Svanehøj has built a strong Chinese supply base

Svanehøj is embarking on a significant build-up in China. Meet procurement and office manager Robin Sun, who has worked with sourcing for Svanehøj since 2008.

Svanehøj’s Chinese purchasing power is growing. In just under two years, the number of employees in China has tripled to fifteen, offering entirely new opportunities.

Procurement manager Robin Sun is the day-to-day manager of the Chinese department. He is also in charge of five employees working with local sourcing.

“We have established a strong and solid procurement team, where all employees have been working for more than ten years with their specified work responsibilities,” says Robin Sun.

Robin works on strategic sourcing with a colleague, while the rest of the organisation consists of two operational purchasers and one employee in a quality function. All of this makes for an incredibly technically sound Chinese organisation.

First local employee
For almost a decade and until 2017, Robin Sun was the only person dedicated to working for Svanehøj in China. His educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in metal material engineering and a master’s degree in project management. He joined Svanehøj and the sister company Hamworthy Pumps in 2008.

In 2018, when Svanehøj and Hamworthy Pumps divested from Wärtsilä, a small team of local colleagues worked remotely. However, in 2019 Svanehøj opened the new Chinese office in Suzhou.

Common language and culture
According to Robin Sun, one of the biggest advantages of being present in the Chinese market is that the local employees provide a greater contact surface. That makes it easier to build relations with suppliers.

It also enables Svanehøj to draw on a much wider range of suppliers because a common language and cultural background is of great importance in business relations.

“We have been sourcing in Asia and China since 2007, which means today we have an extremely solid and well-developed supply base in the area,” says Robin Sun.

“China is still a low-cost country for sourcing and purchase activities. Together with the “Made in China 2025” national strategic plan, it will benefit the group’s business development target,” he adds.