The Thailand Investment review recently had the opportunity to pose a series of questions to Primus International about its facility in Rayong and its experiences in doing business in Thailand. Primus is a premier supplier of structural components, kits, and assemblies to the global aerospace industry. The company is also an industry leader in swaged tubular products and wire rope mechanical cables, as well as in high technology composites including acoustically treated engine liners, aircraft structures and medical applications.

TIR: Please describe your company’s products?
Primus: Primus produces composite and metallic parts, components and assemblies used in the production of large commercial airplanes.

TIR: In what year did your company start sales/production in Thailand?
Primus: Primus shipped its first part in 2011.

TIR: How many plants are you operating now in Thailand and where are they located?
Primus: Primus operates one plant in Thailand, located in Amata Industrial Park in Rayong province.

TIR: What percentage of your company’s global output/ revenue comes from the facility in Thailand ?
Primus: Less than 1% of global revenues come from our Thailand facility which is still ramping up production.

TIR: How many employees does your company have in Thailand and globally?
Primus: The Rayong facility has 185 employees, currently. Globally the parent company, Precision Castparts, has over 20,000 employees.

TIR: Do you have further growth plans in Thailand?
Primus: The Rayong facility is still ramping up production. In a few years we expect to have over 300 employees.

TIR: What factors give your company an edge over competitors in the industry?
Primus: Key factors include the global foot print of the company, its operational excellence and its people.

TIR: How important are the incentives offered by the BOI in your investment decisions and is the BOI helpful in promoting the industry’s development?
Primus: The incentives were one of the main reasons why Primus chose Thailand to expand production in Asia. The BOI was very supportive throughout our planning and the process to get our license approved.

TIR: What are some of the advantages to operating in Thailand?
Primus: The geographic location, a large export manufacturing base and low cost skilled labor were important factors in Primus choosing Thailand. The infrastructure, the closeness to a large international airport and deep-water seaport were also important factors.

TIR: What opportunities does the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) offer to Thailand’s aircraft repair/ maintenance and parts production industry?
Primus: By promoting the lessening of boundaries and controls between the member nations it enhances the economic environment for the global aircraft industry.

TIR: Are you able to find sufficient skilled labor in Thailand? How would you describe Thai workers?
Primus: Finding and retaining skilled labor at competitive rates is always a challenge. This is especially true with finding qualified engineers. We are happy with the quality and work ethic of the employees we have hired.

TIR: What percentage of materials/parts/components for your local plants is sourced within Thailand?
Primus: Currently, we source a small amount of materials and supplies in Thailand. The suppliers of our key raw materials for our products are dictated by our customers and they are typically located outside of Thailand. We do use local vendors for supplies and services whenever possible.

TIR: Is your company currently engaged in cooperation activities with any R&D or personnel development institutes in the country?
Primus: We do work with the Thailand universities i.e. Kasetsart University to hire engineers and other skilled workers.

TIR: Is social care and concern for the environment important to your company? Please explain why and describe some of your CSR activities in Thailand.
Primus: Social care and concern for the environment are very important to Primus. We work hard to ensure that we are in fully compliance with all local environmental regulations and promote the energy conservation and waste recycling.

TIR: Thailand aims to become a full-service hub in the region’s aircraft repair/maintenance and parts production industry. Does Thailand have the potential to achieve this goal?
Primus: Thailand does have the potential to achieve this goal by working with industry representatives to ensure that universities and technical schools develop the necessary skilled workers, rules and regulations support the growth of the aerospace industry and businesses are incented to develop local competencies in critical support industries.

TIR: What are the current strengths of the industry in Thailand?
Primus: Thailand’s strengths are its people, geographic location, export driven economy and good infrastructure to support industrial growth.

TIR: Is there anything not covered that you might like to see mentioned in the article?
Primus: We are very happy with our decision to invest in Thailand. We believe our business will be successful and continue to grow, allowing us to continue to make investments in Thailand and adding employees.