TRADE MISSION TO CHINA MAY 13–17, 2018
MISSION ORGANIZERS TABLE OF CONTENTS
Thank You & Welcome...... 3
Mission Overview...... 5
Delegates...... 6
Mission Organizers...... 14
Presenters...... 16
ABOUT WORLD TRADE CENTRE TORONTO The World Trade Centre Toronto (WTC-T) is the trade services arm of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. As a member of the World Trade Centers Association, WTC-T creates unparalleled global access for the Toronto region’s business community with its connection to 317 branded properties and trade services associations in 88 countries. WTC-T provides targeted international trade advisory services and expertise through comprehensive research, trade education, strategy building workshops, outbound and inbound trade missions and valuable connections to experts and networks. WTC-T has created three programs to provide end-to-end knowledge and support for businesses interested in expanding their global reach: International Trade 101, Canada’s Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) and a Market Activation Program (MAP). To learn more about World Trade Centre Toronto, please contact us at [email protected]. wtctoronto.com
ABOUT THE TORONTO REGION BOARD OF TRADE The Toronto Region Board of Trade is one of the largest and most influential chambers of commerce in North America. Our constant flow of ideas, people and introductions to city-builders and government officials firmly roots us as connectors for—and with—the business community. We act as catalysts for the region’s growth agenda. Backed by more than 12,000 members, we advocate on your behalf for policy change that drives the growth and competitiveness of the Toronto region. We want Toronto to be recognized as one of the most competitive and sought-after business regions in the world, and we believe this reputation starts with our businesses. bot.com
2 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 THANK YOU & WELCOME
MIKE WILLIAMS General Manager, Economic Development & Culture Division City of Toronto
“I have the privilege of witnessing and encouraging Toronto’s unique vibrancy through enhanced cultural and economic experiences. China has the world’s largest e-commerce market and has become Canada’s fastest-growing trading partner. Our mission to China will leverage this strength to create opportunity, trade, investment and vibrancy in our economy by enabling Toronto companies to build relationships and expand their businesses globally.”
JAN DE SILVA President & CEO Toronto Region Board of Trade
“Trade missions bring the Toronto region together with other global cities to exchange best practices and sector knowledge, build business connections and establish key partnerships. Toronto’s prosperity and opportunity are attracting global attention, and these missions serve as key opportunities to showcase the region’s competitiveness, talent and innovation. We look forward to further connecting Toronto with Shanghai and seeing the results that can come from international collaboration.”
FRANK VENTURO SVP & Head of Commercial Banking – Ontario & Atlantic Region HSBC Bank Canada
“HSBC is honoured to partner with World Trade Centre Toronto in its mission to China. For more than 150 years, we have provided local knowledge and support to businesses around the world, and with a network covering 90 percent of global trade, we are uniquely positioned to help our customers thrive and grow. I hope that your journey to China will enable you to build connections and establish partnerships in this fast-growing market. HSBC’s teams of relationship managers are available to connect you to services and tools in global trade, receivable finance, global liquidity and cash management, and global banking to support you in the next stage of your growth.”
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 3 DAVID HOGAN Partner, Tax & Chief Economist Richter
“Trade missions uncover new occasions for local companies to thrive globally. We are pleased to be partnering with World Trade Centre Toronto to provide expertise and guidance to business leaders as they prepare to expand. At Richter, we work with business owners and executives through every step of their journeys, and sometimes that involves a literal country-to-country adventure in order to discover certain opportunities. When those arise, we will be here to help you seize the moments; until then, we wish all delegates safe travels on your upcoming trip.”
LEIGH SMOUT Executive Director World Trade Centre Toronto
“In today’s global economy, key business success indicators include entering new markets, increasing export capacities, embarking on partnership opportunities and drawing inspiration from other countries and networks. That’s what trade missions accomplish, and we are excited to showcase the strength of the Toronto region’s food and beverage sector to the Chinese e-commerce market and help our companies grow globally.”
4 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 MISSION OVERVIEW
The City of Toronto and WTC-T are convening an e-commerce, food and beverage, and consumer goods- focused trade mission to China, helping Toronto companies and organizations grow their offline retail and online e-commerce businesses in Asia.
China is the world’s largest e-commerce market, with more than 450 million online shoppers and a large population of more than 1.3 billion potential customers. The affluent middle-class consmer behaviour is shifting towards more premium products and a more Western-style diet, where quality Canadian brands are particularly appealing. This mission also provides access to top export strategy and implementation advisors, market entry strategists, legal and compliance experts and other resources, enabling Toronto companies to build relationships and expand their business abroad.
