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Strategies & Market Trends : Asia Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stitch who wrote (2769)	3/29/1998 8:23:00 AM
From: John B. Smyth	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 9980

Thanks for the welcome. I look forward to contributing in whatever humble way I can. My first trip to Asia was in the spring of 1994. I was invited to present a paper at an energy symposium in Korea. Subsequently I was invited by the Indonesian Canadian Business Counsel to join a trade mission to Indonesia. I knew little about the country other than from helping my daughter with her stamp collection when she was a young girl. I visited our local library and was astonished to find the opportunities that were possible with the developing infrastructure and need for our type of technology. At the same time I did a little research on Malaysia, Singapore and HongKong. I thought I would extend the trade mission on my own. At the last minute the ICBC cancelled the mission due to lack of interest from other participants at the symposium. I had done my homework and decided to go on my own mission as I saw an immense market for our products. The selection of agents was an interesting process here, and I soon learned that Asia had many mine fields to walk through. I'm a quick study and fortunately found my way through without difficulty. It has been an absolute pleasure dealing with our many customers and agents here and I have made friends who I'm sure will become life long ones. In conducting business in Asia I have had opportunities to meet so many people in every walk of life from unskilled field operators to officials at the very highest levels of government. It has certainly given my a great perspective on the culture, difficulties and opportunities for the people of Asia. I am currently in Malang, Indonesia visiting a series of sites in order to bid on a Flood Forecasting SCADA project for the Indonesian Water Resources Ministry. We have completed 4 other projects for them in Java and Sumatra and are currently installing our second one for the Selangor Drainage Authority in Malaysia. I have posted some observations regarding the monetary situation here on the Unitec thread on S.I. if you or anyone cares to look. The press at home is quite negative about the situation here, but I have not found it as bad as has been protrayed. Certainly the large capital projects in Jakarta have been idled, but I believe it will be a flash in the pan, rebounding as Mexico and Brazil did earlier. How are things in Malaysia? One of our engineers is there now, and I will get a full report from him in due course, but would appreciate your comments. Again thanks for the welcome. Regards, John