Easibathe expand into China

Posted: 01/05/2011

North East disabled living adaptations provider Easibathe is looking further afield with the appointment of an employee in Shanghai.

Grace Zhao will be taking on the roll of Business Development Manager and will carry out market research and start negotiations with firms in the country.

Easibathe has chosen a good time to break into China, as news broke in February that China had become the world’s second largest economy and is on track to become the biggest in the next 10 years.

China has an estimated 83 million disabled people, and Easibathe feels that their products and expertise could make a real difference there.

Grace’s responsibilities include liaison with Chinese suppliers, visiting factories to supervise project progress, translating company brochures and other documents and assisting with Easibathe and Easiaccess's legal work for doing business in China.

Easibathe and Easiaccess Chairman Martin Cook has been heading up operations in China. He is learning Mandarin so that he can build relationships with potential clients and suppliers more effectively. He comments: “After extensive research and a number of trade missions and visits to various parts of the country we have established that there is a huge gap in the market for us to supply our products.”

“Due to the size of the country and the market potential we felt that it is important to have a full time China-based Mandarin speaking employee to assist us in our research and development. Having Grace on board allows us to have a contact in the country for our Chinese clients. We are also researching the benefits of having a registered office in China.”

Grace adds: “The Chinese market, compared with the western market still has huge space for the development of accessible products. Also, the Chinese government is realising the importance of building a better living environment for the disabled and elderly and is investing huge amounts of money in this area.”

In terms of promoting their products to the Chinese market, Easibathe has developed a Mandarin website and is in the process of having their sales literature translated. They are keen to display that they are dedicated to providing the Chinese market with their expert advice and quality products.

Easibathe was set up 16 years ago by Martin and Denise Cook, selling and installing special needs bathing and hoist equipment to local authorities across the North East. They later established Easiaccess, which provides environmentally friendly access solutions, from small threshold ramps to large metal modular ramps for Local Authorities, Councils, Housing Associations and the private sector.

The company has come a long way since their modest beginnings, out of a garage in Holystone, to a 25,000-sqft head office in Dunston and 4,000-sqft warehousing facility in Doncaster. Today, the family run business has developed into a £5m turnover company, employing 55 people and selling their products and services nationwide.

For further information on Easiaccess and Easibathe visit www.easi-access.co.uk and www.easibathe.com.