Vietnam, with its remarkable economic growth, is home to many well-known companies deeply rooted in local life. Quite a few Vietnamese people come to Japan to gain experience, dreaming of being hired by such companies. Here we introduce four famous local companies that Vietnamese people aspire to join.

Famous Vietnamese Company 1: Vingroup

Vingroup is a massive conglomerate spanning a wide range of businesses. Cities are filled with shops and high-rise condominiums bearing the “Vin~” name.

Vingroup: A Major Force in Retail

In the city centers of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, you will find Vincom shopping centers. Lined with luxury brand stores and more, these commercial facilities are also popular with Japanese tourists. The supermarket VinMart and convenience store VinMart+ were acquired in 2021 by another well-known local company, Masan Group, and renamed WinMart and WinMart+.

Strong Influence in Real Estate as Well

Vietnam is currently in the midst of a furious development boom. In areas after land readjustment, high-rise apartments for the wealthy are increasingly lining the streets. Vingroup (Vinhomes) is often involved as a developer in these projects. It frequently partners with major Japanese firms such as Nomura Real Estate, making it one of the companies with high demand for Vietnamese people who can speak Japanese.

Famous Vietnamese Company 2: Vinamilk

When you visit the dairy section of a supermarket in Vietnam, you will find large displays of milk, yogurt, cheese, and other products manufactured by Vinamilk.

Vinamilk Products Essential to Vietnamese Households

Vietnamese people love dairy products. Households stock up on milk, yogurt, and more. Vinamilk is a major Vietnamese dairy manufacturer founded in 1976 and one of the country’s longer-established private companies. Through a series of successful M&A deals, it has expanded into every category, including soy milk, cheese, and ice cream in addition to milk and yogurt.

Vinamilk Is Also Active in Exports

While Vinamilk dominates Vietnam’s dairy market, it is also known for actively exporting overseas. In addition to Southeast Asian countries such as Cambodia and the Philippines, exports to Middle Eastern and Western countries stand out. It has not yet entered Japan, but the day may come when Vinamilk products line supermarket shelves there.

Famous Vietnamese Company 3: Trung Nguyen Coffee

Vietnamese coffee is a must-try when traveling in Vietnam. Among the many coffee companies competing with one another, Trung Nguyen Coffee is regarded as the No. 1 player by market share.

Operating Trung Nguyen Legend

Various coffee chains operate in Vietnam, and among them Trung Nguyen Legend projects a more upscale atmosphere. Typical café chains broaden their menus with arrangements such as lattes, but Trung Nguyen Legend is distinctive in that customers can order by bean type.

Also Drew Attention Over the Founders’ Divorce Drama

Trung Nguyen Coffee was founded by the couple Dang Le Nguyen Vu and Le Hoang Diep Thao. They are also known for a bitter divorce battle over assets totaling approximately 7.932 trillion VND (about 37.8 billion yen). The couple’s assets had not previously been disclosed, but the series of disputes brought to light that they had built enormous wealth through coffee.

Famous Vietnamese Company 4: Truong Hai Auto (THACO)

Truong Hai Auto is a Vietnamese company that manufactures and develops passenger and commercial vehicles, and is popularly known by the nickname THACO.

Vietnam’s Auto Market Dominated by Imports

In Vietnam, from the standpoint of environmental protection and other factors, taxes nearly equal to the purchase price of the vehicle itself must be paid. As a result, motorcycles are the primary means of transportation, and car ownership among Vietnamese people was limited to the wealthy. Recently, as incomes have risen across the Vietnamese population, more households own private cars. Even so, imports from the United States, Japan, South Korea, and elsewhere remain the mainstay.

Also Contributing to Mazda’s Penetration in Vietnam

The types of vehicles manufactured by Truong Hai Auto range widely, including passenger cars, trucks, buses, and agricultural machinery. It has also expanded into real estate and infrastructure development for industrial parks, and into commercial services such as shopping malls and convention centers. In Vietnam, Mazda ranks high in name recognition after Toyota, and the reason is that Vina Mazda, a joint venture with Truong Hai Auto, was established and produces Mazda vehicles.

Conclusion

In socialist Vietnam, state-owned enterprises still hold a certain degree of influence, but with the advance of market-oriented reforms, private companies have also grown in presence. Many private firms develop businesses jointly with Japanese companies, which is one factor fueling enthusiasm for learning Japanese. For that reason, you will likely encounter Vietnamese people who come to Japan as technical intern trainees to gain experience and aim for jobs at famous companies back home.