Brother International Targets Global Growth of 15%

Brother International has targeted a 15 per cent global growth this year for its information and document department, which sells devices and solutions for printing, communications and digital imaging for corporate, Small Office/Home Office (SoHo) and home use.

Sales of Multi-Function Centres (MFCs), a single device that can print, fax, copy documents, scan and perform PhotoCapture, to the corporate and SoHo markets will be focus areas for Brother International Malaysia, with new product lines expected to drive brisk growth.

The company made the statement at the launch of its new range of affordably-priced products for the first quarter of 2005 that include colour inkjet and laser MFCs for various markets.

Apart from printers, fax machines and MFCs, the company also makes electronic labelers as well as home and industrial sewing machines. It has 17 production facilities in six countries with 38 international sales offices, with its products sold in more than 100 countries.

Parent company Brother Industries Ltd employs more than 17,000 people globally and for the financial year ended March 31, 2004 reported net sales revenue of US$4.2 billion, with the information and document department accounting for 61.7 per cent of this amount, according to Mr. Tomosaburo Tsuji, Managing Director, Brother International (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd.

Mr. Tsuji said that in fiscal year 2003, the Americas accounted for 35.6 per cent of sales while Europe accounted for 25 per cent and Japan 26.1 per cent. Asia and other regions made up 13.3 per cent.

While the company had initially expanded operations to the Americas and Europe from Japan, Asia has more recently become a priority as future growth would come from this region and, as a result, there is now an added emphasis on growing Brother International’s business in Asia.

“We have more than 2,500 employees in Malaysia alone who contributed almost RM1 billion in sales last year. We have a long term commitment to the country, having established our production facility here in 1989 and our sales office more recently in 2001. We are confident that with the current economic conditions the global growth target of 15% will be achieved in Malaysia, if not exceeded,” Mr. Tsuji said.

Product Manager for Brother International Malaysia, Mr. Kevin Theng, said the company has clear strategic directions and the ideal product line required to achieve its forecasted growth.

“Our award-winning products are renowned for their innovation, quality, very low Total Cost of Ownership, reliability, design and for being feature & function-packed. In each product range Brother International offers among the highest product specifications at the most affordable price with many of our entry-level products having features that are usually only found in top-of-the range products of other brands,” said Mr. Theng.

To achieve the company’s global growth target, Brother International Malaysia will increase its advertising and promotions spending by 1.5 times to raise brand awareness and presence as the company is also looking to increase its share in the MFC market for consumers and SoHos, apart from adding more corporate customers.

The company launched three main ranges of MFCs, the sleek inkjet designer series of MFC-210C and MFC620CN, the inkjet corporate series of MFC-3240C and MFC-5840CN and the laser corporate series of MFC-8220, MFC-8440 and MFC-8440D with prices ranging from RM599 to RM2,899. All products come with a one-year carry-in warranty and can be purchased through Brother International Malaysia authorised business partners with support services by Brother Service Centres across the nation.

Brother International has service centres nationwide, with sales offices in Petaling Jaya and Kuching, and a production facility in Johor Bahru.

More products will be introduced in coming months, supporting its sales growth and expansion drive.

About Brother International (Malaysia) SDN BHD
Brother is a leader in the development and manufacturing of technologies in the printing, communication and digital imaging industries for home, SOHO and enterprises who demand solutions that empower businesses and individuals to communicate ideas in every possible way. The Brother International Malaysia Sales & Marketing office is a fully integrated sales, marketing and services office located at Wisma Academy, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Across the region, Brother has subsidiaries in Thailand, Philippines and its Regional Office in Singapore, as well as liaison offices in India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. For more information on Brother International Malaysia and its products, please call (03) 7620 2999 or visit www.brother.com.my.

Note: All brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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