Two international leaders in their field – Dutch jeans company Bram’s Paris and London-based corporate communications headhunter Taylor:Bennett – have made the strategic move to Hong Kong to capitalise on growing opportunities in the region.

Bram’s Paris has opened a buying and sourcing centre in Hong Kong, its first regional office outside of the Netherlands, while Taylor:Bennett has moved closer to the Asian operations of its client base. With 87 per cent of Taylor:Bennett’s UK and European clients operating in Asia, it was “a natural development” to have a regional office in Hong Kong, according to Sara Wells, the director and head of Taylor:Bennett Asia.

“Over 330 multinational companies are vying for commercial entry into the vast Chinese mainland and Korean markets, and Taylor:Bennett Asia in Hong Kong will be well placed to help them identify their corporate communications, media relations, investor relations and internal communications teams to support their business growth.”

Ms Wells added that the importance of the communications function in the Asia-Pacific has grown significantly over the past five years. “Communications teams now receive a higher degree of recognition from businesses, while strategies and programmes have become more sophisticated. They are catching up with the US and Europe,” she said.

Bram’s Paris, founded in 1975 as a wholesale company designing, marketing and distributing a variety of jeans and clothing products, manufactures most of its product in the Chinese mainland.

Opening a Hong Kong office enabled the firm to closely monitor quality control, as well as delivering taxation savings, according to Irene Fu, director of PMH International Limited, the Bram’s Paris arm in Hong Kong.

“Quality control is critical for future growth and success,” Ms Fu said. “Our office in Hong Kong can also be a profit centre, with company profits benefiting from Hong Kong’s lower taxes.” Developing a round-the clock-working team, and taking advantage of time zone differences with Europe, were further advantages.

“Hong Kong is still the place to be in the Asian region,” Ms Fu said.

“It is the gateway to China and other offshore markets, has a high level of skilled labour, and can provide great services such as banking and shipping.

“Hong Kong is easily accessible – just 12 hours non-stop from Europe – and has a stable political situation. For us, it provides easy sourcing of material trims.”

Hong Kong’s lower level of taxation and the fact that offshore transactions are exempt from profit tax were further incentives for international business, she said. There was also support for business objectives through availability of market intelligence about competitors, suppliers and products.