paragon AG aims to expand into Asia with its successful products by opening a sales office in Shanghai. Establishing a local presence will enable paragon, a listed tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry, to better exploit the opportunities presented by the emerging markets of Asia, first and foremost China.
"Our contact with the region so far has shown us that there is demand in Asia for products that improve air quality inside vehicles", says CEO Klaus Dieter Frers, who believes the chances for becoming established in the Chinese market are favorable. "Products that help to protect people's health are popular in view of the high levels of air pollution to be found, especially in large cities."
paragon's first employee in Shanghai is Lingjia Gardner. She has previously worked for paragon's customer VW in Wolfsburg and, most recently, for a German automotive supplier in Shanghai. Ms Gardner is a German national of Chinese origin. She has an immediately likeable persona and speaks not only Chinese and English but also very good German. Further employees will soon be joining her in the sales office.
"Having conducted an in-depth analysis, we are now developing our specific strategy for Asia and will present it by the autumn of this year", reports Gardner. "Later we will decide whether to also establish local production facilities, which would be ready in 2013/2014."
