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HONG Kong bathroom materials supplier, BSC Group, plans to set up 30 new retail outlets on the mainland to raise turnover to $1 billion by 1995, with China accounting for 35 per cent of sales.

   China operations already contribute to 20 per cent of BSC sales.

   BSC, which plans to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange next year, saw turnover reach $800 million in the financial year to March 31, exceeding the forecast $570 million.

   The company last year was restructured into six divisions, among them the China Division, for which there is a projected investment of $80 million.

  Short-term plans include the building of 30 outlets and a sales network in 19 Chinese cities.

  Each outlet will have its own warehouse, administrative offices and showroom.

   The company is already established in Dalian, Beijing and Guangzhou. A retail outlet in Shanghai is under construction and is due to open next year.

  BSC's recent property projects include a $100 million investment in Mount Lotus, in Panyu, and a $300 million investment in Min Chuan Garden, Dalian, through a subsidiary, Gracinda Investment.

  The company is also building a furniture factory and a stainless steel factory on 700,000 square feet of land adjacent to its factory in Panyu.

   The factories are expected to be in operation by the first quarter of 1995, employing 500 to 600 Chinese workers, who will be housed on site.

   The company is training mainland university graduates in product knowledge and sales to staff the 30 new outlets.

    BSC retail outlets stock bathroom products.

     Company managing director William Lau is confident of business prospects on the mainland. He said there were about 10,000 large hotels in China, some of which have not been upgraded since 1978.

  To keep tourists, China would have to upgrade many hotel facilities, he said.

  As part of its expansion, the company plans to build a $50 million office and training centre in China to accommodate up to 600 trainees. At present, 20 unpaid trainees spend two to four weeks in rented facilities.

  But a $50 million office building and training centre is planned to accommodate up to 600 trainees.

  He also said the company faced competition in individual lines, but none that offered the same range of services and product levels.

  Mr Lau is confident of profitable ventures in China, with a minimum of 10,000 large hotels there, some of which have not been upgraded since 1978, but would need improvements to meet the far higher sanitary standards demanded by international visitors.

  Hong Kong operations also were marked for expansion. The group already had 16 retail boutiques with a total of 20 planned for the end of this year.

  As for supplying property development schemes, Mr Lau estimated there would be a market for 650,000 apartment units a year.



BSC Group planning widespread expansion