Dec 8 2005
Hydro is aiming to better serve the high-end building systems market in China by bringing its world-leading extruded aluminium systems to the country. Hydro's new Building Systems unit in China will open its doors in Beijing in January 2006.
The new unit will initially concentrate on potential customers in the Beijing, Guangdong and Shanghai areas.
“The high-end market in China is as sophisticated as any you will find, with extremely creative and quality-conscious players. We believe our Technal and Wicona brands will not only complement, but advance the building industry there,” says Gérard Lugrin, who will head Hydro's Building Systems unit in China.
He says the feedback from visitors at the recent Fenestration 2005 in Beijing indicated “strong interest” in the two brands.
Building Systems in Hydro is a global leader in supplying extruded aluminium systems to customers in the building and construction industry.
Building Systems has been an active player in other markets in Southeast Asia, as well as in Australia, since 1991. Most of these activities are related to Hydro’s Technal brand, covering design, supply and technical assistance.
As in China, Hydro will now offer the Wicona system to customers in these markets. Joe Sleiman, who heads the Hydro Building Systems’ Asia area office in Brunei, says the Wicona brand is already being warmly received in the region.
“We are working on several high-profile projects in Thailand and the Philippines with clients who are among the best in their fields,” says Sleiman. “Another of our goals is to develop new clients in Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.”
Hydro is currently supplying goods and services for high-end residential villas to large projects of over 10,000 square meters. Its portfolio in Asia already includes work on the 133-meter-high air control tower at the new Bangkok International Airport.
http://www.hydro.com