From a New Plant to a Full Workforce: Supporting a New Manufacturing Operation in Rayong

Recently, JST Group was engaged by an international company setting up a new manufacturing operation in Rayong, Thailand.

As a new entrant to the market, they needed more than recruitment. They needed a partner who understood the Eastern Seaboard labour market and could help build the operation from the ground up.

That meant supporting hiring from top to bottom — senior management and technical leadership through to the wider operational workforce, including contract operators.

Recruitment was only part of the challenge

Early in the year, we worked with the client on the bigger questions:

• What roles do they actually need?
• What working hours will attract and retain the right people?
• What salary levels are competitive in the Rayong market?
• What benefits will candidates expect?
• How do you structure the workforce for the long term?
• How do you build a team that wants to stay?

Those conversations started early, so JST and the client could agree the recruitment strategy and terms well ahead of the operation going live.

Six months later, the new operation is just weeks away from starting.

Why local market knowledge matters

This is where one strong recruitment partner makes a real difference. Recruitment on the Eastern Seaboard is not simply about matching a job description.

It is about:

• Understanding the local candidate market
• Knowing what good people are looking for
• Setting realistic salary and benefit expectations
• Helping clients make decisions that support long-term retention

For companies establishing or expanding in Rayong, Chonburi and the wider Eastern Seaboard (EEC), that local knowledge can be the difference between filling positions and building the right workforce.

More than recruitment. A stronger start.

At JST Group, that is where we believe we add real value — from the first leadership hire to the wider workforce, supporting the whole journey.

Planning a new operation, expansion or workforce build on the Eastern Seaboard?