Connecting with Clients in Uzbekistan: Industry Insights And Cultural Experiences

  On July 27, 2024, my colleague Carlson and I departed from Terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport and arrived in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, after a 6-hour flight. Uzbekistan is an inland country in Central Asia. Russian is the common language, with a population of 36.8 million and a per capita GDP of US$2,496. Uzbekistan is the world's sixth largest cotton producer and second largest cotton exporter. We can see cotton fields everywhere when we come to Uzbekistan. The world's seventh largest gold producer.

  Uzbekistan is mountainous in the east and plains, basins and deserts in the west. The climate is a severely arid continental climate. It is cold in winter with continuous rain and snow; it is hot in summer, dry and rainless, and the temperature difference between day and night is obvious. Before we came, the customer told us: Welcome to hot Uzbekistan, where the daytime temperature is above 40°C. Indeed, after we arrived in Bukhara, we felt the heat rising to the sky, and there were few pedestrians on the road under the scorching sun. Because there are few plants and tall buildings here, we can only bask in the scorching sun. The seats of the cars parked on the side of the road will burn our butts if we don't park for long.

  Our first stop in Uzbekistan was Bukhara. We landed at Terminal T3. The plane to Bukhara was at Terminal T2. The distance from Terminal T3 to Terminal T2 was 5 kilometers, but the taxi fare cost us 12 US dollars. It must be said that the US dollar som is very convenient at Tashkent Airport. We can directly put US dollars into the ATM machine and directly exchange them for the local currency som. The exchange rate between US dollars and som is 12,500. So we easily became millionaires in Uzbekistan. We transferred from the capital Tashkent to Bukhara at more than 8 o'clock in the morning. After a night of flight, we finally arrived at the destination of our first customer with exhaustion. The airport in Bukhara is very small, and there is only one plane staying at the airport. We can book tickets to Bukhara, but there are no planes when we return to Tashkent. If we take a plane, we need to transfer from Moscow, Russia, which takes more than 9 hours. So the airport in Bukhara is too small. When we left the airport, the customer was already waiting for us.

  On July 28, 2024, after having breakfast in Uzbekistan, we arrived at the client's office at 10:00 AM. The client has three water treatment product sales outlets and two warehouses. The office is integrated with the water treatment store, covering an area of approximately 15 square meters. The store displays industrial reverse osmosis systems with capacities of 250L/H, 500L/H, 750L/H, and 1000L/H; Saehan reverse osmosis membranes, VONTRON reverse osmosis membranes, Toray reverse osmosis membranes; stainless steel precision filters, 20-inch filter housings, 20-inch PP filter cartridges, 20-inch big blue PP filter cartridges; FRP tanks, FRP membrane housings, Runxin control valves, ion exchange resins, quartz sand, coconut shell activated carbon, flow meters, pressure gauges, disc filters; five models of household water purifiers; and water treatment raw water pumps XINJIE BW2-3, BW2-4, BW4-3, BW12-3; and water treatment high-pressure pumps BL2-13S, BL2-15S.

  Through our communication, we learned that the client has been engaged in the water treatment business since 2018. It is a family-owned enterprise located in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, and is a very well-known water treatment company in the area. The client has its own production workshop capable of manufacturing industrial reverse osmosis systems and serves as a water treatment engineering contractor and wholesaler.

  At noon, the client treated us to traditional Uzbek cuisine: plov and naan.

  Our two-day visit to the client was very fruitful, and they promised to place a 40-foot container order with us this week. During this visit, the client treated us as their most esteemed guests, presenting us with local clothing and gifts. This is our first visit to their company in Uzbekistan after four years of collaboration. We look forward to more opportunities for cooperation and mutual growth in the future!

  Our second stop on the trip was Tashkent, the political, economic, financial, commercial, and cultural center of Uzbekistan. Here, we visited the Uzbekistan State History Museum, Amir Timur Square, Hazrati Imam Mosque, Tashkent TV Tower, and enjoyed the best plov.

  Our first client in Tashkent arranged to meet us at a local restaurant and treated us to a Turkish lunch. This client is involved in the production and sale of bottled water. He encountered an issue where white solid deposits formed on the surface of the reverse osmosis membranes when the output was between 100-200m³. Replacing the Toray, Saehan, and VONTRON reverse osmosis membranes did not solve the problem. We suggested that opening the wastewater valve wider could resolve this issue.

  Our second client is involved in medical and laboratory equipment. Our water treatment systems and accessories are used in conjunction with their equipment. Our purification systems can provide pure, safe, and compliant laboratory-grade water for their needs.

  On the morning of our fourth day in Uzbekistan, we had no client visits scheduled, so we took the opportunity to visit Amir Timur Square and the Tashkent TV Tower and enjoyed the local delicacy, plov.

  Amir Timur Square features fountains, vast woodlands, and grassy areas where many people enjoy their time on the lawns. In the center of the square stands a statue of Amir Timur on horseback. The air is fresh, filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers. The square boasts historical monuments, a rich food culture, and iconic buildings.

  The Tashkent TV Tower is the tallest building in Uzbekistan, with a height of 357 meters, making it the second tallest structure in Asia. We can buy tickets for 50,000 soums to take the elevator up and enjoy a panoramic view of Tashkent.

  After enjoying the scenery, just 300 meters away is the famous ASIAN PILAF CENTRE, a popular spot on social media. This place is renowned for its plov and can accommodate 2,000 diners at once. We ordered Coca-Cola, salad, naan, and plov.

  Our next destination is Belarus.