Rentokil Initial boosts Vietnam brand
Rentokil Initial boosts Vietnam brand
The trade pacts that Vietnam has joined recently, and the rising income in the country have had a positive impact on the hygiene, pest control, and premium scenting business here. Paul Clifford, managing director of pest control and hygiene service provider, Rentokil Initial Vietnam, spoke with VIR’s Hong Anh about how the above factors have affected the company’s global growth plan and led to an increase in the demand for Rentokil Initial’s services.
Rentokil Initial has had a presence in Vietnam since 2007. Who have been your main customers?
Rentokil Initial is a global brand so firstly we have many foreign customers that operate businesses in Vietnam. They have used Rentokil Initial’s services before so when they come to Vietnam they are happy to repeat their business with us. Recently however, we have seen a growing domestic customer base. When domestic companies want to export their products, they need a partner to help them meet the requirements of their customers offshore.
Which sectors have seen the biggest increase in the demand for your services?
The biggest so far would be the industrial food processing sector. Many domestic companies want to grow their food processing market, and introduction of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is going to result in more export and import and higher regulatory standards. Rentokil Initial provides not only pest control services but also supply the necessary reports, for example, monthly pest and hygiene reporting, so that when our customers’ products go to other countries they meet all requirements. Customers can trust in Rentokil Initial because they can be sure that the documentation is exactly what the regulatory body is looking for. Moreover, it’s an ongoing partnership. We can partner with companies from the very beginning, even offering advice on initial construction. For buildings that are already operating, we advise them on how they can improve the integrity at the site.
So it’s not just about changing baits, it involves having a look at the whole pest management programme and continually offering advice. Some customers may be putting in another processing line or building another factory, there could be a change in supplier so we also need to make sure what’s coming in is not harbouring pests of any kind.
Besides food processing, in what other areas do your customers operate?
We have been focusing on offering high quality hygiene products to foreign hotels and resorts. They have had experience with Rentokil Initial before. Rentokil Initial not only offers various products but also provides a valuable service to compliment them. Moreover, renting your entire washroom service makes sound financial sense as you treat washroom service as a monthly operating cost rather than a balance sheet item, repair, maintenance and upgrade costs built in.
For hygiene, along with having our signature products, we also have a premium scenting range that is put through the AC unit of the hotel. A nice scent creates an ambience and is very effective to remind guests of the customer’s brand.
We also have a successful matting business where we can emblazon the customers' logo on the floor covering, and we can supply special mats for the kitchen that can catch spilt oil safely. A laundry service is available for all mats. For five-star resorts our services are very important, from the hygiene products to mats with their logo and a signature scent to add to their customer’s experience.
We’re not focusing entirely on international brands however. We’re here for the long term so we have been promoting our brands among local customers. We are very aware of the big organisations operating in Vietnam, and like to keep informed as to what their growth plans are.
Since a wide selection of your products is imported from the UK and the US, are your products and services affordable compared to other competitors?
We import from our trusted suppliers in the UK and the US. As it stands, if we were only operating in Vietnam, the cost would be high but because we have a presence around the world and have a good relationship with our suppliers we can keep our costs down.
We have to remain competitive as there are a lot of rival companies on the global market. We think competition is a good thing because it helps us to focus on innovation and to make sure our products and services are always improving.
Do you see big differences between Vietnam and other countries in the region in terms of hygiene standards?
It all depends on the development of the country, in the last years there has been a focus on infrastructure investment in Vietnam. People will need a hygiene standard to match. In the years to come, this will continue to improve as infrastructure improves.
