RMA Cambodia Plc. held the opening ceremony for its inaugural 'RMA Cambodia Plc. and Business Partners Expo 2024' on the morning of April 8 at the Premier Centre Sen Sok.
The event was presided over by H.E. Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce and W. Patrick Murphy, Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Cambodia. Attendees included members of the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC), American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) and European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham), as well as representatives of national and international business associations and delegates from various private and international companies.
Covering A Broad Range Of Business Industries And Sectors In Cambodia
Showcasing a diverse array of products from RMA Cambodia and its partners across multiple industries – including vehicles and machinery, agricultural equipment, cleaning equipment and financial solutions – the businesses represented at the three-day expo encompass sectors vital to Cambodia’s development.
According to a press release issued by the organiser, the expo also echoes the Cambodian Government's commitment to economic development and is aligned with the vision of fostering sustained growth across business sectors under the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase 1 and the Cambodia Automotive and Electronics Sectors Development Roadmap.
The RMA Cambodia Plc. and Business Partners Expo serves not only as a showcase of the company’s products but also as a testament to the essential business relationships and partnerships forged by RMA Cambodia on a global scale,” said Ngorn Saing, CEO of RMA Cambodia, during his opening speech.
He underscored the event’s pivotal role in fostering opportunities for traders, investors, and business professionals to establish direct connections and cultivate new partnerships with customers, suppliers, investors, and fellow enterprises.
While speaking with B2B Cambodia, Saing also shared that the expo provides an opportunity for customers to get to know RMA Cambodia, the parent entity of several well-known brands in the market, better.
"In the market, [customers] may know the products more than the [parent] entity itself, so one of the purposes of [this expo] is to show all the products and services of RMA, and to build more confidence among our customers so they can understand who they are partnering and working with, so they know they are working with a trusted and strong partner for their business," said Saing.
Murphy, as the U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, also pointed out in his speech that RMA Cambodia has brought a number of prominent American companies to the Kingdom – including Ford, John Deere and Krispy Kreme – which has positively contributed to the creation of new jobs.
It's really been a delight for me to see these iconic U.S. brands that RMA has brought to Cambodia and to watch them thrive, watch them employ thousands of Cambodians, and watch them contribute to the communities in which they find themselves," he said.
Cambodia's Growing Automotive Industry And Manufacturing Sector
Delivering the keynote opening remarks, H.E. Cham Nimul recognised the prominent contribution a number of RMA businesses have made to Cambodia's growing automotive manufacturing industry, especially with the establishment of the first Ford assembly plant in 2022.
“Now that the automotive manufacturing sector in Cambodia has grown and there are more varieties [of vehicles] available, this allows for more choice and better standards, enhancing safety and ease of use for consumers, thus making the sector more attractive," she noted.
Nimul also mentioned that the ministry of commerce is working on amending laws and regulations to promote ease and transparency, such as exclusive distribution rights and copyright laws to encourage innovation.
An Opportunity To Showcase Business Partners And Foster Connections
B2B Cambodia spoke with booth operators from the RMA Automotive assembly plant (more well-known as the Ford assembly plant) and John Deere about their participation in the expo and what they hope to achieve.
"This is a very good opportunity for us, especially as we are the only assembly plant within the RMA Cambodia group. We are very proud to be part of the exhibitors showcasing our products [and services], so people can explore more of what we are doing," shared Virote Sawangchange, General Manager of RMA Automotive Cambodia.
We have our plant in Pursat, around 40,000 square metres, and 280 people working with us, most of whom are locals. Last year (in 2023) we produced nearly 4,000 units, but this year, I think the economy is growing really well in Cambodia so we hope to see more growth in the Cambodian automotive market. Hopefully this year will be a golden year for us.
Sawangchange also spoke of the training and skills-development opportunities the RMA Automotive plant offers for workers, including providing more opportunities for persons with disabilities.
"Around 5 to 6 per cent of the plant's workforce includes persons with disabilities. We provide [work opportunities for] persons with disabilities because it is better than giving money... This is our plant policy," he said.
"It takes a bit longer [for someone to be ready to work at our plant], normally we have workers join our training institute for three months... and it takes another two to three months for job training to develop the skills, so in total it takes around five to six months to train and develop a worker," Sawangchange added. "We have MoUs with many institutes and we plan to increase the number of people [we train], to do more skills development and give a chance to everyone, as [this training] is good for local employees."
Representing John Deere Cambodia, Huon Chhaom, Marketing Manager for RMA's Agriculture Equipment Division, also said he believes this expo offers John Deere an opportunity to gain more exposure.
"The first thing is we want to connect with people and gain more exposure for the John Deere brand in Cambodia, and for RMA as a whole, who brought John Deere products to Cambodia," he said.
Elaborating more on the company's target market in Cambodia, Chhaom explained that John Deere caters to both large companies and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with agricultural machinery ranging from 28 horsepower to 410 horsepower.
"John Deere targets both large-scale farmers that require big tractors with large horsepower, and also retail farmers that only need small tractors to run their own businesses, or for their own families, or also to rent their services to other farmers," shared Chhaom.
The expo's main sponsors include CB General Insurance Plc., BSP Finance Cambodia, Comin Khmere, B.I.C Bank, KB Daehan Specialized Bank Plc, Auto Hub Cambodia, Ly Hour Leasing Plc., Michelin, Shell, and Bridge Bank, etc. The three-day expo will be held from April 8 to 10, 2024, from 9 AM to 8 PM at the Premium Centre Sen Sok, Building C-D-E-F-G.
Since its establishment in 1992, RMA Cambodia has been a cornerstone of Cambodia’s automotive landscape for 32 years, providing employment opportunities to more than 4,000 Cambodians. As the exclusive distributor of renowned brands such as Ford (the leading car brand in the automotive industry for five consecutive years), Land Rover, ChangAn, Piaggio, JCB heavy machinery, and John Deere agricultural machinery, the company has played a pivotal role in shaping Cambodia's industries.
This article was partly adapted from a supplied press release.