Briefs

The industrial index surged 36.1 per cent in October because of the low base in the same month of last year.
Nattapon Nattasomboon, director-general of the Industrial Economics Office under the Industry Ministry, said yesterday that the main cause of the low base at the end of last year was the massive flood, which hit the Central region – a major production area for many industrial goods, such as electronic parts, automobiles, plastic parts, metal moulding, foods and chemical products.
 Those manufacturers had to halt production for more than three months between October and December last year. – The Nation

SCB’s zero-rate offer
Siam Commercial Bank is offering zero interest rate for customers joining the “Thailand Smart Money” exposition in Udon Thani, the first money expo ever held in this Northeastern province, a gateway to the Asean Economic Community.
The event runs from November 30 to December 2 on the fourth floor of Central Plaza Udon Thani. – The Nation

CMO, TEE form entertainment JV

Leading event organiser CMO has formed a joint venture with TEE Entertainment to strengthen its entertainment-related business.

The 50:50 JV will be named CMO-TEE Entertainment.

CMO chief executive officer Sermkhun Kunawong said yesterday that as Somchai Cheewasutthanon, chairman of TEE Entertainment, had much experience in various business sectors, particularly entertainment business, through this new partnership the company would enjoy satisfactory growth. to Bt1.1 billion as planned.

Somchai said his company had strength in four business areas: food and beverages, entertainment, new media, |and real-estate development. |– The Nation

Rolls-Royce to increase outlets

Rolls-Royce, the ultra-luxury car brand owned by BMW, plans to increase outlets by 14 per cent within five years as it chases growing numbers of wealthy customers, including Thais.

Rolls-Royce targets expanding the number of dealers to 120 from 105 to target millionaires in such markets as Thailand, Vietnam and Chile, unfazed by Europe’s debt crisis. The Goodwood, England-based carmaker expects the updated version |of its Phantom sedan will |help it reach a second consecutive sales record this year after delivering 3,538 cars in 2011.

"I am very confident that we’ll sell at least one more this year," Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, the brand’s chief, said in an interview at the opening of a showroom in Berlin last weekend.

Rolls-Royce, which also makes the slightly less ex-|pensive Ghost sedan, is counting on growing wealth in Asia and South America to fuel demand as the debt crisis dents sentiment among Europe’s rich.

The number of households with more than US$5 million (Bt153 million) in assets is set to grow by 3-5 per cent annually in the coming years, creating new potential customers for the brand, Mueller-Oetvoes said. – Bloomberg