4 April 2005
Protective Bags & Cases(HKTDC Fashion - Leather Goods & Bags, Vol 02,2005)
As a world leader in the leather goods and bags industries, Hong Kong is ideally positioned to meet their demands with hard-wearing, stylish products that reflect an individual's personality and lifestyle. Take, for example, Bagscene Ltd, which specialises in laptop computer bags and camera bags designed specifically for safe, secure transportation of valuable equipment. Materials used in the production of these sturdy items are primarily nylon, PVC and polyester sourced from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, managing director Henry Yuen explains. "Our New Trend and Creative brands are reinforced travelling bags that provide additional security for goods and peace of mind for owners," he maintains. The 16-year-old company's notebook computer, camera and travel bags and backpacks are manufactured at a 40,000-square-metre factory in Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland that employs some 1,500 workers. Bagscene has no minimum order requirement and delivers to customers in the US, Australia, Germany, the UK and Spain 45 days after order confirmation. Equally sensitive to market demand is Builder Trading Co, which has been producing robust aluminium tool, cosmetic and pilot cases for the past 14 years. "Demand for our aluminium cases has increased significantly in recent years, with additional markets now opening up as our products can protect sensitive equipment and musical instruments," states founder Shui Leung Pui. "This in turn has resulted in the production of a wider variety of styles and sizes to cater to the requirements of these consumers." He says Builder's tool case is one of the company's most popular items, especially in the DIY markets in Europe. "Our tool cases are also flexible, allowing consumers to store whatever they want," Shui adds. Builder produces its aluminium cases in a variety of sizes suitable for carrying everything from luxury accessories such as jewellery and watches to sensitive equipment, tools, documents and computers. Materials are sourced on the mainland, where Builder has established a 40,000-square-metre factory in Nanhai that employs 1,700 workers. Seven production lines turn out 400,000 items per month, ensuring Builder ships minimum orders of one TEU to Europe and the US within 45 days of order confirmation. "Our factory is also ISO 9001-certified," Shui adds. Hing Lee Handbag Mfe Ltd has taken a different tack, however, concentrating recently on developing corporate items such as wine-cooler bags and travel bags. "We produce a variety of durable bag items, including cosmetic bags and handbags, but our wine-cooler bags and corporate promotional bags have grown in popularity in recent years," sales coordinator Jessica Cheng explains, adding that Hing Lee's customers include McWilliams Wines, Rosemount Estate and Queen Adelaide wines. "All our items are produced in 70D nylon, 600D polyester, and frosted, clear or leather-like PVC." The 25-year-old firm sources these materials from the mainland, Taiwan and Korea and processes them at a 9,000-square-metre factory in Shenzhen that employs 450 workers. Hing Lee's monthly production of 500,000 items is available in minimum orders of 2,000 items per style per order, which are delivered 35-55 days after order confirmation to the US, Australia, Spain, Japan and Malaysia. Travel bags are equally big business for Kam Yuen Industrial (Int'l) Co Ltd, which also manufactures polyester and nylon backpacks, briefcases and computer bags. "We produce a variety of sturdy bags, ranging from a 36-inch trolley travelling bag to small coin purses," explains director Victor Chan. "However, our most popular products are mid-sized items such as backpacks and travel bags." Kam Yuen sources materials in Taiwan and on the mainland for processing at a 250-worker factory in Shenzhen into minimum orders of 1,000 pieces in any one style. "We deliver within 30-45 days of sample confirmation to our major markets in Europe, the US and Asia," Chan adds. "However, we plan to focus on entering new markets such as Canada, Australia and the Middle East." The outlook for durable protective bags and cases therefore looks particularly rosy for Hong Kong manufacturers, acknowledged leaders in this rapidly expanding global market. WRITTEN BY SUZANNE DENNIS Contact Details Bagscene Ltd Builder Trading Co Fukutomi Merchandising Co Ltd Hing Lee Handbag Mfe Ltd Kam Yuen Industrial (Int'l) Co Ltd Nam Wah Travel Products Mfy Ltd
|
