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We are compradors: "Local agents hired by foreign businesses to ease transactions, find opportunities, & solve problems"
We want to represent your company in VIETNAM
On These Pages: 

Purchase handicrafts at below wholesale

Americana	Ceramics	Doors	Furniture	Statues	Many others

Go to Purchasing Agent pages if you want to purchase handicrafts in full container loads only

Read about WHAT IS ....VIETNAM?

At V V G, it is our job to make yours easier.

Working In The Frontier

Vietnam remains the current economic frontier that warrants investor attention.

Vietnam's economy is still growing.  The Bilateral Trade Agreement with the United States is now a fact.  See Article and our newsletter reports.  Projections for the year 2008 are improving with some cautious concern for the year.  

V V G can supplement your knowledge about this nation and the region. Our experience and knowledge from being on the ground for the past 14 years will make your review and investment  decision all the more easy.  

From our long experience here, we know that now is the time to enter this market  in select areas. The economic recovery in neighboring lands slowed, but not has not stopped, progress in Vietnam.  Growth as measured by GDP in 2007 was 8.5 per cent. In 2006 it was just over 8.2 compared to 2005.  The year 2008 is projected to be at least as good as 2007. Vietnam is well known as the safest place for foreign investors to be, although it is also quite stressful.

Efforts at curbing bureaucracy and corruption are increasing. There is a well recognized need for greater investment.  Vietnam is looking to North America and Europe for that growth.

The high tariff barriers and dual price system are falling.  The Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with America, Vietnam's entry to ASEAN, and Vietnam's efforts to enter the WTO are bringing better developments to the outside investor and the domestic commercial and consumer markets.

America's Exim Bank now provides low-cost loans and loan guarantees for US manufactured goods exported to Vietnam. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) now provides project loans up to $200 million and insurance against the risk of claims to Sovereign Immunity (state takeovers).  

The Trade and Development Agency (TDA) now underwrites full feasibility studies with grants up to $250,000 provided a US company is hired to undertake the work.

The full force of the BTA was first felt in 2003 when trade raced to over $2 billion with the USA. Four years later (2007), trade between the two nations was $10.6 billion exported; $1.9 billion imported.

The earlier rush to riches in the mid 1990s matured, became a down-turn, and grew again to the current, more realistic and conservative pace, both by foreign investors and local politicians.  Very favorable labor conditions (literate, trainable, loyal workers at favorable labor rates with a stable government) make Vietnam an excellent location for manufacturing. 

It is worthy to repeat our experience as Americans living and working in Vietnam since early 1994.  The favorable conditions for investing in Vietnam include: a stable government; an educated, industrious, large and loyal work force; and still reasonable minimum monthly rates for unskilled labor at a range of  $35 (for rural) to $45 (for urban) workers.  The 1997 regional financial turmoil had its effect of slowing investment growth. However, that is viewed by some as an opportunity to enter at a more favorable level.

V V G, established in Vietnam since January 1994,  combines the multi-decade American senior executive and law firm experience of its founder with the decades-long experience of senior level Vietnamese. We live and work in Vietnam full time with a full domestic and expatriate staff.  Our world-wide Associates, located in key, major cities of the world, make frequent trips to Vietnam. We know American, European and Asian corporate practices from decades of actual experience at the senior and executive management level. We know the people, the marketplace, the laws and the governmental systems of the world. We can work the systems of Vietnam better than anyone.

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Read  WHAT IS ....VIETNAM?

A Partial Listing of the industries V V G serves includes:

Agriculture - Animal Husbandry - Aviation - Ceramics - Chemicals - Construction - Domestic Pet Supplies - Electronics - Entertainment - EPC Contractors   Fashion - Handicrafts - Hospitality - Hotels - Infrastructure Development - Lacquer - Lighting - Lubricants - Major Appliances - Mining - Natural Gas - Natural Rubber - Paper - Pharmaceuticals - Power Generation - Property Development - Textiles - Telecommunications - Tools - Veterinary Services

Many companies and high-income individuals have sought our advice over the years.  To read a partial listing, please scroll down this page

SOME WHO USE and HAVE USED V V G's ADVICE.

In addition to dozens of high net-worth collectors, some Royal Families, and wholesalers, retailers, and consumers who use our services to purchase and export handicrafts from Thailand and Vietnam, these are the major enterprises who use V V G's expertise to enter these lucrative markets:

ABB - RANDALL: advice and guidance, leading to the submission of bids to be the engineering, procurement & construction contractor for a US$150 million cryogenic (liquid gas extraction) processing plant.

