Sourcing solution gives marketing edge (hktdc.com)


	John Williamson, founder of Corporate Edge Marketing, with some of the merchandise sourced through his Hong Kong office

Businessman John Williamson runs a successful gifts and premium company, Corporate Edge Marketing Pty Ltd, in Australia, but found sourcing products direct from the Chinese mainland problematic and unreliable. The solution was to use Hong Kong as his sourcing hub – and business has never been better.

Mr Williamson founded Corporate Edge in 1998, with offices in Melbourne and Brisbane. In 2004, he opened a Hong Kong sourcing office in conjunction with a local partner. Since then, Mr Williamson has been able to focus on growing and diversifying his business.

"We supply anything and everything in the way of promotional items – from licensed apparel and branded items, mostly for charities and blue chip companies, to our new line, marine products," he explained. Corporate Edge supplies big name Australian brands including Mitre 10, Bendigo Bank, NEC, ANZ, Jayco and Madman; charities including Guide Dogs, Variety, Cancer Council and Very Special Kids, and also exports to South Africa and New Zealand.

Taking care of business

Most of the company's products are manufactured in the mainland, and originally, they were sourced using local agents. The biggest challenge Mr Williamson faced using this system was maintaining quality control. "It was okay for small things like lanyards, but when it came to tricky items such as electronics, we needed someone on the ground," he said. There were other problems, he continued, like solving problems that may arise, and obtaining refunds when necessary.

Now, the Hong Kong office handles the sourcing, quality control and consolidation. The office "makes it all happen," Mr Williamson said. It also handles local logistics, which makes his job easier back in Australia. For example, he said, the company often needs to order mixed boxes of promotional items for sale by charities. With the Hong Kong office handling the logistics, these boxes now arrive pre-packed and ready for delivery.

"The formula is working much better now that we have a Hong Kong office," Mr Williamson said. "Our partners there understand our clients' need for quality and service. They do the factory inspections, are rigorous in quality testing, and make sure that everything is perfect."

Corporate Edge sometimes still use agents to source certain items, but this is also efficiently coordinated through the Hong Kong office.

Focus on growth

With his sourcing problems solved, Mr Williamson has been able to focus on business development. This has included diversifying into original design manufacturing of stainless steel marine products, recently launched under his own brand, Novablue Marine.

But more importantly, he also enjoys peace of mind knowing that the promotional merchandise sourced by Corporate Edge in the mainland, to be either on-sold for fundraising or given as gifts by the company's clients in Australia, come from reputable, quality-tested factories. In a highly competitive business where quality is paramount, this goes a long way in building trust and respect.