General manager Patchanee Suthiratserekul said at a press conference yesterday that the company was negotiating with distributors in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos to export its four product categories.

"If our negotiations succeed, we will be ready to export next year," she said.

Astina (Thailand) was established in 1997 as a producer and importer of four home-appliance products: electric water heaters, refrigerators, washing machines and vacuum cleaners.

At present, 70 per cent of Astina's products are manufactured in China and 30 per cent in Thailand.

Half of the company's total sales come from washing machines, 25 per cent from refrigerators, 20 per cent from electric water heaters and 5 per cent from vacuum cleaners.

The company reported sales of Bt434 million last year and expects Bt470 million this year, an increase of 8 per cent.

Patchanee said the company had achieved sales of Bt350 million in the first eight months of the year and believes sales will meet the targeted Bt470 million at year-end.

To boost its sales in the last quarter, the company has launched two new electric water heaters: Astina types AS3506 and AS4506. The new products will focus on the middle market by being priced at Bt4,990 and Bt5,990, respectively.

"Our sales growth comes from price increases of between eight and 10 per cent in the second quarter of this year, following our production costs increase," she said.

She added that purchasing power in the first eight months of this year had grown only a little after an increase in the cost of living. As a result the company predicts slight sales growth this year.

However, when the company exports to neighbouring countries next year, sales will grow by an annual 10 per cent, she said.

Somluck Srimalee

The Nation