Started off with the classic, pho and fruit for breakfast (no complaints here), and then we were off to our site visit of the day: Coherent.
This visit was definitely unlike any of the others we’ve had so far. Coherent is a U.S.-founded manufacturing company that took advantage of Vietnam’s financial liberalization in the late ’90s to establish a strong presence here. If I had to explain Coherent to a peer, I’d say it’s a laser and optics manufacturing company that produces highly technical products for a wide range of sectors, from optics to advanced communications. It was fascinating to see how advanced and specific their tech is, some of it even a step ahead of market demand.
One of the coolest things to me was learning how many different types of lasers and lenses they’re able to manufacture in a single day, and how much precision each one requires. The employee culture stood out in a positive way. Workers get a full hour for lunch and a free meal. There seemed to be a lot of workers hanging out and playing games with each other during the tour.
Even with the possibility of increased trade barriers, I don’t think Coherent would reconsider their Vietnam expansion. The infrastructure is set, the labor force is cost-effective, and they seem deeply integrated into this location. Moving or rethinking it all would likely cost more than staying put.
After the visit, we grabbed a quick lunch, fried rice that was way better than expected, and then went back to the hotel to change into our shirt’s for the night’s real challenge: the soccer game.
Now, full transparency: I have never played soccer before in my life (except that one time in elementary school when I accidentally scored by just standing still). So let’s just say I was not the star player, but it didn’t matter. Cheering for the boys’ team and then jumping in to play myself was such a blast. Even though I barely touched the ball, the energy was contagious. After we finished the match and got our participation medals (we earned those!), we played a little basketball just for fun. By the time we left, we were all drenched in sweat and laughter.
Another jam-packed day, techy, sporty, and sweaty in the best way.