German desk firm Moll expanding in Asia
Moll, a leading German supplier of ergonomic desks, will put more focus on expanding its business in Asia, with Thailand among its priority markets over the next few years.
The company aims to increase the volume of sales in Asia to 30 per cent of the total over the next three to five years, up from about 20 per cent currently. To achieve its goal, the company plans to enter about five new markets over the next five years. About three will be in Southeast Asia, namely Vietnam, the Philippines and Myanmar.
Margot Naegele, international sales manager for Moll, said during a visit to Thailand last week that Asia was a very promising market, so the company would sell more of its height-adjustable desks for children and young adults in this region.
Moll entered Southeast Asia 15 years ago, starting from Singapore before expanding to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
The company’s business in Asia has grown by an average of 5-8 per cent annually, but it expects double-digit annual growth over the next five to 10 years because education is becoming more important in Asian society.
“Thailand is a very important market for Moll because parents [see their children as important]. The penetration rate of ergonomic desks in Thailand is still less than in Germany and some [other] countries in Europe, so [there is] huge potential to grow our business here,” Naegele said.
Moll entered Thailand seven years ago, but business has had hiccups from time to time due to political problems and natural disasters.
In the first half of this year it saw only slow sales growth.