COLLIER SHANNON RILL & SCOTT and Georgetown Economic Services: market research survey of key (trade secret) agricultural market nationwide, data entry, analysis, and report.

CATHY PACIFIC: market research survey of expatriate and domestic Vietnamese international travel activities: 180 personal interviews in HCMC, data entry, analysis, and report.

CONE MILLS: advice and guidance leading to an investment decision on a $110 million textile plant for the manufacture of denim.

CHEIL JEDANG: market research survey and analysis of animal feed industry: 225 personal interviews of farm managers, and managers from feed-mill competition, existing raw material suppliers and distributors.

CUA LAP RESORT: Preliminary approval was granted in 1998 as the nation's first fully foreign invested land development project at this scale.  The project (that in 2005 was assigned to others) used our services as the developer.  Work included site selection, local provincial and central ministry-level negotiations, lobbying, strategic and tactical planning, report drafting, organization and presentation of Pro-Forma, formal presentation of proposal and approval.  This is a 150 ha (372 acre) fully foreign invested land development project, one hour from HCMC in which Total Investment Capital is US$ 276.3 million.

DALAT-DANKIA RESORT: Advice and guidance on a 5,000 ha, US$ 705 million planned mountain resort; granted a 50-year license by the National Assembly.

DENOYER-GEPPERT: advice and guidance leading to an investment decision, site selection and license application for a US$3.5 million thermo set plastic manufacturing facility.

ECOTEC SERVICES Pte, SINGAPORE: Enterprise formation, strategic and tactical planning, local representation, integration of local company into world-wide consortium.

FAIRE de COMMERCE INTERNATIONAL: advice and guidance in seeking to establish: (i) multi-phase electric power generation stations - 26MW to 120MW; (ii) a US$325 million Destination Beach and Golf resort; and (iii) a urea fertilizer plant.

GUMP'S of SAN FRANCISCO: America's oldest specialty retailer of the best quality, hand-crafted goods in the world; we are their  buying/sourcing agent for high-end furniture and accessories made from wood and lacquer.

ICEVILLE / IAMS: advice and guidance leading to an investment decision on a pet-food manufacturing and distribution network.

THE KYJEN COMPANY: The world's largest distributor of unique products designed to enhance the pet owner experience. We are their buying/sourcing agent for accessories and toys for pet dogs.

ITOCHU: market survey and analysis of the paper market: 221 personal interviews, nation-wide.

TINKER INDUSTRIES: advice and guidance in five areas of infrastructure development in the amount of US$200 million (horizontal construction, vertical construction, petroleum, power, & telecommunications).

WILLOW CREEK: a farm and produce manufacturer established in 1793, presently a 6,600 estate for which from 2 million to 5 million custom ceramic decanters (cruets) are being manufactured exclusively in Vietnam; advice and guidance in the 3-year developmental program to design and produce models, drafting and negotiating contracts, now in full production under a ten-year contract.

FINANCIAL PLANNING SEMINAR: Planning an international economic conference for up to 400 attendees, over a three day period, to explore Vietnam’s needs for infrastructure development, consider methods of financing, and planning the implementation of existing programs.

NGUYEN PROJECT: not-for-profit research, advice, guidance and non-interest-bearing loans by V V G to impoverished farmers to supplement their rice-farm income by raising chickens and swine.

ANH’s LAW: not-for-profit representation of severe brain-injured, and the need for wearing safety helmets for the nation’s 8 + million urban owners and drivers of motorbikes and bicycles.

Bung Sang School for the Blind: a not for profit endeavor to upgrade the opportunities for  children of circumstance and talent.

Handicraft Project: Working with ethnic minority peoples to revive ancient art forms and commercially produce highly desired woven products from Vietnam.

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Business Advice, Not Legal Opinions. 

Vietnam Venture Group, Inc. (V V G) provides guidance on operations from the business perspective. Under no circumstances do we provide legal opinions.

Legal Opinions involve a thorough analysis of treaties, laws, decrees, circulars, regulations, a legislative history into the drafting of the same, and careful research and analysis of prior interpretations of the same, and advice the following of which can help to limit civil or criminal liability.

