TBS and Journey to Set New Position for Vietnam's Footwear Industry

Being confident about the talent and competence of Vietnamese people, for the past thirty years, Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of TBS Group, and his colleagues have built and developed TBS to prove the potential of the Vietnamese industry in the international market.

Established in 1989, after more than 30 years of innovation and development, TBS Group has risen to become a leading apparel producer and a real estate investor and developer in the region and in the world.

Starting with only a small leather shoes factory, innovative approaches, strategies, policies and strong supply chains, TBS Group has developed sustainably. The group successfully transformed technological value and human resources into added value to customers and became a strategic partner of customers and an important link in the global value chain.

In the fashion industry, especially the footwear industry, TBS Group is an industry leader in Vietnam. The increasing number of big orders from world-renowned footwear brands, such as Decathlon, Skechers and Wolverine, is a testament to the continuous sustainable development and the right approach to innovation and investment for the future, set by TBS Group leaders.

Behind the proud achievements of TBS Group is the story about a man of Thai Binh province, Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuan - President of TBS Group. In his childhood when he witnessed hardships in his homeland, he always desired to do something helpful for the country and hoped to make the country as rich and strong as powerful nations in the world. When he was an adult, he still kept these aspirations. After he returned from the army, he continued to study to realize his aspirations.

Immediately after discharge from the army, he and his two teammates, Cao Thanh Bich and Nguyen Thanh Son, joined the economic front with bold thinking and plans to build a business. Since the beginning of 1989, their brainchild, TBS Group, has today become one of the largest shoemakers in Vietnam and reached the international level.

Innovations for sustainability

While developing its business scope, TBS Group has applied many advanced management tools such as SAP ERP management system to business administration, personnel and warehousing. The group applied Lean Manufacturing to manufacturing and continually trained administrators and executives at all levels.

Currently, TBS Group is focusing on investing and developing six key business fields: Footwear manufacturing, bag manufacturing, real estate and infrastructure investment - business - management, port and logistics, travel, and trade in services. Not only growing in size, TBS is becoming a well-performing company with a nationwide factory and warehouse system which now hires around 50,000 employees. The group has also expanded its business to regional and global markets, thus creating a new face for the Vietnamese economy.

Each business and each factory of TBS Group has certain achievements. TBS Song Tra Factory is a typical example. With the group’s vision and strategy of relocating production facilities to areas capable of forming a sustainable workforce, TBS Song Tra was established in Thai Binh province where the TBS Group President was born. The factory, which is well-known for law observance, provides jobs for more than 2,000 employees and actively develops the fashion industry and the economy of Thai Binh province.

After more than five years of development, the factory’s output reached over 3 million bags by the first half of 2020. It makes high-quality bags, creates the best value for customers and leads the backpack-handbag sector in the country.

In addition, TBS Song Tra Factory will focus on fulfilling the orders from Vera Bradley, appropriately arrange the layout, complete the production process, and improve labor productivity. From 2020 onwards, it will make Vera the second crucial customer which is as important as Decathlon.

Led by TBS Group's 30-year development history, the journey of Thai Binh province-based TBS Song Tra is still long and its development potential remains huge. This is evidenced by the group’s successful results after a long and challenging journey. The challenge will be present to the footwear industry in general and to each TBS staff in particular. In addition to well-prepared investment in new technology, world-class management systems, challenges in human resources and training and input supply, TBS Group must measure and understand changes in market trends, economic risks and sector risks. The smooth coordination between the company with authorities and between managers and employees will help TBS Group improve its resistance and sustainable competitiveness.

According to President Nguyen Duc Thuan, with a pure heart, a strong footing and sharp vision, we can do whatever the world can, if we believe in it.

Source: Vietnam Business Forum