The Situation
- An innovative bio-fertilizer manufacturing company aimed to establish a commercial presence in Southeast Asia. The company engaged Tractus to support market entry through identification and evaluation of potential distribution partners in Thailand and Vietnam.
The Approach
- Tractus applied a rigorous, multi-phase methodology over an eight-week period to identify and evaluate potential distribution partners in Thailand and Vietnam in 6 business categories that included wholesalers and manufacturers of fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds which were active in providing inputs to the rice value chain:
–Thailand: Developed a long-list of 3,582 companies across the 6 business categories
–Vietnam: Developed a long-list of 5,475 companies across the 6 business categories
- A set of 10 Critical Selection Factors (CSFs) were developed in consultation with the client to assess financial capacity, product relevance, distribution reach, government registration, marketing capability, and interest in partnership.
- Applied CSFs to the full long-list, eliminating companies in phases based on data availability, business relevance, and revenue thresholds.
- Conducted primary research to confirm operational capabilities such as distribution models and coverage, partnership interest, and regulatory readiness.
- Applied Kepner-Tregoe (K-T) modeling to compare the final shortlist based on weighted criteria, including revenue, CAGR, dealer networks, registration capabilities, and partnership interest.
The Results
- In Thailand, 41 companies and in Vietnam, 38 companies met all CSFs, with the top 10 in each market ranked using K-T modeling. The engagement enabled the company to confidently prioritize local partners capable of handling registration, marketing, and distribution of its environmentally sustainable fertilizer product—positioning the company for accelerated market entry and long-term impact in Southeast Asia.
