Located in the southern part of Vietnam is the country's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. With Vietnam having been a French colony until 1954, this city features a wealth of classic Western architecture whose beauty has led to Ho Chi Minh's being celebrated as "the Pearl of the Far East."
In 2005, CEO Ishimi selected the Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) in Binh Duong Province, just to the north of Ho Chi Minh, as the company's Vietnamese production base. The choice was made following a preliminary inspection of four sites in the vicinity of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.
Binh Duong Province ranks second only to Hi Chi Minh City for the number of investments in foreign enterprises made domestically in Vietnam. Making use of the excellent conditions favoring this suburban area, the province was the first in Vietnam to promote construction of industrial parks, and it now basks in the limelight drawing attention from around the world as a new base of production for the Asian market.
After a Japanese-style ground-breaking ceremony in October 2006, construction of the factory was completed in February of 2007, with operation commencing the following month. Much effort went into the design of the plant. In the CEO's words, "A good building makes you want to make good products. I want this place to inspire craftsmanship with pride." With a stream flowing through the half-dome shaped entrance lending an air of openness, the truth is that this factory is a thing of beauty. It appears to have a good effect on the workers' motivation.
In the end, though, quality in craftsmanship comes down to the people involved. Production has begun with the company earnestly imparting TG's "ISM" ideals while simultaneously maintaining respect for the local culture and characteristics. Although not yet functioning at a high rate of operation, we anticipate that within two to three years this production base will assume a significant role in furthering the TG brand. The objective as cited by our CEO: "This factory is to reach high operational levels on par with the Thailand plant which has seen such success over these last ten years." That is the sort of rapid progress expected of this facility.