Rochdale company to visit Malaysia and Burma

Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific business at UKTI North West

Eleven companies from across the North West head out to South East Asia this week, as part of a trade mission organised by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) North West.

The ten day visit to Malaysia and Burma, leaving on Friday 21 June, is supported by the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur and the British Embassy in Myanmar, and will help companies take advantage of high value opportunities in the region.

Attending the visit are Manchester companies Far East Consulting Ltd, Worldway Technologies Ltd and Spirit SSR Ltd, Connect Medical Systems from Oldham, Data Ind Ltd from Rochdale and European Diesel Services Ltd from Wigan.

Also taking part in the mission are Cheshire-based businesses Chase International Ltd (Lymm), DG Thompson International Ltd (Knutsford), Boldon James Ltd (Crewe) and UK Language Courses (UKLC) (Chester) as well as Vistage International from Stoke.

Decades of strong industrial growth and political stability have made Malaysia one of South-East Asia’s most vibrant and successful economies. Malaysia is strategically located along the Straits of Malacca and the southern part of the South China Sea. The Malaysian economy enjoys a competitive advantage in producing and processing primary products due to an abundance of natural resources combined with world class transport and telecommunications infrastructure.

Burma is a relatively underdeveloped market. Strategically located at the crossroads of China, India and South-east Asia, it has a glorious coastline of white sand with only a single resort on it. Burma’s potential has long been obvious to anybody familiar with Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia. The country is also rich in resources, from oil and gas to jade, timber and gold.

Philomena Chen, Head of Asia Pacific business at UKTI North West is leading the mission. She says: “South East Asia offers huge opportunities for UK goods and services. It is a strategic region where economic growth and development is expected to exceed the global average for the foreseeable future. The region’s economy is predicted to grow by over 5% in 2013, making it one of the key emerging markets.

“This trade mission is to help North West companies maximise their business opportunities in Malaysia and Burma, working closely with partners in both countries. The North West has an incredible pool of talent and some fantastic businesses, and we hope to help them make the most of their international potential by introducing them to customers, agents and distributors in South East Asia.”