The warmth of the Vietnamese people and the huge business opportunities that the country is providing to companies related to the garment industry has led many foreigners to make the country their home. Among them is Albert Chan, General Director, Viet Tien Tung Shing Corporation (VTS), who came to Vietnam in 1991 from his home country Hong Kong, and is now one of the biggest suppliers of garment technologies for the industry with a comprehensive range of products from cutting to finishing, including spare parts. In an exclusive interaction with Apparel Resources, Albert shares his strategy and confidence about the potential growth of Vietnam in the garmenting segment.
“There are many companies that have come into the country to do business in the last two years on the expectation of business possibilities post TPP, but we have strong roots in the country with a client base that reads like who’s who of the industry. So for us, business growth is a natural progression and not an opportunity seeking strategy,” states Albert. His confidence comes from the fact that his enterprise is a business corporation between Viet Tien Garment Import & Export Company (Vietnam) and Tung Shing Sewing Machine Co. Ltd. (Hong Kong), Albert’s parent company. Over time, the scope of the enterprise which was initially to provide and install industrial sewing machines has expanded to include technical consultancy and maintenance services.
Viet Tien Garment Import & Export Company is one of the largest garment manufacturing companies in Vietnam and working in collaboration with the Government backed company that has given VTS the credibility of a reliable and upfront partner in growth. “We have with us 20 global brands that can arguably be called the best brands in each segment, and this is the reason customers keep coming back to us for more technology and solutions,” says Albert. The brands he represents include Brother, Juki, Pegasus, Kansai, Eastman, Hashima, Naomoto, Topcut Bullmer, Racing to name a few.
With over two decades of operation in Vietnam, VTS has established 7 branches, including 2 service centres and 2 joint service centres throughout the southern, central and northern parts of Vietnam. “With service points at Ho Chi Minh city, Danang city and Hanoi, we are able to provide almost immediate delivery of products, including technical consultancy and after-sales maintenance services to our customers,” avers Albert. For the company, the customer is the most important criteria when giving service and if he wants a product that is not available with the company, VTS team will ensure that the same is made available to satisfy the customer.
Though VTS is working with mostly American and Japanese technology, it has of late started representing some Chinese companies, purely on merit. “Initially, Chinese machines were just cheaper copies of high-end brands, so we were not interested to associate with them, but now some of the companies have really grown on R&D and their technology is truly world class. One of them is Juita that produces intelligent template machines,” shares Albert. Other Chinese brands that VTS represents include isew, Henz, Tssm, Haimu and Bealeao, all of which are specialised machines for specific operations.
Albert is very upbeat of how the Vietnamese garment industry is moving forward and firmly believes that even if the TPP does not come through, business will continue to grow in the country. “The country is working on some core products like jackets, shirts, ladies’ tops and underwear, and has cemented its position among global retailers as a reliable sourcing hub. Also, though the wage rates are not as cheap as say Bangladesh, but it is certainly cheaper than China and with the combination of wage and efficiency, Vietnam remains a preferred destination,” argues Albert.
Giving a fresh perspective on the large number of foreign-owned garment units in Vietnam, Albert feels that having such a structure has actually supported the country’s growth in the segment. “What these foreign investors have brought in, is a superior understanding of technology and how to run factories better. By implementing these, the knowledge is spreading and now many of the local companies too are looking at high-end technology,” reasons Albert. He is quick to add that going forward, local companies will play an equally important role in the growth of the industry as the foreign-owned companies.
“Vietnam has surpassed many other competitors in the garment industry and now even those technology providers who thought that Vietnam did not need their technologies are eyeing the country and we keep receiving offers to represent such companies in the country, but we will continue to stick with the best and support the industry in its growth march,” concludes Albert.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