OBJECTIVES 1. Connect Toronto businesses with best-in-class subject matter, market expertise and intermediaries, to provide insight and help Toronto companies refine and adapt their market entry and expansion strategies.
2. Provide site visit opportunities to visit Greenland’s modern retail environments and, seperately, the headquarters of China’s largest e-commerce platform, Alibaba, for Toronto companies to better understand and access online and offline distribution channels in China.
3. Intermediate between 20 and 40 curated private business-to-business meetings for Toronto companies with vetted retailers, distributors and other market intermediaries capable of providing channel access to China’s consumer market.
BACKGROUND China has become Canada’s second-largest and fastest-growing trading partner with more than C$85 billion (or 4.2% of GDP) in bilateral goods traded in 2016. Canadian exports to China have grown by an average of 12% per year since 2000 and the demand from Chinese consumers has increased due to a rising middle class and higher purchasing power. Quality products and brands are in high demand, and there is exponential potential for Canadian companies to gain entry and expand their market share.
Shanghai stands out as one China’s most dynamic cities in the last 50 years, and is considered the country’s financial capital and a hub for international trade. During the Toronto mission, Shanghai will be hosting the SIAL exhibition, Asia’s largest food innovation exhibition, including more than 100,000 professionals and 3,400 exhibitors. The highly curated trade mission program organized by WTC-T and the chance for companies to attend this exhibition creates a unique opportunity to promote international trade and potential growth for Toronto firms.
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 5 DELEGATES
MIKE WILLIAMS General Manager, Economic Development & Culture Division City of Toronto
Mike Williams’ main responsibilities include the implementation of the City’s Economic Development Strategy, Collaborating for Competitiveness, and its Culture Plan, Creative Capital Gains. He also works closely with a number of Agencies and organizations connected to the City of Toronto such as CreateTO, Tourism Toronto, Global Toronto and Civic Theatres Toronto. In a volunteer capacity, Mike sits on the board of George Brown College. Before joining the City in 2009, Mike spent the majority of his career in general management, research, marketing and consulting, locally and internationally.
Mike has an M.A. in Urban Geography and is a Certified Management Consultant (C.M.C.). ABOUT THE CITY OF TORONTO The municipal government of Toronto, officially known as the City of Toronto, is a public corporation providing services to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is administered by 44 elected councillors (representing around 55,000 people each) who, along with the Mayor, make up the Toronto City Council. Torontonians elect a new council every four years, in October. toronto.ca
JAN DE SILVA President & CEO Toronto Region Board of Trade
Jan De Silva is a seasoned international business executive with a proven track record of excelling in on- the-ground leadership roles.
As President & CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, Jan is spearheading efforts to make Toronto one of the most competitive and sought-after business regions in the world.
Prior to joining the Board, Jan spent 14 years in leadership roles in Asia. She served as CEO of Sun Life Financial’s Hong Kong subsidiary and Mainland China joint venture. She co-founded and was CEO of Retail China Limited, which was acquired in 2010. She later served as Dean of Ivey Asia, leading the Hong Kong campus and Asia operations of Ivey Business School of Western University.
6 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 SCOTT BROWN Vice-President & Head of Corporate Banking for Ontario West Market HSBC Bank Canada
Scott Brown has spent the last 20 years helping Canadian companies expand globally and currently holds the position of Vice-President and Head of Corporate Banking for the Ontario West Market for HSBC Bank Canada. Scott began his career with HSBC in 1998 and has enjoyed progressively senior positions within the Canadian Bank inside the retail, business and corporate banking divisions. Most recently, Scott held the role of Vice-President and Head of Business Banking for the Ontario Region and maintains a Hon. BA of Business Administration from Wilfred Laurier University.
ABOUT HSBC BANK CANADA HSBC Canada, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, is the leading international bank in Canada and one of the world’s largest banking and financial services groups. HSBC helps companies and individuals across Canada to do business and manage their finances internationally through three global business lines: Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Retail Banking and Wealth Management. HSBC serves customers worldwide through an international network of around 3,900 offices in 67 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. hsbc.ca
DAVID HOGAN Partner, Tax & Chief Economist Richter
David specializes in cross-border tax planning. He began his career as an international trade economist at the Canadian central bank before entering public accounting as a tax consultant in the 1990s. During much of the 2000s, David led Fujifilm Canada’s value improvement process before returning to public accounting as the Chief Economist – Transfer Pricing at a Big Four accounting firm in Canada.
