has always been driven by a global ambition to provide customers with the best products so they can enjoy their hobbies at an affordable price.

To facilitate this goal, the company has exported remote control helicopters to over 100 countries, and has increased its development in Vietnam market.

To keep up with expectations from an increasingly global customer base, the company is always looking for the latest technology to redesign its products. This cannot be done without the support of the talented people and foreign specialists in AVL.

AVL is putting great effort into joining the trade exhibition where they can introduce quality products to a wide base of potential customers. This year, AVL joined the Vietnam Manufacturing Expo – the international event which provides us with a golden opportunity to show the power and capability of AVL’s products, such as our CNC machining service and chemical, as well as technology for metal surface finishing for our new electrophoretic coating. It was also an important platform to introduce our latest SLA 3D printers to a broad range of potential customers.