FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eaton & Co. is adding new business networks in South Korea, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Vietnam!
We are pleased to announce the welcome addition of a new partner to our firm.
Dr. Shlomo Weber, a professor of economics at SMU, is bringing his strong expertise and a vast array of contacts in business and political circles in the following geographic regions/countries:
A. ASIA
South Korea – This country has experienced remarkable success in combining rapid economic growth with significant reductions in poverty and a burgeoning middle class. The Korean economy was the first to rapidly recover from the 1997 financial crisis that hit Southeast Asia. This is a country with population of 50 million with a GNI of $15,830 per capita which makes it a truly lucrative market.
Vietnam – in the last year Vietnam stood as an example of a controlled economy development model that permitted creation of a substantial number of private sector jobs. Its 80 million people represent a vibrant and growing market that also enjoys government support in business development.
Japan and China – These are already well-known entities:
Japan is one of the most stable markets with an abundance of new technologies/products that could be of interest to the US manufacturers and investors;
China – the fastest growing economy with largely untapped markets beyond the already developed southeastern region. These markets represent 80% of the over 1 billion Chinese population and with improving transportation and logistics infrastructure they are becoming more accessible to the outside world.
We already have a proven record of developing and implementing entry strategy in China and searching for new products in Japan. Today, we are adding another dimension to our activities in these countries through a network of extremely high level contacts both in government and business circles.
B. CENTRAL ASIA
Kazakhstan – This oil-rich country with a total GDP of $56 billion and a 9+% growth is attractive not just as another market but as a gateway to other countries in Central Asia, Siberia, China, Mongolia and Russia. Our strength there is substantially enhanced through prominent presence and influence of the ethnic Korean community with its special links to South Korea.
Uzbekistan – a country smaller than Kazakhstan but with rich natural resources, strong ties with the US and attractive business climate. Uzbekistan’s economy is strongly supported by Japan who treats it as a sort of a “younger brother”. We have strong connections with Japanese banks operating in Uzbekistan.
EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA
Ukraine – This is the second largest country in Europe with almost 50 million people. While the country is still poor, it represents one of the most promising developing markets due to its geographic position, abundance of natural resources and friendly-to-business government.
Russia – This is a lucrative market, especially, its regions such as Volga (Saratov, Nizhniy Novgorod, Samara, and Volgograd), Ural (Yekaterinburg), Siberia (Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk) and Far East (Vladivostok). Wealth and business attractiveness in these regions have risen dramatically over the last few years, partly because of their distance and subsequent relative independence from Moscow, and partly due to their geographic proximity and growing business ties with Japan, South Korea and China.
However, this barely developed market is difficult to navigate without strong contacts and inside knowledge. Eaton & Co has specialized in Russia and successfully helped a number of top US companies in establishing a strong position in this important rapidly developing market. The addition of Dr. Weber to our firm enhances these capabilities.
Latvia – While a small country in itself, it enjoys stability, Western orientation and a high level of education. Latvia has access to the Baltic Sea and essentially serves as a bridge between Western Europe and the Russian-speaking countries in the East that were a part of the Soviet Union. Indeed, Latvia is the only member of the European Union where practically everybody speaks Russian.
All of this makes the country a great candidate for subcontract manufacturing, outsourcing and/or a base for an Eastern European/Russian operation.
Dr. Weber’s contacts stem from his professional experience as a Chairman of the Department of Economics at SMU, and a visiting professor at the top European and Asian Universities. He is a recipient of a number of awards in the Economics Research and an advisor to the US business and government. Many of the current political and business leaders in the countries listed above studied under his tutelage and maintain close contacts with Dr. Weber both professionally and personally.
With this welcome addition, our firm is even better positioned to help our clients map out and deploy the following strategies:
- Growth in new developing markets
- Search for new products/technologies
- Identification and evaluation of acquisition or partnership opportunities
- Creation of distribution networks in favorable political and business climate
- Sourcing and outsourcing
Please, let us know how we could be of help. |
