Bangkok--27 Apr--Sharp Sharp Corporation, Japan, forms a joint venture with Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd. and Thai City Electric Co., Ltd. to strengthen its brand by combining AV and OA products, copier and solar module which originally Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd. was the distributor with some of Home Appliances such as air conditioner, air purifier, refrigerator, microwave oven which formerly Thai City Electric Co., Ltd. was the distributor in order to move to the leader of technology and sales and to expand SHARP electronic products in Thailand both home use and commercial sales and to develop integrate after-sale service to meet the requirement of consumers.Thai-Japanese joint venture company named Sharp Thai Co., Ltd. Mr. Makoto Takahashi, CEO of Asian Operation of Sharp Corporation Japan, Mr. Chittin Sibunruang, Chairman of Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd. and Mr. Kazuo Sasaki, Managing Director of Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd. and Mr. Supachai Suthipongschai, Managing Director of Thai City Electric Co., Ltd. have jointly declared the joint venture of three parties to form Sharp Thai Co., Ltd. which Sharp Corporation holds 50% share and Bangkok Trading Co., Ltd. and Thai City Electric Co., Ltd. hold 25% share each. The phenomenon of this joint venture of Japanese giant brand is the latest brand in Thailand which has just agreed to form the joint venture after Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd. and Thai City Electric Co., Ltd. separately had carried out the business as the distributor of SHARP electronic products in AV & Office Automation and Home Appliances respectively for a long decade. Mr. Makoto Takahashi said that the parent company in Japan has a policy to seriously offense the electronics market in Asian Zone especially in Thailand. Therefore, the three companies negotiated and agreed to form a joint venture company in order for business plan and marketing plan be united worldwide and brand be strengthened as well. With more capital to support marketing and unique innovative products created by SHARP, we are confident that SHARP will be able to compete in the electronic market which is complicated and intensified day by day. For Sharp Thai Co., Ltd., Mr. Chittin Sibunruang and Mr. Supachai Suthipongsechai are Chairmen. Mr. Chittin is in charge of Document and Solution Products Group such as copier and Solar Systems. Mr. Supachai oversees Consumer Electronic Products Group such as refrigerator, air purifier, microwave oven, AV products like LCD TV, DVD player and OA products such as calculator, fax machine. Mr. Kazuo Sasaki from Sharp Corporation, Japan, takes a position of Managing Director. Sharp Thai Co., Ltd. is located on 12 Floor, Ramaland Building, Rama IV Road, near Silom Intersection with paid-up registered capital Bt. 490 million and will come into operation on July 2, 2007.Policies and Directions of Sharp Thai Co., Ltd. after Merger Mr. Kazuo Sasaki, the first Managing Director who has just been appointed to work at Sharp Thai Co., Ltd, revealed that with the merger of two companies in Thailand, Sharp Thai will have a teamwork of more than 300 staff- 88 from Thai City Electric Co., Ltd., and 225 from Sharp Thebnakorn Co., Ltd.. Every staff has a lot of experiences and expertise in the Thai electronic appliances market for decades. Combining to various kinds of Sharp products which are outstanding in terms of technology innovated by Sharp, no matter LCD system in TV, Plasmacluster system in air conditioner, air purifier or even solar cell which Sharp is the biggest producer in the world at this moment, we are confident that Sharp will be the leader in the market definitely. Nevertheless, Sharp Thai Co., Ltd. has strategies to increase sales volumes of several main products in this year; for example, it is expected to increase LCD TV sales volumes by obtaining 20% market share, with focus on LCD TV 32” up by expanding distribution channel and promoting complete product display. Meanwhile, the other products such as refrigerator, microwave and copier, will be about 20%, 40% and 15% market share target respectively, with approximately sales volumes at 4,000 million baht. Concerning company policies under the management of Mr. Kazuo Sasaki, Sharp Thai will place emphasis on selling Sharp products which are environment friendly, as well as do business with the partners with unity and efficiency in order to respond to customer needs and dealers throughout the country.Sharp Thai City Electric exerts expertise in home appliances to penetrate a new market Mr. Supachai Sutthipongchai, Managing Director of Thai City Electric Co., Ltd., said that the Company still does business as a dealer of home appliances (HA) which include rice cooker, hot pot, electric oven, smart blender, washing machine, chest freezer, electric iron, water cooler and water heater. Especially rice cooker and hot pot, Thai City Electric has run the business for more than 30 years with great success and now becomes the number one in the market. For marketing strategies of Sharp products, Thai City Electric will mainly emphasize the quality development and sales volumes, as well as focus on expertise in developing various food menus in order to increase added value to the products. Thai eCity Electric has initiated the strategies and now becomes well known as “Kitchen Appliances Expert”. With the said strategies, efficient teamwork, Sharp technology, cooperation and coordination from Sharp Corporation in the production process and product development, Thai City Electronic, as the product dealer, is confident and ready to expand consumer base and create a new market as well as increase sales volumes to the current level within 2-3 years from now. Click for photo release at www.thaipr.net