A perfect match with the right connection (hktdc.com)


	(Left) Azzam Charmand, Export Director of Desin Instrument, and Flying Eagle's Nicky Lam were brought together through the customised match-making services of TDC's Premier Connect

Spanish company Desin Instruments - like most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) around the world - was excited by the huge market potential in the vast Chinese mainland, but was unable to access the opportunities there due to language barriers and lack of local know-how. Until now.

The 56-year-old Barcelona-based manufacturer of control and testing instruments, recently reached an agreement with Hong Kong company Flying Eagle to distribute its products in the mainland and Hong Kong.

So how did a Spanish company with no obvious business links to this part of the world find a Hong Kong partner within five months?

An offer too good to refuse

Desin's Export Director Azzam Charmand explained that the company had initially joined a Spanish business mission to Shanghai organised by the Spanish Electronics and Information Technology Exporters Association (SECARTYS).

"The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC)'s Barcelona office contacted me and the other companies for a stopover in Hong Kong to take advantage of their customised business matching services called Premier Connect. I was focused on other markets but thought the idea was very good, so I decided to accept the offer."

Mr Charmand said Desin was looking for an agent in this part of the world where the people spoke either very good English or Spanish. "At the same time, the company needs to know the mainland market very well, needs to know our products, and the industrial sector in general because all our products are in the manufacturing sector. Basically, we need an agent and distributor who has indigenous experience doing business in the mainland, but who could at the same time help with the localisation and adaptation of our products."

Contacts shortlisted

Desin further provided Premier Connect with product information, avoidance of certain competitors, and placed a high emphasis on promotion, marketing ability and product training in the mainland.

Armed with Desin's set of requirements, Premier Connect, with its business matching expertise, scrutinised the given details and pre-screened only relevant contacts for the meeting which it also helped to set up.

Premier Connect located Flying Eagle, which was founded in 1979 by brothers Nicky and Peter Lam. The firm imports monitoring equipment used in different control environments in US and Europe, and was looking for new products and markets for business expansion. The firm bills itself as a "one-stop industrial support services company". With three offices in the mainland, it has a comprehensive sales network for after-sales service and like most Hong Kong companies, is experienced in dealing with both global and mainland clients.

A perfect fit

Flying Eagle's General Manager Nicky Lam said: "We studied each other's background and business structure provided by Premier Connect. At the time, I was looking for some basic technical equipment at reasonable prices, while Desin wanted to introduce their technology to the China market. It is a perfect fit as we both got what we wanted."

Nearly five months after the initial meeting, Mr Lam flew to Barcelona to undergo a week's training in the Desin office.

Mr Charmand admitted that if not for TDC's Premier Connect, the whole process of searching for a business partner in this part of the world would be long and difficult.

"We might have located a partner in the long run but that would be too time consuming. The work done by Premier Connect was to help us meet the right industry players and facilitate a smoother entry to the mainland market. We gave them a client profile and then they did the work. Being in Hong Kong, it was much easier for them to locate potential clients and distributors."

Fantastic job

Mr Charmand is very pleased with HKTDC. "TDC has done a fantastic job. From our arrival at the Hong Kong airport to our departure, they gave us excellent service. The contact Premier Connect gave us – in this case, Flying Eagle - was perfect. This is what SMEs need. The resources of the SMEs are much more limited than those of large companies so it is very important to have TDC to help facilitate trade between overseas SMEs, Hong Kong and China."

TDC introduced its in-depth business matching service, Premier Connect, to help both local and overseas companies look for potential partners for business development. For more information, contact or email businessmatching@tdc.org.hk. You can also call (852) 1830-668 or the Hong Kong Trade Development Council office nearest you. For reference, click TDC's global network

A perfect match with the right connection