Garmin sets up Singapore as South-east Asia HQ for its consumer business

Garmin sets up Singapore as South-east Asia HQ for its consumer business

Global manufacturer of fitness trackers, smartwatches and navigation devices expands into the region to get closer to customers and to serve them better

Singapore, February 7, 2017 — A familiar brand in Singapore, Garmin’s consumer products have been sold here through distributors since the early 1990s. As part of the brand’s strategic plan to strengthen their presence in the region, Garmin will now be directly managing the sales and marketing of its consumer business devices in the Southeast Asia and India region.

Singapore was selected as the regional headquarters for Garmin’s regional expansion because of the nation’s vibrant pro-business environment, political stability, centralised geography and strong infrastructure.

The company has appointed Mr. Engelhard (Al) Sundoro as Managing Director for the South Asia/ India Region since January 2017. Mr. Sundoro brings with him a wealth of experience having worked with Garmin International in America since 2007. Mr. Sundoro will manage Garmin’s consumer business in six South-east Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand) and India and its marine business in South-east Asia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and India.

“As a company, we need to be an enduring brand that consistently innovates. In order to do that, it is essential for us to be closer to our customers to understand what they need. Even as a global brand, Garmin sees each market differently as the customer needs in each region is diverse. Outside of US, China and Taiwan, it is a natural step for the brand to strengthen our presence in South-east Asia with Singapore as our headquarters as consumers here tend to be early adopters of technology,” said Mr. Al Sundoro, Managing Director for South Asia/ India Region.

Garmin has a strong foundation in engineering products for aviation and marine since 1989. With engineering a fundamental part of the brand’s DNA, innovation, precision and attention to details are ingrained in the products designed by the brand.

Aiming to engineer quality wearables to complement the daily active lifestyles of users, Garmin recently announced its partnership with EZ-Link to launch a special version of its vívosmart HR activity tracker with built-in NFC contactless payment smarts. Users can tap their fitness band to make payment for train and bus rides, cab rides and retail purchases in Singapore. 

“Working with partners such as EZ-Link to make our products more meaningful to consumers in each locale is an example of what we want to do with our business here,” added Mr. Sundoro.