1 July 1999: In an effort to widen its market, Malaysia“s LangkawiiCrystaal Sdn Bhd, a leading exporter of crystal-made novelty items, said it has appointed a company as the master franchise holder t…
1 July 1999: In an effort to widen its market, Malaysia“s LangkawiiCrystaal Sdn Bhd, a leading exporter of crystal-made novelty items, said it has appointed a company as the master franchise holder to sell its products in the US. At a ceremony here today, LangkawiiCrystaal signed a three-year deal with Precious East Sdn Bhd to market its products in the States. The M$ 1.4 million agreement enables Precious East, through its US-based Solai International Inc, to be the master franchise holder for LangkawiiCrystaal and the sole distributor, sales and marketing agent for Malaysia“s only crystal producer. At the ceremony, LangkawiiCrystaal was represented by its group managing director, Abdoul Rahman Abdullah, while Precious East was represented by its director, Kartini Illias. Abdoul Rahman said that the deal was a significant step towards marketing its products to the US, adding that Precious East would also open an outlet in San Diego, which is expected to commence operation by August this year. He said that the company is setting an initial sales target of M$ 1 million per year. “It is a long-term process, and with Precious East“s experience in the US market, our company can also move slowly into Canada and South America,” said Rahman. “We believe in the concept of slow and steady in pursuing our sales and market positioning in the US, as it is a huge and lucrative market”. The company“s more than 180 product-line of novelty items are currently available in Europe, where it has committments to supply the products to the famed Harrods Departmental Store in London and Asia. LangkawiiCrystaal was founded in 1996 by Abdoul Rahman and its turnover target for this year is M$ 6 million, compared to M$ 3 million last year based on signs of economic recovery, which is bringing a return of consumer confidence in the region. Meanwhile, Kartini is confident of establishing networking and marketing strategies for its new partner. The company, which also deals with artistic batik and furniture exports to the US, will place the crystal products for the upper market in the US, she said. “We are going for people who love to collect rare items. We hope to promote the products to art lovers who want exclusive patterns in their purchases,” she added. Kartini said that the handmade crystals would be priced at between US$ 3,000 to US$ 5,000. The company said it will also visit major cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, to promote the products, as well as widen the franchise concept.