Hong Kong's Country Strong Development Co Ltd, a floor tile manufacturer and supplier, never had much success in penetrating the North American market. Although the company spent considerable time and effort making contacts, deals fell through because of lack of mutual trust.

All that changed when the company registered with the Business Matching service of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). "The HKTDC referred a buyer from the United States to us after receiving their enquiry," said Country Strong Manager Sam Tsang. "We discussed possible collaboration by email and very soon a deal was struck."

What amazed Mr Tsang was that the entire process took little more than a month. "Since both parties had confidence in the HKTDC, we were able to go straight into negotiating details instead of wasting time to get acquainted. Even though we have not yet met each other, orders keep coming in.

"We can source from our extensive network in the mainland, as well as supply product from our own production line," said Mr Tsang. "This flexibility allows us to handle orders of varying quantity. And to ensure that only the right product is delivered to customers, our own staff monitors quality."

Mr Tsang is delighted that the HKTDC Business Matching service has brought Country Strong a new client. More important, he added, the customised service has helped bring the company a long-term business partner. "They made a deal with us based on mutual trust - trust backed by the international reputation of the HKTDC."

Mr Tsang is optimistic about the future, despite the unclear outlook in the US market. "We will strive to broaden our customer base and, with the help of the HKTDC, we are confident that we can continue to develop additional markets and build long-term business relationships."

Rewritten from East Week, Hong Kong, 2 January 2008.