David joined Richter in 2013 as Partner, Tax and Chief Economist and was appointed to Richter’s Board of Directors in January 2015. David also served on Canada Revenue Agency’s Large Business Advisory Committee, and is a frequent speaker on matters of cross-border taxation from a Canadian perspective.
ABOUT RICHTER Founded in Montreal in 1926, Richter offers its clients complete beginning-to-end business advisory expertise in areas from accounting, tax and wealth management, to restructuring and insolvency, litigation support, valuation, risk management and cybersecurity. Going beyond the traditional siloed approach to client service, Richter’s professionals work in tandem to produce results that help clients thrive, regardless of their market or industry. Richter has 60 partners and 500 team members with offices in Montreal, Toronto and Chicago. richter.ca
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 7 DAN BEACH Co-Founder & CEO SoCIAL LITE VODKA
Dan is responsible for the SoCIAL LITE company strategy, growth and business development. Under his leadership, the company has experienced triple digit growth and accelerated velocity. Dan holds a MBA as well as a B.Sc and M.Sc in engineering. Prior to SoCIAL LITE, Dan held senior roles in engineer management consulting and banking. In his free time, Dan enjoys spending time with his family and running ultra-marathons to get rid of excess energy.
ABOUT SOCIAL LITE VODKA SoCIAL LITE is the Canadian leader in an exploding spiked water category. The company was named as one of the top 10 Canadian food and beverage companies to watch in 2017 and is the second fastest growing RTD brand at the LCBO. The company was started in a kitchen because people wanted to enjoy a drink that fit into a healthy lifestyle. It was in that kitchen where cocktails were crafted with premium vodka, soda and 100 per cent natural flavours. SoCIAL LITE Vodka stays true to its vision of producing delicious drinks without sugar or sweetener. sociallitevodka.com
THOMAS GREEN Vice-President of Winemaking & Operations Diamond Estates Wines & Spirits Ltd.
Thomas’ background includes over 17 years experience in winemaking and winery operations. He holds a B.Sc. degree in chemistry from Western University and a Hons. B.Sc. degree in oenology and viticulture from Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. Thomas has incorporated export business into Asia as part of his role as Vice-President of Winemaking and Winery Operations at Diamond Estates Wines and Spirits Ltd. since 2009. Thomas also sits on the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) of Ontario Standards Development Committee.
ABOUT DIAMOND ESTATES WINES & SPIRITS LTD. Diamond Estates was founded in 2001 and has grown to be one of Canada’s largest domestic wine producers and distributors of alcoholic beverages. Diamond Estates’ main winery is located in the Niagara Peninsula, the largest wine producing region in Canada. The company produces over 250,000 cases of VQA wines, and the winery facility is one of the largest fully integrated VQA wineries in Ontario with cooperage capacity of over 6,000,000 litres of wine. Diamond Estates is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange as of 2013. diamondwines.com
8 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 DARREN HATHERELL President Bonne O
As the former Managing Director of Digital Cement, an online customer relationship management and analytics firm with clients including Kraft, FedEx and Bell, which sold to Pitney Bowes for $52 million U.S., Darren is an experienced entrepreneur. Darren holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business, where he graduated as an Ivey Scholar. He is also a CFA charter holder and a member of the Toronto CFA Society.
ABOUT BONNE O Bonne O is a sparkling beverage system. The name means ‘good water’ from the French ‘bonne eau’. The inspiration for the system was to create a new range of sparkling beverages using real ingredients you have in your kitchen. The system allows you to sparkle everything, not only water but you can create an incredible array of healthy, innovative, creative classics and fun beverages. It is a sleek appliance that doesn’t require a CO2 tank to handle and return. It is patented and protected and can be delivered globally. bonneo.com
ALAIN HUANG President Oriwest
Alain has over 25 years of experience in food and health products and areas such as retail, distribution, import/export and supply chain management. He has worked with many major companies and organizations worldwide including Carrefour France, Shanghai Friendship Stores, Quebec Agri-Food Export Group and Biscuits Leclerc. Alain is fluent in chinese, English and french.
