In Thailand and throughout Asia, Ocean Glass is among the most recognizable names in the glass manufacturing industry. Throughout its four-decade history, the company has forged a legacy of top-quality glassware for homes and businesses alike.
Leading the esteemed organization is Jariya Sangchaiya, whose technical expertise and commitment to quality and consistency are guiding the company into a new period of growth. Under her direction, Ocean Glass has emerged as a shining example of how technical knowledge, forward-thinking leadership and a strong focus on people can drive lasting success.
Sangchaiya began her journey with Ocean Glass 11 years ago with a job at the company’s manufacturing site on the outskirts of Bangkok, the Thai capital. Her training as a chemical and environmental engineer and commitment to innovation propelled her up the company’s ranks from Deputy Managing Director after just four years, and then to her current post as Managing Director.
Her leadership philosophy that is grounded in openness, teamwork and an uncompromising commitment to excellence has been instrumental in elevating the company’s reputation and performance. She also believes it is this philosophy and a focus on positive results that have fueled her swift ascent.
“My leadership style is sincere – I’m a straightforward person,” she tells The CEO Magazine. “I consult with my team and we make decisions based on what will benefit the company. When the company gets better results, all the stakeholders will benefit.”
“My leadership style is sincere – I’m a straightforward person.”
While her experience as an engineer helps to ensure that Ocean Glass maintains its reputation for high-quality glassware, her managerial prowess is evident in her focus on exceptional service and unwavering commitment to customers.
Recent data attest to the strength of this simple formula. The company boasts annual revenue of between US$50 million and US$70 million per year, and it holds the largest market share for glassware in Thailand, and between two and three percent globally. It exports to more than 70 countries and in 2023, it broke its annual sales record.
“People know us. When people talk about Ocean Glass, they know that they will get good-quality glass,” Sangchaiya says. “They’ll also get a commitment that if we say we can produce and we’ll deliver it to you according to your requirements, and we agree on that together, we will always live up to our promise.
“We will always make sure to deliver for the customer.”
Competitive through collaboration
Even with its streak of recent success, Sangchaiya rejects complacency and steers Ocean Glass in the direction of improvement and adaptation. When she first assumed the role of Managing Director, she quickly identified opportunities to streamline the company’s business processes, enhance efficiency and foster greater collaboration within the 600-strong team.
“There are a lot of business processes that need to be improved if we want to compete – we need to speed up our processes,” she explains. “The first step is to harmonize our people. They need to talk together; they need to work together.”
To create this collaborative environment, Sangchaiya emphasizes the importance of open, transparent communication, including the ability for employees to challenge her.
“People challenge my ideas – even discard them – if they’re not good,” she reveals. “They can challenge me at any time and in every meeting, I encourage people to do that.”
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This process of weighing ideas against each other in order to discern a clear company direction is especially crucial as competition arises within the global glassware sector, primarily from China.
“If we want to be the best, we need to focus on the segments that we can be the best in,” Sangchaiya explains. “Once we discuss this question and decide which segments those are, then we can start allocating resources strategically and strengthening our position in the industry.”
Looking ahead, Sangchaiya acknowledges the challenges of driving sales growth, acquiring new customers and expanding distribution channels. With a strong foundation in production, Ocean Glass is now focused on strengthening its top line and increasing market reach.
“The challenge now is how to grow sales, how to get new customers and how to expand our distribution channels,” she points out.
Seeking out innovation
Another key driver of the company’s success is its promotion of innovation. As Chairperson of Thailand’s Glass Manufacturers Industry Club, Sangchaiya has learned the importance of staying ahead of the curve in an industry that has traditionally been slow to change.
The glass industry may not undergo radical transformations often, but she sees the potential for innovation in distribution channels, services for customer improvement and product design.
“The idea of a glass container hasn’t changed much in the past 60 or 70 years. The industry can be pretty old school,” she admits.
“But improvements can be made in distribution, renewable energy, cost efficiency and in identifying the particular segment where you can capitalize on a customer trend.”
“When people talk about Ocean Glass, they know that they will get good-quality glass.”
But even as some aspects of its work modernize, some things are better left steady and consistent, like supplier relationships. Ocean Glass boasts a strong track record of timely payments, knowledge sharing and long-term collaborations built on mutual respect.
“In all of our more than 40 years, our main suppliers have always been the same group,” Sangchaiya says. “We will never exploit our supplier for any reason, and we always pay on time.”
These long-lasting relationships have carried Ocean Glass through tough times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Key suppliers, like Thai chemical importer T.Bariwat, have gone above and beyond to enable continuity of the company’s operations and facilitate its access to new technologies.
“Our suppliers always support us. Whatever material we need around the world, they find a way to get it to us,” Sangchaiya confirms.
“And when our suppliers capitalize on emerging trends and technologies, like using AI for energy optimization, we cooperate with them and learn with them.”
