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Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) recently assisted Infiniti, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.'s luxury car brand, to base its global functions in the city. With the establishment of Nissan Global Company Limited (NGL), Infiniti has become the latest of several international brands to take this step, according to the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Simon Galpin. "Infiniti is a case in point, highlighting Hong Kong's favoured position as a preferred location for overseas multinationals," he said.
"Hong Kong's diverse economic developments have attracted a range of multinationals to set up here, including Infiniti which has based their global functions in Hong Kong to take advantage of the city's gateway location to Mainland China and its international status," Mr Galpin added.
Infiniti's new global headquarters is located at Citibank Tower in the heart of Central business district, and will have about 100 staff. It was launched recently and functions as the global headquarters of the luxury car brand. "As Infiniti grows its presence in the global luxury markets of North America, Europe, China and southeast Asia, we selected Hong Kong as the optimum location for our new global Infiniti headquarters. We see an opportunity to reinforce Asian hospitality within the Infiniti brand, distinct from both Nissan and our luxury competitors. We are proud to be the only automaker that calls Hong Kong home," the Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Mr Andy Palmer, said.
Infiniti seeks to lift total global sales to 500,000 vehicles a year as part of the company's six-year mid-term business plan. Its growth strategy is expected to be driven partly by demand in China and other fast-growing Asian markets, which can be served more effectively by consolidating Infiniti's global downstream functions in Hong Kong.
Mr Galpin said that apart from big multinationals like Infiniti basing their global functions in Hong Kong, the city is also a magnet for "micro" enterprises from around the world which want to seek opportunities in Asia. "At the other of the spectrum, the city is also attracting more 'micro' enterprises like restaurants, fashion stores, salons and more that want to leverage Hong Kong to get access to the China market as well as grab a share of the opportunities in Hong Kong where is fuelled by the inflow of visitors, particularly from the Mainland."
"This diversity of FDI into Hong Kong shows the uniqueness of our economy for all kinds of foreign companies and sets us apart from other Asian cities," Mr Galpin added.
About Invest Hong Kong
Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to take responsibility for Foreign Direct Investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. As it enters its 12th year of operation, Invest Hong Kong has completed over 2,400 investment projects creating more than more than 29,000 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and HK$62 billion of investment. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk .
About NGL
NGL is a fully owned subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company. NGL was established in April 2012 in Hong Kong as the new global headquarters of the Infiniti brand. NGL also plays an important role in market research, product planning, and marketing and communications for the Nissan brand for Asia. Taking into account the geographical benefits of Hong Kong, the establishment of NGL is a key strategic milestone to realise the goals of Nissan Power 88, Nissan's corporate mid-term business plan.
For more information on Nissan products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit its website at www.nissan-global.com/EN/ .
For event photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/sets/72157629952877713/.
Ends/Thursday, May 3, 2012
Issued at HKT 11:01
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