ABOUT ORIWEST The company was founded in 1996 to support worldwide distribution of the finest food and health products. When the natural and healthy lifestyle became a trend in the new century, the Oriwest brand was launched to help people replace harmful chemicals with natural essential oils in their daily life. Now, Oriwest is one of the major aromatherapy-related product suppliers in Canada, bringing the healing power of nature to people’s hectic routine. oriwest.com
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 9 AAMAR KHWAJA Founder & CEO Modgarden
Founder and inventor of tinyFarm by Modgarden, Aamar is a health advocate on a mission to see everyone eat healthily. It is his goal through education, to help everyone navigate through the complexities of food ingredients and common ailments and try to make eating and being healthy simple again. Aamar spent 15 years on Wall Street with Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan and Bank of America as a banking professional; after this, he took seven years off and traveled the world. It is through his own health issues that he has educated himself and taken control of his health solely through natural means. Aamar now empowers others to do the same.
ABOUT MODGARDEN Modgarden is positioned to impact urban centres and the way we eat food. The future of farming is at stake as new technology solutions hit the market but miss the mark on what is healthy over the long run. Modgarden has a different strategy that essentially takes the farm and plots it into a condo or home. A tiny farm appliance in the comfort of your home will allow you to grow your own nutrient-dense and evocative-tasting organic vegetables. The affordable smart modular growing system provides insight from seed to fork so you know exactly what your family is eating. modgarden.com
NANCY KINGSLEY-HU Founder & CEO Golden Ontario Products
Nancy Kingsley-Hu founded Golden Ontario Products in 2012. Originally a successful financial advisor with over 10 years experience, Nancy sold her business and embarked on a new challenge when she moved with her family to Shanghai in late 2009. She started a trading business focused on importing Canadian food products to China, beginning with honey, ice wine and beer before moving into pork and beef. To secure source, Nancy purchased a beef processing facility in Mount Forest, Ontario. After 5 years of operation the facility received Chinese accreditation and was licensed for bone-in and boneless beef in October 2017.
ABOUT GOLDEN ONTARIO PRODUCTS Golden Ontario Products is a federally licensed meat processing company, with a primary focus on exporting red meat products including beef, veal, water buffalo and bison. Golden Ontario Products specializes in high-end niche products such as wagyu, hormone-free and European GED standards, and is HACCP approved and Halal certified. Currently the company is the only plant in Canada that can export bone-in beef to China, and services other markets including Vietnam, Mexico and the U.S. goldenontario.com
10 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 BRUCE W. MULLEN President & CEO Jusu Bars Inc.
Bruce began his business career in 1977 as a young truck driver with the small family-owned business, Mullen Trucking. In 1993, Mullen Trucking was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and still is today as Mullen Group Ltd., one of the largest transportation, logistics and energy-serving businesses in Canada.
Bruce has served on the Board of Directors of the Mullen Group, Producers Oilfield Service and Horizon Logistics. He was the chairman of the Upstream Petroleum Industry Task Force On Safety (UPITFOS) and a member of the Board of Petroleum Service Association of Canada (PSAC). Bruce has been recognized by the Energy Industry Rotary Club of Canada for his commitment to safety. He has spent a lifetime in the energy business and is now in the “human energy” business as the Founder of Jusu Bars Inc.
ABOUT JUSU BARS INC. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, Jusu Bars Inc. makes handmade natural body, home and family care products using the most natural ingredients possible. This makes for high-quality and food grade effective products that significantly reduce exposure to toxins. Jusu Bars products eliminate the impact of harsh chemicals on your body and the planet. jusubar.com
NICHOLAS REICHENBACH Founder, CEO & Director Flow Water Inc.
A seasoned executive & serial start-up, investor and consumer product entrepreneur, Nicholas has built a robust track record, founding, creating and building multiple businesses in the consumer goods, social media, internet/mobile technology, entertainment and hospitality space.
ABOUT FLOW WATER INC. Flow Water Inc. is engaged in the business of the production, distribution, marketing and sale of packaged natural spring water from its exclusive artesian well in Southwestern Ontario. Flow is the only Canadian company to package natural spring water in an environmentally friendly Tetra Pak paper carton. Flow’s spring water is of the highest quality in the world with a delicious, silky taste. It also has naturally occurring healthful benefits including electrolytes, functional minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and naturally occurring alkaline pH.
Flow has experienced hyper-growth in its first two years of business and has achieved North American success. flowhydration.com
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 11 ANDREW REID Co-Founder & CEO Sweet & Friendly Co.
