September 12, 2023
Kemin's Hung Tran: Success rooted in perennial engagement with customers in Vietnam
Kemin has recently appointed Hung Tran as country president of the company's office in Vietnam.
"Maintaining a customer-centred approach is essential to increase customer satisfaction," he tells eFeedLink, expressing a need to continue engaging with customers "to provide solutions to current market challenges."
"Through this process, we are able to glean valuable insights and analysis that allow us to remain vigilant in meeting their needs effectively," he adds. "Building strong relationships with our customers is vital to our success, and we are committed to providing them with the best possible experience."
Tran shares more about his perspectives concerning Kemin's activities in Vietnam
Hung Tran, country president (Vietnam) of Kemin
What do you perceive as crucial levers of success for Kemin's business in Vietnam?
Hung Tran: I believe value creation is crucial to building long-term relationships with customers in Vietnam. The continuous value creation approach involves identifying customers' problems and then providing solutions that meet their needs directly and improve their business.
Our customers' needs change over time. Hence, Kemin continues to focus on value creation through innovation to produce solutions tailored to their needs.
Another lever is maintaining strong relationships with customers, local distributors and partners. Through close communication, these partnerships within the industry can help Kemin attain valuable market insights for creating value for our customers to help them navigate local challenges.
What are the challenges faced by Vietnam's livestock and feed sectors, and how would Kemin help to address these challenges?
Hung Tran: In regards to Vietnam at present, we still face a market environment that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous — in short, VUCA. There is the volatility of pig prices and the uncertainty of raw ingredients supply due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Last but not least is the ambiguity of the market's economic conditions and resource consumption.
In light of these developments, the Kemin Science Optimized Savings (SOS) programme remains relevant today, offering our customers cost-saving solutions to help them navigate the challenges of a turbulent market environment. Key solutions highlighted in the programme include enzymes (KEMZYME™), bio-emulsifiers (LYSOFORTE™) and feed technology solutions (millSMART™) that focus on helping customers reduce costs by improving their feed and production efficiency through efficient feed formulation and production processes respectively. The impact of implementing the SOS programme on the bottom line is achieving cost savings estimated at approximately US$0.05 per bird and US$2 per head of pigs.
Another noteworthy challenge is the increased scrutiny over antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) inclusion in poultry feed due to their antimicrobial resistance and residual effects in meat and eggs. Therefore, Kemin has stepped up efforts to develop viable probiotic solutions and gut health parameters to replace AGPs in broilers. One such solution is ENTEROSURE™, a proprietary blend of probiotic Bacillus strains that secretes antimicrobial metabolites and quorum-quenching molecules to directly inhibit and manage the growth of specific pathogenic bacteria and promote, restore and maintain a healthy microbiome, enabling the product to address intestinal health challenges by means of Clostridium perfringens and E. coli inhibition as well as Salmonella management.
Current consolidated results indicate that ENTEROSURE™ is a viable alternative to AGPs for sustainable antibiotic-free poultry production.
What are the important developments of Kemin that will be happening in Vietnam in the coming years?
Hung Tran: As a global company, we understand the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and safeguarding natural resources. Kemin firmly believes that sustainability is crucial for healthy people, a healthy planet and a healthy business.
Given our role as a provider of essential ingredients for animal nutrition and health, we are committed to ensuring that our actions align with our values in contributing to a greener future.
As we continue to help our customers navigate the current market turmoil, apart from Kemin's antibiotic reduction solutions, we will also focus on improving our sustainability programmes.
To that end, we will be rolling out the millSMARTTM ONLINE application soon, which will feature an enhanced dashboard for feed producers, allowing them to see the added value and benefits of millSMART in real-time, including sustainability contributions like carbon footprint savings and water footprint savings.
In your position as country president of Vietnam, what do you strive to bring to your role and Kemin's presence in the Vietnamese market?
Hung Tran: Having a new role gives me the chance to expand my expertise. I believe building strong and mutually beneficial partnerships is a cornerstone of successful business growth.
In today's interconnected and dynamic business landscape, collaborating effectively with partners can unlock new opportunities, drive innovation and create lasting value. This mindset is reflected in the quality of products and services we offer and our dedication to providing exceptional customer experiences in everything we do.
- Terry Tan, eFeedLink
