A high-flyer in support of the FTI mission
Talking from experience, Supant Mongkolsuthree hammers home the importance of cultivating Thai SMEs.
A fterhis election as chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) once again, Supant Mongkolsuthree set a personal goal of being “the man behind the achievement of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)”.
The FTI represents local business operators across the country. SMEs are viewed as the core engine for moving the Thai economy forward. If local SMEs remain fragile, the economy won’t expand strongly.
At age 60, Mr Supant very much understands the needs of local SMEs: his family enterprise used to be one of them, suffering many problems over the past six decades.
“There are four successful pillars for SME operators that I have learned: need of marketing, need of funding, need of production capacity and need of new innovation,” he says. “I will use my capability to keep building up SMEs with the strategies of task management and manpower, encouraging them to sell products and services of a high quality using well-organised practices.”
As the FTI leader, Mr Supant has helped local SMEs to stand by themselves in every economic circumstance. But he says the business sector alone cannot help SMEs.
“I feel very grateful that large companies and government agencies have a similar standpoint with the FTI, jumping in with many compatible measures,” he says. “I will focus on how to create SME strength across the country in line with all the supporting measures that they have.”
Mr Supant is adamant that sustainable growth shouldn’t be mobilised by any single part — neither the government nor the private sector nor exports — but that every part must function with the others so that no one is left behind.
It’s a challenging goal.
SECOND-GEN ENTREPRENEUR
“I always remember the experiences I had in my family’s business, and most of them have been applied to my current work, and my life as well,” Mr Supant says. “But, yes, there is no one-man show in work life; we need our colleagues and partners to work and grow together, because without them you can’t succeed in your goal.”
He joined the FTI 20 years ago after taking care of the family business since 1986.
The family company, T.K.S. Technologies Plc, is a wholesaler of stationery, printing forms, computer components and consumer products. It was founded in 1954.
Born to a Thai-Chinese family, Mr Supant was the second generation and faced many changes in small business.
The first was when the Mongkolsuthree family set up a joint venture with a Taiwanese firm and established Synnex Thailand Plc in the late 1980s.
Synnex eventually became an authorised distributor of Seagate hard disk drives in Thailand.
“It was a coincident case that the government in that period had an investment policy to support and promote companies and offer incentives for companies that invested in industrial zones,” Mr Supant recalls. “So T.K.S. decided to invest in Phetchaburi, and the FTI’s Phetchaburi chapter was lacking a leader. I was pushed by local business operators to be the chairman in that province.”
As a leader wearing both business hats, Mr Supant learned how to run his infant-to-stand business while just a university student. The norm of Thai-Chinese families is children working together with their parents, so Mr Supant’s early life was similar to that in other such families.
“I studied and took charge of a production plant in Phetchaburi, which is why I had so much experience and practice in the industrial sector at a young age,” he says.
T.K.S. and subsidiary Siam Press Management Co now provide services in printing and warehouse management. T.K.S. ultimately relocated its facility to the 25-rai Sinsakhon Printing City in Samut Sakhon.
Both T.K.S. and Synnex are SET-listed companies.
DIGITAL DISRUPTION
Mr Supant’s other goal as FTI chairman is to build confidence and make other FTI members believe and trust in their leader.
“When I do something, I always set a target, goal and outcome and try to achieve that, because no one will believe in you unless you can reach your goals,” he says.
During his time in the post, the country’s industrial sector has tackled the challenges of digital disruption and its impact on many businesses.
“We are at a turning point in human history and seeing a series of innovative and disruptive technologies that will bring big changes,” he says. “The industrial sector cannot avoid artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain, which are playing an important role in transforming all economic and business aspects.”
The FTI must be prepared to handle the situation, and the Thailand 4.0 initiative is a big challenge for Thai SMEs — one that Mr Supant is paying close attention to.
“I had to farm out all of my family business after I got a second chance as the FTI chairman,” Mr Supant says. “I let my son and daughter take care of business as the third generation and turned myself into a coach.”
Son Jutiphan is now a director of T.K.S., while daughter Sutida is chief executive of Synnex.
PASSION FOR FLIGHT
In his spare time, Mr Supant indulges his lifelong love affair with aeroplanes. He can now control aircraft after joining a civil aviation course for a private pilot’s licence five months ago.
“This is my free time, and when I fly the aircraft it feels like freedom and a wonderful time, particularly in the take-off stage,” he says. “In my childhood, I had no chance to even join the Army or Air Force, so I must catch this chance now.”
Mr Supant is studying for ground and flight training programmes. He says piloting aircraft can build up more confidence to be applied to his work life.
“I come up with making the final decision after landing,” he says. “Although I’m a busy man, I will keep increasing my flight experience from just 10 hours now.”
I always remember the experiences I had in my family’s business, and most of them have been applied to my current work, and my life as well. SUPANT MONGKOLSUTHREE FTI CHAIRMAN