Chua said yesterday that the company would introduce a broader range of products in the Kingdom, especially for new hotels and residential projects in the first quarter of next year. Clipsal will also add more marketing activities throughout the year.

Clipsal is now the number-one brand in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. It is in third place in Thailand following National of Japan and Biticino of Italy.

Chua said Clipsal would exploit its marketing strategy by covering seven levels of solutions from the lowest to the highest segments to serve customers' needs.

He said the first product, Living Essential, comprised elementary electrical needs, followed by higher levels with more equipment: Designer's Choice, Easy Living, Mood Expression, Intelligent Living, Transparent Home and Connected Community.

"The group will focus on the two-to-four levels to tap the condo market while the four-to-six levels will capture the luxury-hotel market," Chua said.

He added that 70 to 80 per cent of the products were now in the one-to-four level with the remainder in the high-end market.

The company also wants to expand its market share in top luxury hotels in Thailand by launching its seventh solution level, following China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Chua said the company wanted to increase market proportion from 8 per cent now to 20-25 per cent in 2010.

In the Thai market, Clipsal's sales volume accounts for ¤5 million-¤7 million (Bt231-324 million). Chua said the company expected to double or triple its sales volume over the next three years.

To achieve its sales target, Clipsal will be focusing on two major areas, hotels and residential projects, which are mushrooming, particularly in Bangkok.

Chua said the group was working on new projects scheduled to open in 2007. These include the hotels and shopping malls of Central Group, Le Meridien hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, Ratchada Square in Bangkok, A One Condominium of Plus Property and the New Government complex being built on Chaeng Watana Road.

Projects in Thailand which have been executed by Clipsal are Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhavi Chiang Mai, JW Marriott Bangkok, Banyan Tree Phuket, Siam Paragon, CentralWorld Plaza, Thailand Airways headquarters and Impact Challenger Muang Thong Thani.

Since the firm was established in Adelaide in 1920 it has grown from innovative electrical accessories to integrated solutions comprising control automation, structured cabling, energy conservation and electronic protection.

The group has research-and-development centres in Australia, China and South Korea.

Suchat Sritama 

The Nation