SGS Hong Kong Ltd executive director Fabrice Egloff says its business model of using a Hong Kong base and laboratory facilities in the Chinese mainland has worked very well for the company

Geneva-headquartered firm SGS has worked on a successful integrated formula in this part of the world combining Swiss technology with an efficient Hong Kong base and laboratories in the Chinese mainland.

This is an integrated business model which is working well, according to SGS Hong Kong Ltd's executive director Fabrice Egloff.

"Hong Kong meets our needs perfectly. Multinational corporations are often in Hong Kong and confidently engage our services in the city. Given Hong Kong's central location, their production facilities are usually close by, just over the border in the Pearl River Delta. This works for SGS as we can meet our clients' needs through our network of testing facilities," said Mr Egloff.

SGS Hong Kong Ltd was set up in 1959 and is a key international hub for consumer testing for the Swiss group which is one of the world's leading providers of testing, certification, inspection and verification services. The Hong Kong base has more than 3,000 staff at over 24 branches and 20 laboratories in the mainland.  

Successful and complementary

Mr Egloff said it was critical to the company's success to have value-added services in Hong Kong leaving the intensive labour work to the mainland.

"The Hong Kong office and the lab facilities in particular, is a centre and showroom of service excellence for high end new product development and testing methods, and R&D creating know how that is then replicated in the mainland and overseas. This model, that leverages each regions' strengths, serves as well," explained Mr Egloff.

To further cement SGS's operations in both Hong Kong and the mainland, it recently opened its "City Learning Centre" in the city providing clients with training on SGS international standards and services for example on ISO 9001, ISO 14001, social accountability and occupational health and safety management.

SGS has also extended its new facility in Guangdong to focus on the testing of electrical products.

Mr Egloff said it was crucial for overseas companies to take time to learn the local culture. "This includes the local people, work style, manner of dealing with external parties and more. Although Hong Kong is very international, this is still an issue that foreign companies should not overlook. In the mainland, it is an even bigger factor."

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SGS Hong Kong Ltd