Andrew comes from an entrepreneurial background combined with a passion for health, innovation and over 25 years of experience in the public and private markets. In 2004, he founded what would become Xylitol Canada Inc. to introduce natural and healthy sweeteners and products. He was instrumental in the development of natural sweeteners and natural products under the Xyla brand between 2010 and 2014, seeing sales soar from zero to 9 million in these four years. Andrew has been a leader in raising awareness of the harms of sugar and artificial sweeteners while educating the population on the benefits of natural low GI sweeteners and products.
ABOUT SWEET & FRIENDLY CO. Sweet & Friendly Co. is an innovative natural sweetener and confectionary company that has all the pieces under one roof. With the knowledge and capabilities of developing and manufacturing confectionary products as well as the experience and know-how working with natural sweeteners, Sweet & Friendly Co.’s goal is to give the population great healthy products that are all natural but do not forfeit taste or quality. sweetmaplecandies.com
ZHENG SHANHAN Sales Manager King’s Court Estate Winery
Zheng is the current sales manager at King’s Court Estate Winery. She holds an M.A. in Economics and Literature and has experience in the winery business. She has also worked as a host and producer on the Harbin TV life channel.
ABOUT KING’S COURT ESTATE WINERY King’s Court Estate Winery currently farms 100 acres of grapes. The winery is located along one of the Niagara region’s most travelled wine trails for tourists. Until recently, most of the winery’s profitable business has been in the wholesale market. King’s Court is now poised to become an even stronger presence in Ontario’s viniculture. The winery has been producing wine and ice wine in St. Catherine’s, Ontario for over 30 years, and also produces other fruit wines. King’s Court’s capacity is approximately 480,000 bottles annually. The winery is presently exporting ice wine to China and other countries in Asia. ontario-wine.com
12 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 RULA SHARKAWI Founder & CEO My Little Chickpea Gourmet Foods Inc.
Rula is a foodie and passionate entrepreneur. In 2017, she was one of three finalists our of 6,400 for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award.
ABOUT MY LITTLE CHICKPEA My Little Chickpea Gourmet Foods Inc. (MLC) is a federally incorporated gourmet food manufacturer that specializes in making tasty vegetarian foods packed with nutrients in a convenient grab-and-go format. MLC operates out of a new state-of-the-art plant in Toronto, Ont., in a BRC certified facility, the highest level of food safety. It currently has a significant capacity to handle additional growth.
MLC produces a variety of gourmet foods that are all vegetarian, made with super foods and are preservative-free. Many are vegan (dairy-free, meat-free) and gluten-free. Product lines include: veggie burgers, gourmet mushroom rice bites, falafels, salads, dips and hummus, dressings and marinades.
MLC’s products are unique in that they are on-trend, appeal to mainstream tastes and also capture the specialty vegan, gluten-free and soy-free niche market. mylittlechickpea.com
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 13 MISSION ORGANIZERS
LEIGH SMOUT Executive Director World Trade Centre Toronto
Since assuming his role at World Trade Centre Toronto (WTC-T) in May 2016, Leigh has focused his efforts on providing comprehensive international trade services and key global contacts, supporting trade development and international business growth to businesses throughout the Toronto region.
Leigh has extensive experience developing and leading strategy and business development. Prior to his role at WTC-T, Leigh worked with other provincial, federal and municipal government procurement organizations to develop strategy, and led a program to build a 275-person internal consulting business and to reduce consulting costs by $30 million for the Government of Ontario’s Management Board Secretariat. Much of Leigh’s career has been entrepreneurial, focused on growing new and emerging programs. This includes the role of CFO of a dot-com, Bee-Trade.com, President of Pulse Health Products and Managing Director of Newtown Sales Ltd.
Leigh holds a Strategic Analytics Certificate in Management Analytics from Queen’s University School of Business, and a Certificate in Public Procurement Law and Practice, Purchasing/Acquisitions and Contracts Management from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.
PETER BRADFORD Manager of Member Engagement Toronto Region Board of Trade
Peter Bradford has more than five years of experience in relationship management, business development and international sales-channel development. Primarily working in China, Peter has supported successful product launches in several countries and has been instrumental for opening markets in Asia, Latin America and North America for several brands.
Peter holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Queensland, Australia, as well as the Peking University of China. He is currently the manager of member engagement at the Toronto Region Board of Trade, and is fluent in Chinese, English and conversational Spanish.
14 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 SOL CANO Senior Program Coordinator World Trade Centre Toronto
Sol is an International Trade and Business Development professional with more than 10 years of experience in the private and public sectors. Multilingual in English, Spanish and French, she has had the opportunity to work in Europe, South and North America.
