Extract taken from the EDP Newspaper 22 February 2007
The article is based on the increasing number of UK businesses who are setting up manufacturing plants in China to aid growth in international markets.

Fellow King's Lynn company Williams Refrigeration also sees China as an increasingly important market for its products. Williams, which is part of the Aga Foodservice Group, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of commercial refrigeration systems. Its products are used in some of the world's leading hotels and commercial kitchens.

Recent major contracts have included providing a huge range of refrigerators and coldrooms for the refurbished facilities at Royal Ascot and the new Wembley stadium. The company's Chinese division operates under the name Williams Ming Fai and includes a showroom in Hong Kong and two manufacturing sites in Dongguan in southern China. Williams Ming Fai also has sales and service centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Williams managing director Tim Smith said: "We see these regional centres as the hub of China's eastern sea board development and ideally suited to meet our major clients. As a market leading a respected quality brand name Williams clients include many five star hotels, executive restaurants and stadiums."

Products manufactured in China are sold to Australia, the Middle East, India and much of South East Asia. Williams is now making steady inroads into China itself after it was awarded a licence by the Chinese government in 1999 to sell 20,000 commercial refrigeration cabinets to the local market. The products manufactured in China are designed and engineered at Williams's headquarters in King's Lynn and staff from the UK regularly visit to the Chinese operations to ensure the products are built to the same quality standards. Key components are also sourced from the company's suppliers in the UK and Europe.

Mr Smith said: "The China and Hong Kong operations are wholly owned subsidiaries of Williams UK. This in itself is a unique position and resulted in some extensive and very carefully planned negotiations with our trading licence and business status with the Chinese authorities. "We have received very helpful and positive support from the Dongguan economic development region in developing our business in China. We also have a good local management team highly experienced in our industry." The arrival of the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 together with the growth of more five star hotels and restaurants are likely to provide Williams with further opportunities to continue growing the business over the next few years.