V V G's founder enjoyed a long and distinguished legal career before forming this company. He and the senior associates served as senior managers or in executive capacities of a large, multi-national corporations. Utilizing their broad experience, V V G is aware of the laws and business practices in the communities in which we work. However, our advice is based upon that broad experience and not upon a legal analysis of the law.

A brief discussion of this important difference is presented:

Law:  Foreign invested companies can form joint venture enterprises with domestic-private or state owned enterprises, but the minimum invested share must not be less than 30% for any party.

Client Inquiry:   Desire to form a land development, joint venture company where state-owned enterprise owns only a 20% share. Is this possible?

Legal Opinion:  Based upon the facts presented and our analysis of the law, we opine that the minimum legal contribution to a joint venture enterprise is 30 per cent. However, from time-to-time it has been the practice of the government to permit some joint ventures to be formed with ownership shares of less than 30 per cent. We are of the opinion, based upon the foregoing, that while strict adherence to the letter of the law denies a joint venture partner the legal ability to own less than a 30% interest, there are circumstances in which a lower ownership share can be allowed.

Business Advice:  The laws are not transparent in drafting or in application. Interpretation is often left to local levels of government which creates confusion and in-equal application. The land development, property development and oil/gas exploration sectors have frequently been subject to consortiums in which joint venture shares as small as 5% have been allowed. In the late 1990s, in the consumer goods manufacturing arena (Proctor & Gambol), the State owned partner’s share was permissibly reduced from 30% to 7 percent. In another situation (Coca-Cola and Toyota), the foreign partner was permitted to convert the joint venture to a fully foreign owned company. It has been our experience that many in government will listen to persuasive arguments for allowing percentage ownership shares at less than 30 percent, but we recommend a fully foreign owned enterprise as the best form of foreign direct investment.

Rationale for seeking Legal Opinion:   Acting upon a Legal Opinion a board of directors can claim good faith reliance in what-ever decision they make, and avoid or reduce liability for negligence or fraud in their ultimate act.

Rationale for seeking Business Advice:  Business Advice is used to encourage decision makers (risk takers) to achieve higher profits and/or reduce costs, as well as to reduce the risk of shooting themselves in the foot.

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Client Representation

V V G represents a broad range of investor interests in Vietnam. When a professional relationship is established we undertake matters on your behalf to include: Identifying contact and resource points; locating and identifying business partners, distributors, agents; lobbying State and Provincial governments; formation of distributorships and monitoring performance; point-source supply and sales; area business and travel needs; coordination with or supervision of local resources, etc.

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How We Work for You 

We establish a professional relationship with you when you and V V G agree on the opportunity to be seized, our respective working parameters, and you pay us a small advance retainer. 

We work with you to establish that relationship. After your opportunity or challenge is clearly identified, we draft a proposal for your review, and modification as needed.  A consulting contract will be developed that in simple English will state clear parameters, objectives and costs. Our consulting philosophy emphasizes the direct involvement of our clients' management and staff personnel. Depending upon the project and your needs, our services can include follow-up reports, ongoing support, and training.

We work with you from an agreed business plan. This is intended as a dynamic document. The scope and scale of work in the Frontier, as Vietnam still is, requires reasonable flexibility. When agreed to by the client, we will reduce our work and our fee or expand our work and our fee.

When you and we agree on the terms of the proposal, to include obligations, responsibilities, schedule of work, and fees, and after you pay us a reasonable and small advance retainer, our professional relationship is formed and V V G begins to work for you.

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Costs 

V V G is retained on a project basis. Most projects can be completed in a few months time or less. Fees are negotiable, depending on both the nature (complexity of the situation and the level of skills needed) and duration of the work required. Fees are payable as work progresses, and are exclusive of costs. For some projects, fees can be on a fixed-cost basis.  We are flexible and can bill on an hourly basis that will vary depending on the skills and time required.

V V G will undertake no project for a commission or success fee alone.

When agreed, V V G will share in the start-up risk by accepting a reduced periodic fee in exchange for a percentage of the project (0.75% to 2.5%) at the successful conclusion of V V G’s tasks. 

Most projects require an initial retainer payment of US$ 3,000 that is credited against services to be  performed, and is accounted for in our monthly statements.

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Help us to understand your needs. We will be pleased to supply additional information about our resources. Of course, the more information you provide to us about your interest and needs in Vietnam, the better prepared we will be to respond.

Following our consideration of your needs and your evaluation of the services we can provide, we will give you a project proposal with our fees. Please contact us by e-mail. 

For More Information, please read about our other Services

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