Sol holds an M.A. in Negotiation for International Business and a B.A. in Business Administration. She has developed and launched product line campaigns in the perishable goods sector, and oversaw the planning and logistics for several trade shows in the floral industry in Germany, U.S., the Netherlands and Russia. Sol later worked in the Trade Commission Service office at the Embassy of Ecuador in France as an Advisor. There, she organized commercial missions and directed promotional presentations to help Ecuadorian companies increase their exports to France, and also supported a presidential visit in 2013.
Currently, Sol is a Senior Program Coordinator at World Trade Centre Toronto, and works to develop trade missions to increase international market presence for SMEs in the region.
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 15 PRESENTERS
ACCESTRA CONSULTING
Accestra provides professional services on integrated solutions for digital innovation, intelligent manufacturing, compliance and market access. Accestra is composed of technical experts, former FDA officials, information and compliance consultants with offices located in China, Taiwan and Japan. We provide a one-stop service for enterprises aiming for global access including digital factory planning, system implementation, compliance and market access.
ALIBABA GROUP
Alibaba Group, through its subsidiaries, operates as an online and mobile commerce company in China and internationally. They enable businesses to transform the way they market, sell and operate, providing the fundamental technology infrastructure and marketing reach to help companies leverage the power of the Internet. Alibaba Group’s businesses are comprised of core commerce, cloud computing, digital media and entertainment, innovation initiatives and others. alibabagroup.com
BOXING CAT BREWERY
The Boxing Cat Brewery is one of the first and most internationally recognized microbreweries in China. Established in 2008 in Shanghai, they operate three brewpub locations and a central factory in Minhang. Winner of multiple “Best of” awards in Shanghai, it became the first Chinese microbrewery to win a medal at the 2016 World Beer Festival. In 2017 AB InBev, the world’s biggest beer brewer, acquired a significant stake in the company. boxingcatbrewery.com
THE EXPORT GROUP
The Export Group is a team of fast-moving consumer goods professionals with significant industry experience in blue-chip, brand-led organizations. The company manages domestic and imported premium brand portfolios in the Australian market, and develops and effectively executes export strategies for iconic Australian brands into Asia Pacific markets. The Export Group has established a strong in-market presence in Shanghai and Hong Kong. theexportgroup.co
16 TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 GREENLAND BUSINESS GROUP
Founded in 1992 with headquarters in Shanghai, Greenland Group is a global leading real estate enterprise. In recent years the company has gradually transformed into an urban service operator, focusing on consumption and service demand of the middle class generated by China’s huge population base. Greenland Direct Global Goods was created to provide healthy, safe and high-quality goods to urban residents. The company purchases diverse high-quality and low-cost global products from five continents, covering over 8,000 kinds of imported goods. Greenland’s first three physical boutique supermarkets opened in Shanghai in 2014 with great success, and are rapidly expanding across China with a goal of over 50 locations by the end of 2018. greenlandsc.com/en
METCASH ASIA LTD.
Metcash Ltd. is Australia’s leading wholesale distribution and marketing company specializing in grocery, fresh produce, liquour, hardware and other fast-moving consumer goods. Metcash is a publicly listed company with a market capitalization of 1.8 billion, as well as 6,000 direct employees servicing a network of over 100,000 workers across Australia and New Zealand.
Metcash Asia Ltd. (MAL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metcash Ltd. Based in Shanghai, MAL is focused on sourcing in Asia and expanding the Metcash Australia and New Zealand wholesale platform in China. MAL also works with foreign brands from a host of other international markets as they try to successfully enter the Chinese market. metcash.com
THE SILK INITIATIVE
The Silk Initiative provides brand strategy consulting by determining new market opportunities and positioning strategy, brand development, product innovation, pack and key activation visual design, launch agency selection, launch preparation and in-market monitoring. Clients include Campbell’s, PepsiCo, Unilever, General Mills, Pizza Hut, Arla, Tyson, Mars Wrigley, Vita Coco and McCain, as well as many Australian, New Zealand and U.K. brands. All brand strategies are based on extensive consumer understanding, using world-class research techniques by expert teams based in Shanghai and the United States. silkinitiative.com
TRADE MISSION TO CHINA | MAY 13-17, 2018 17 wtctoronto.com
@WTC_TO | @TorontoRBOT WE GROW TRADE @World Trade Centre Toronto
1 First Canadian Place, PO Box 60 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5X 1C1
416-862-4514