10 years after Asiatic first set foot into Vietnam, and six years operating our representative office on rented premises, we have now moved into our own building. Built entirely from scratch, you can say this baby was Clifford Tan's creation. Clifford, General Manager of Asiatic Vietnam, almost single-handedly managed the entire process of getting the location,
engaging the architect, working with the various contractors and suppliers, and almost daily oversaw the site work. After eight arduous months of building work, the new Asiatic Building was completed and an elaborate opening ceremony was organized.

The official opening was marked on the 8th December 2003, witnessed by guests invited from members of companies in the Asiatic Group and also business associates and friends from Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan. The program of the day started with a traditional prayer, followed by an exciting display of the Chinese Lion & Dragon Dance showing off their acrobatic prowess, signifying dynamism and energy of the company.

The The highlight of the display was when the Lion had to climb up a 12-meter pole to '"pluck the green". The dragon then ushered in good luck to the building as Mr. Yap Bau Tan, Group Chairman of Asiatic Group. unveiled the name of the company at the main entrance to the building.

The guests were then shown round the spanking new building and then the opening was finally officiated with speeches from Ronnie Yap, Chief Representative of the Vietnam Representative Office, and Mr. Yap,

Immediately after the speeches, Schaefer presented the appointment of Asiatic Vietnam as their Sole Distributor in an official signing ceremony. The surprise of the day was when two of the clients present, presented Mr. Yap with purchase orders to be signed! What a start…!

Following the speeches, everyone was invited for lunch over at a French restaurant located 2 doors away.

Not only had the opening ceremony been fantastic, the charm of the Vietnamese culture was especially felt by some of the first time visitors from amongst Asiatic Group. They had the opportunity to tour the Independence Palace followed by the Cu Chi Tunnel, rode pillion on a motorbike and sampled different Vietnamese cuisine.

The opening of the new Vietnam Office is another milestone in the history of Asiatic Group of Companies, and is a significant endorsement in the confidence of the Vietnam market especially in times of regional economic uncertainty. Let us all wish Asiatic Vietnam, Clifford and his team success in all their endeavors.