Bühler serving basic human needs with technology

Phan Thanh Nhat, Director of Bühler Asia Vietnam Limited

The world-renowned Swiss company is, among other things, a specialist and technology partner for plant and equipment as well as related services for processing basic foods and making high-grade materials.

The company gets its name from its founder, Adolf Bühler and three sisters from the 5th generation of the Bühler family sits in the board of directors. 2020 marked the 160th anniversary of the company that has made sustainability a trademark, consistently expanding its reach.

“Every day, billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies to cover their basic needs for food and mobility, and more. Its technologies are in your smartphone, solar panels, diapers, lipstick, banknotes, the foods you eat, and the vehicles you drive,” a company statement says.

In its business, Bühler partners with customers from the early stage of advising on product ideas and supporting their execution. This allows it to develop and customize product lines in an optimal manner.

“We strive to create innovations for a better world, with a special focus on healthy, safe, and sustainable solutions. We stay updated on local and international food trends. Creating new solutions to answer unique needs of the customer will always be a Bühler practice,” said Phan Thanh Nhat, Director of Bühler Asia Vietnam Limited.

In 2016, Bühler Asia Vietnam celebrated the opening of its factory in Long An Province. The 4,500 square meter factory produces auxiliaries and machines for Vietnam’s unique and developing rice market. In doing so, it lends a helping hand to Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Important market

“Vietnam has some advantages including being a top-five rice exporter for the last five years, contributing more than 10 percent of regional exports; and a fast-growing animal feed market for the last three years. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, we still foresee occupying a strategic position in the Vietnamese market. Bühler Vietnam is the only branch in Southeast Asia region with production facilities which mainly serve the rice segment. By building the technologies locally in Vietnam, we aim to promote high quality, hygienic products that can meet rising demand not only in Vietnam but also developed countries and territories like Europe, Japan and the US. As a technology leader in automatic machinery and more user-friendly interfaces, Bühler can ensure suitability and consistency in rice quality, which is the biggest challenge for Vietnam’s rice exporters”, Nhat said.

In the next five years, “we expect a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7-10 percent,” he added. The key factor for achieving this ambitious target is the company’s human resources, Nhat said. The company’s position as a regional hub for grain handling expertise, offering process technology know-how and project execution services, provides employees with opportunities for on-the-job training as well as international exposure through job rotation among Southeast Asian countries and beyond.

Nhat said that developing new sales channels and working with partners, was also a focus in Vietnam, allowing smaller customers to access Bühler technology with limited investments.

“Adapting to the digitalization era in Vietnam, we are offering innovative service packages like remote maintenance contracts, flexible maintenance contracts, and cloud-based platform to remotely monitor the performance of a plant. Each package can be customized depending on clients’ needs, be it a big factory or a small, privately owned processing business,” Nhat said.