I couldn’t forget my passport this morning as we headed off to Cat Lai terminal for one of our last site visits. Cat Lai terminal is one of the biggest shipping terminals in Vietnam, and we were able to hear about the logistics of how they run everything. They told us about how sometimes there are random inspections done on the shipping containers, in which they have to unload everything to find a specific item and then reload it, just to make sure everything is in its correct place. It left me shocked as it dawned on me just how much work and manpower goes into one singular container and how everyone works together to make it run smoothly.
One thing that really stood out to me was the difference in safety regulations I saw here versus what I think would be seen in the US. For example, we were able to look at a conveyer belt that transferred items, specifically rice, off the ships, and there were workers sitting casually on top of the conveyer belt and also underneath it in a hammock. Along with this, not many people were wearing safety gear such as hard hats or reflective vests except for us. It showcased how different countries can be when it comes to these types of restrictions/regulations. Aside from that, this visit was informative on how massive imports and exports work not only domestically but also internationally. They stated that they were going to be more green, and that they were making efforts towards it, but I think that large shipping terminals such as this are inherently bad for the environment, so it is difficult for these companies to be able to improve. Nonetheless, I understood what problems they were trying to focus on to improve going green.
We then headed over to our very last site visit of the trip, Dan On, a nut company. Ditching our shoes, we put on bright green crocs in order to walk around the facility. From the second I walked into the doors it felt like I was in Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. The interior was gorgeous, and we were led into the “innovation room,” which we then learned is also used for cooking competition shows. It was an insane experience, which only continued as we were led down to golf carts which took us around the outside. There was a pool, spa, and gym all for employees who work there. This was a stark difference to America for me, as you would almost never see this. It also had the same open concept on the interior as Glass Egg did, which differs from cubicles seen in America.
These were our last two site visits for the trip, and it has been a very educational and informative experience going from luxury hotels, to nut companies and everything in between and seeing how they work. The differences between how Vietnam and the U.S. operate is what really stuck out to me throughout the trip. From more hospitality and friendlier behavior, to open concepts instead of individual based, there were many differences. That is not to say there weren’t any similarities, as many of these companies work with American companies, such as the Hyatt, which is a multinational brand. Overall, I’m grateful for all these experiences I’ve had and being able to learn more about business operations in Vietnam.