Fuchs North America in Southeast Asia!

A few weeks ago, three members of our team visited Indonesia and Vietnam, each for the first time, with goals of building supplier relationships, learning about product origins and processing and operational techniques, and understanding current and future supplier capabilities. Fortunately, all goals were met! On their return, Justin, Shara, and Angela were all asked about their professional and personal experiences on their exciting trip abroad, and their answers and stories are something you don’t want to miss.

Justin Silvia, Senior Purchasing Manager

After returning from Southeast Asia, Justin said it was not only an incredible professional journey, but an incredible personal journey as well. He had never been south of the Equator and was excited to build relationships with suppliers and learn more about the products he deals with on a regular basis.

What goals did you have at the start of the trip & were those goals met?

We were focused on building our supplier relationships with origin cassia producers/processors, both with current and prospective new suppliers.  We also wanted to learn about the differences in product origins, develop our understanding of processing and operational techniques, and familiarize ourselves with current and future supplier capabilities. For all objectives, mission accomplished!  (Although like many things in this industry, the learning is NEVER complete!)

Was there anything that surprised you or was unexpected?

Yes, the roads. Namely, the rules of the roadways and the people driving on them.  The best advice I got before I went on this trip was, “Do NOT rent a car.”  What a blessing that was, as I am not sure we would have survived had we try to drive on those roads ourselves!  First off, the wheel is on the right side of cars, they drive on the opposite side of the road, and the high-speed lanes are the right lanes… so everything is backwards from what we’re used to here in the US.  80% of commuters travel on motor bikes.  They are everywhere, they are in packs, and they drive all over the road – crossing lanes, squeezing between moving cars, and driving at you up a one-way road. And the intersections… my goodness, the INTERSECTIONS!  No one stops; it’s one big game of chicken.  We all thought it would be a great future reality TV show to have 20 Manhattan cabbies transported to downtown Jakarta and see who could make it longest without getting in an accident or cursing.  Over/under on the winner – 76 seconds.

What was your favorite meal?

There was so much great food!  We ate a lot of great meals in Indonesia and Vietnam.  My favorite was the Sumatran breakfasts.  They had amazing fruits – some of which us Americans were familiar with, others were new to us, but all were delicious – and the coffee is amazing!  They serve coffee in no more than 4oz servings.  When you drink it, you learn quickly why!  “Robust” was redefined on this trip!

What was your favorite part of the trip overall?

It was great to get to meet the people and immerse ourselves in new cultures.  We learned some Bahasa Indonesian and could make it around speaking in simple polite language: Salamat pagi (good morning), terima kasih (thank you) and sama sama (you’re welcome) were our personal favorite phrases.  Also, some of the scenery in Sumatra was breathtakingly beautiful.  Flying into Padang, we saw gorgeous coastal beaches in front of villages with the mountains rising high up on the horizon behind.  From a scenic highlight, that was top for me!

Do you have any funny/interesting stories you’d like to share?

My advice when travelling into a country that requires a visa: Inspect the visa you are provided closely and intensely as soon as you receive it, and check for typos before you travel. I entered my visa application with the correct dates on my passport, but the Vietnamese authorities made a typo when issuing the visa.  Customs did not care who made the mistake when I was boarding a connector flight; they would not allow me on the plane with the typo! $250 and a day later, I had a corrected visa and our travel schedule continued, albeit behind schedule and with much frustration on my end.

One of our suppliers also gave us each the gift of an Indonesian sailboat made entirely of cloves!  Of course, the fragile and beautiful pieces were provided to us on our first stop, and we had the challenge of transporting these for over a week from plane to plane and location to location without destroying them.  There were some close calls, but the ships made it back almost entirely intact!

Shara Birchfield, Director of Operations

Shara’s primary goal was to gain an even deeper understanding of the processes that our cinnamon undergoes before it arrives at our facility. It’s important that, as a manufacturer, we see the complete process our products go through when we have the opportunity to do so. By doing this, we are better equipped to give detailed explanations of these processes to our customers.

Was there anything that surprised you or was unexpected?

All of the suppliers we visited in various phases of major line/equipment/plant improvements, and the speed of execution was much faster than we’re used to in the US. Additionally, the size and overall impressiveness of >4% VO cassia bark was surprising; I had no idea it could be so immense.

What was your favorite meal?

The cultural norm in both Indonesia and Vietnam is to order a lot of different foods and put them in the center of the table for everyone to grab some and eat, so I didn’t have a favorite meal. However, the coffee in Indonesia was incredible! I also enjoyed eating the fresh, local fruits. Fruit drinks were very common and available, which I also loved (avocado and lychee were my favorites). The Vietnamese egg coffee was also unique and delicious. The oddest things that I ate, that I can recall, while I was there were beef tongue and squid ink fried rice.

What was your favorite part of the trip overall?

The whole experience collectively was remarkable, but Padang felt the most unlike the Western world and I enjoyed a break from the norm to see something vastly different.

Do you have any funny/interesting stories you’d like to share?

The tables and chairs in Vietnam are so tiny! When we went to a coffee shop, the table came up to my shins, and we sat on tiny little chairs where my knees were above the table. This was common for casual seating.

Angela Wagner, Food Safety Compliance Specialist

Angela’s primary interest was gaining as much information as possible from our suppliers. During the trip, she was able to do that and more. However, as Justin has said, “Like many things in this industry, the learning is NEVER complete!”

Was there anything that surprised you or was unexpected?

The fruity drinks at the Indonesian coffee shop.  They are big on sweets, and I love sweets, so I really enjoyed that! The driving in Indonesia was very interesting; everyone ignores red lights and stop signs. The biggest kicker is that there is no road rage; everyone just maneuvers around each other. I also thought it was interesting that in Vietnam everyone sits on very short chairs and tables. Everywhere we went in Hanoi, there were short, tiny chairs and plastic benches.

What was your favorite meal?

My favorite meals were Nasi Kuning (an Indonesian rice dish) and Kangkung (a vegetable from the sea made with garlic).

What was your favorite part of the trip overall?

I really enjoyed Padang and seeing the water and rainforest. I loved being right by the Indian sea and seeing the mountains. I also loved the islands that we saw as we were driving around Padang.

Do you have any funny/interesting stories you’d like to share?

We ended up getting stuck in Malaysia for a night! Also, there was a 6’5” tall man in a coffee shop that we went to in Hanoi who was trying his best to sit on the tiny and short chair.

A Trip to Remember

Without a doubt, Shara, Justin, and Angela will never forget their trip to Vietnam and Indonesia. Back at Fuchs North America, we were happy to hear all their fun and adventurous stories.

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