TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 21 September 2020 - After years of efforts in developing ASEAN countries, Everlight recently has a new approach for these important markets. With the assistance from Green Trade Project Office (GTPO), Taiwan External Trade Development Council and Industrial Technology Research Institute(ITRI), Everlight starts new business strategy by dedicating in the niche market of B2B turnkey solution export instead of tying hands in low-priced channels such as hypermarkets and plumber shops. By doing so, Everlight has gained positive feedbacks from local Taiwanese businesses in ASEAN.

LED Smart Lighting Pilot Project in Poland by Everlight

Everlight Senior Director Richard Hsu said Everlight was one of the first Taiwanese LED companies that entered ASEAN nations. The challenges encountered in the local markets include low price level and lack of rigorous safety certification, which brought disadvantages to quality-focused companies.

Garment manufacturer in Laos installed Everlight's solutions and became its spokesperson

Everlight consultant William Kuo thus decided to take on strategic transformation and shifted its focus from the channel markets of Thailand and Indonesia to B2B and government procurement projects. Business opportunities soon cropped up in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. One successful example was that Everlight joined ITRI's trade promotion delegation and visited Laos, where infrastructure is incomplete and is in desperate need of Everlight's solutions. Everlight was also able to locate many Taiwanese 'invisible champions' in Laos that adopt Everlight's solutions.

For example, Lin Chung-I, Taiwan's Overseas Chinese Affairs Commissioner in Vientiane, introduced Everlight products to a local Taiwanese garment manufacturer that is an OEM of a US fashion brand. The garment manufacturer soon asked quotation from Everlight and proceeded with in-factory LED lighting replacement plan. LED lighting's advantages are power saving by 50-60%, and the garment's quality improvement to better meet the requirements of US customers.

Small- and medium-sized invisible champions have needs for LED lighting

It's been two years after the garment manufacturer replaced all its production line lighting. The obvious power-saving efficiency has made the owner become the spokesperson and distributer for Everlight in Laos and also introduced LED lighting to many Taiwanese businesses.

In addition to Laos, Everlight also discovered whole-new business opportunities in Indonesia. The largest textile manufacturer in local Jakarta area originally commissioned an ESCO system integrator to replace lighting and air condition system in production lines. Owing to high costs, the owner decided to install LED lighting first. They came to Everlight for the project.

Everlight smart street lighting solution is included in Jakarta's government procurement supplier list

The textile makers's LED lighting is Everlight's first big project in Indonesia. Since then, Everlight developed customer base with the help of local distributors. So far Everlight has accomplished several B2B projects. In Bali, a dozen of resorts have adopted Everlight's LED lighting system. One important breakthrough was at the end of 2019 when Everlight was successfully recognized by the government and included in the E-Catalog, the government procurement supplier list of Jakarta metropolitan area.

In Vietnam, also under the help of MOEA and ITRI, Everlight was able to replace smart lighting system for a local official standard and certification bureau. Everlight exchanged all traditional street lighting into LED ones in the campus of the bureau, and added IoT transmission system so that each street lamp can be monitored, tuned, and assigned for preventive maintenance in the controlled center.

Everlight's strategy in the ASEAN market is to establish a strong foothold and continue to establish sound brand image for Taiwan.