I n spite of a second store across the border in Thailand, workers trained and
brought from the refugee camps in Thailand, years of experience working with
Camo-dians, and a strong commitment to building self-sufficiency, Bat-tambang's
Rowart Computer Group is on the edge of folding.
Richard Rowart says that
the long term survival of his company is in doubt. "We were able to put together
enough money to open our present operation which has grown in ability and fixed
assets, but over all lost money in 1993. We need to find new products, sevices
and markets or we will not be able to survive as a business."
The Rowart
Computer Group employs seven workers in a profit sharing plan. Many of them
worked with him in the Cambodian refugee Site 2 camp in Thailand. A second shop
is in Aranya-prathet, but the Rowart Group is attempting to create a
self-sufficient and profitable organization in Battambang.
So far
Rowart's company has sold 100 computers. Forty customers are offered technical
support for the computers that they have purchased.
Rowart says that
three fourths of his client base is among the Battambang non-governmental
organizations, of which there are about 37 offices, including Khmer NGOs. Five
percent of his business is with United Nation's offices in Battambang. The
balance of the business consists in computer training for
Cambodians.
Rowart says that "we promote local capability, we have
trained our own technician. In the past year, out of 200 computer repairs
accomplished, we have had to send only five items to Thailand for repair. Though
this policy has been more expensive we are commited to developing the skills
here, these skills have to be here, not in another country. In addition we now
manufacture electrical adapters, surge suppressers and grounded electrical
extensions locally."
Rowart had extensive experience working with
Cambodians on the border. The refugee camp newspaper that he ran, the Khmer
Citizen's Bulletin, had a circulation of 40,000 every two weeks. Rowart had 300
people working for him. In addition to this, his presses published16,000
textbooks each month and 120,000 exercise books. In the end Rowat was unable to
find capital for a printing operation so he decided to establish a computer
company.
Recently Rowart has developed a new arm of the business,
security systems. Rowart's company now offers burglar alarms for houses and
cars. He tells his customers that "on December 16, 1992 five armed bandits
successfully entered our office in Aranyaprethet at 1:30 AM and held us at gun
point while we were robbed, whereas on December 11, 1993 at 12:30 AM robbers
were frightened away from our Battambang office by our burglar alarm
system."
Rowat's company "lost money over-all last year," he said. In
spite of the advantages and support that he has had, his experience may
represent the best that is now possible in the Battambang area for a company of
this kind. Rowat is clearly the kind of investor that Finance Minister Rainsy is
asking to come to Cambodia, but his experience so far in depressed Battambang is
not encouraging.
