EXPANSION

Akzo Nobel further invests in Ningbo

Akzo Nobel announced plans to invest US$339.7 million ($250 million) for two chemical plants in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The 50-hectare plot has been reserved within the Ningbo Chemical Industry Zone (NCIZ) and the two new facilities, manufacturing ethylene amines and chelating agents, will be the first to be constructed on what will be one of the company's biggest sites globally. The chelating agents plant is expected to start up in 2009, followed by the ethylene amines factory in early 2010. "We are planning to build two world scale production facilities for both ethylene amines and chelates similar in size and scope to our existing plants in Europe and the United States," said Jo Lennartz, general manager of Akzo Nobel's functional chemicals business. Lennartz added that Akzo will also install the capacity to manufacture its own key raw materials, and has chosen Ningbo for these investments because its location just south of Shanghai and its excellent transport links for supplying the growing customer needs in China and the entire Asia Pacific region. Akzo Nobel currently operates two production sites in Ningbo (for polymer chemicals and powder coatings) and Darner points to the Coatings location in Suzhou.

Metso rolls out paper service centre

Metso Paper announced plans to build its second service centre in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The facility will provide machinery maintenance and will process development services to the paper-making industry in southern China. The approximate cost is US$13.65 million (?10 million); operations will begin in 2008. The Guangzhou Centre will feature a fully equipped roll service workshop providing rolls, roll covers as well as mechanical roll maintenance for all makes and sizes of pulp and paper machines. In addition, the centre will offer a full scope of spare parts and mill site services. In 2003, Metso Paper established a logistics centre in Waigaoqiao, Shanghai, to support fast deliveries of spare parts and consumables.

Savills in Taiwan

Savills announced the official launch of a new office in Taiwan at the end of April. Located in the heart of Taipei's business district, the office will provide a full range of commercial real estate services to local and multinational businesses. "Cynthia Chu and her team bring over 16 years of professional experience to the business and we are delighted they have joined our organisation," said Robert McKellar, CEO of Savills Asia Pacific. Since Savills started its operations in China in the 1980s, we have established seven offices - Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Tianjin. Taiwanese entrepreneurs have long been massive contributors to the growth of numerous industries in China.

Thales opens new office

Thales Computers announced it has set up a new office in Beijing's Tianzhu airport industrial zone. The France-based electronics and systems provider's office is part of a facility used by several of Thales' companies for customer services and support. "The market for embedded computing in China is at a very exciting and challenging stage, and it is strategically vital for us to become a leading supplier of COTS in this region," said Christian Baud, chief executive officer of Thales Computers. Thales is an international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace, security, and services markets worldwide.

Air France improves cuisine

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will launch a partnership with South Beauty Group, a premium line of Chinese restaurants in China. Airline passengers to and from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu will now be given the choice between a Chinese or a Western dish in economy, business and first class. The new quality and experience of the Chinese cuisine is guaranteed by the South Beauty Group signature, whose upscale restaurants are found in large cities in China, and which plans to expand abroad to New York, Tokyo and London later this year. "We aim to be the choice of preference for Chinese business travellers between China and Europe and in our view the Chinese kitchen is an important element of this," said Joris Holtus, Air France KLM's China sales director.

Gide advises on auto JV

The Shanghai office of Gide Loyrette Nouel recently advised the French automotive components manufacturer Plastic Omnium in setting up a joint venture company together with Sino-American automotive components manufacturer Yanfeng Visteon. The new company, to be jointly controlled by Plastic Omnium and Yanfeng Visteon, will consolidate the exterior components businesses of the Chinese partner, and will start up operations in the summer of 2007, supplying several customers from two production facilities in Anting and Chongqing and will employ approximately 500 persons. Active in China for nearly 20 years, Gide Loyrette Nouel has offices in Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, with more than 70 Chinese and Western lawyers. Internationally, the firm operates out of 21 offices around the world.

Ericsson networks Beijing

Ericsson announced that it has signed an agreement with Beijing Netcom to build China's first commercial Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem-based (IMS) multimedia network in Beijing, which will be competed in April. According to the agreement, The Swedish telecoms firm was chosen as the only provider for the IMS network for Beijing Netcom. The Ericsson IMS multimedia telephony system will enable Beijing Netcom to provide more new value-added services, as well as new multimedia services, including voice, data, audio and video, to users in the Beijing area, including visitors and participants of the 2008 Olympic Games. The company will also provide the carrier with system integration services that will ensure the existing system can be combined with the new network.

CBRE appoints Shanghai retail head

Real estate consultancy CB Richard Ellis appointed Nancy Zhu as the director of retail services at its Shanghai office. Zhu, who was born and raised in Shanghai and educated in Australia, has worked as an airport retailing expert in Australia, holding a senior management post with Sydney Airport Corp for the last seven years. "Nancy [has] a good blend of cultural understanding, industry knowledge and international exposure," said Leonard Ng, managing director of CB Richard Ellis Shanghai.