Taipei, April 26 – Garmin, the Taiwan-based provider of GPS navigation solutions and wearable devices, announced plans to invest in Southeast Asia, marking its first venture into the region as part of a strategy to bolster supply chain resilience. The announcement was made by Lin Meng-yuan, Garmin’s Vice President of Marketing and Business for Asia, during a company event on Thursday. Lin disclosed that the company will initiate its Southeast Asian investments in May, with production slated to commence in 2026. However, the specific location of the new plant will remain undisclosed until next month. This strategic move is intended to diversify Garmin’s production bases and enhance supply chain links with local suppliers.
Highlighting the importance of supply chain robustness, Lin emphasized that Garmin requires rapid lead times and multiple suppliers for each component to maintain its operational standards. The focus of the initial investment will be on automotive navigation products, which are anticipated to contribute to the company’s growth over the next decade and beyond. Despite the expansion, Garmin maintains a strong presence in Taiwan, where it was co-founded by Taiwanese native Min Kao. The company currently operates several production facilities in Taiwan and employs approximately 10,000 local workers. According to Lin, the decision to invest abroad is not aimed at reducing manufacturing costs but rather at enhancing production capabilities. Garmin also continues to invest in Taiwan, with a research and development center in New Taipei’s Xindian District and has expanded its production capacity in Tainan in 2021. Outside of Taiwan, Garmin operates ten production bases across the United States and Europe.
For the upcoming year, Garmin projects an average sales growth of 10 percent, with a notably higher growth of 19 percent expected in the Asian region, despite economic challenges in Japan and China. The company also anticipates steady growth in emerging Southeast Asian markets, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia.
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