Unilever upgrades Asian distribution

Having completed the year long initial €12m construction, the company claims the site will boast some of the most modern equipment in Vietnam to maintain supply of its food, beverage and personal care ranges in the country. Unilever told local press sources that its current fragmented warehousing within the country was not sufficient for its growth ambitions in the wider region, which have become increasingly significant following the country's accession to the WTO earlier this year. As such, the site -the largets of its kind in the country - is expected to complement the group's growing interests within Vietnam and the wider Asia Pacific region. With the first construction phase now finished, the centre will boast a 33,000 square metre warehouse space capable of shipping 2,000 tonnes of goods a day. Outside of Vietnam, Unilever expects to supply over 18 markets within the region through the centre. These will include countries like Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and New Zealand. Greg Sullivan, Unilever's vice president of supply chains in the country, told AP-FoodTechnology.com that the construction was an important step in fully realising the potential for its products in the area. "​Vietnam​ is regarded as a bright star because of its high economic growth rate, young population with most people being under 25, and stable micro-economic environment,"​ he said. "We started in​ Vietnam​ in 1995, and are very pleased with the growth of Unilever​ Vietnam​ over the past 12 years." ​