Managing director Pakee Pracharktam yesterday said Glebova would promote and enhance the positive image of the organisation, its brands - including Better Vision and Hor Wan - and its unique BVAX service. Her contract is for the rest of this year.

The company has set aside Bt30 million for marketing and promotions to boost sales 20 per cent to Bt1.08 billion this year. The group will open another 10 shops in Thailand, one in Singapore and one in Malaysia at a cost of Bt5 million to Bt7 million per outlet. It currently has 110 shops here and 22 abroad.

Construction :Thai-Aust screw-pile venture

Samchai Steel Industries, after finding the right solution to the problem of the dumping of steel tubes from China, has joined forces with Bishop Eastern Pipe and Screwpile Engineering (Australia) to manufacture screw piles locally.

The latest development in Australian technology helps accelerate the construction process effectively and efficiently. Sales and marketing director Varoonchai Leekanchanakorn said yesterday that since concrete piles faced some limitations, the company saw a great opportunity to expand the steel screw-pile market.

"Durable, safe and unbreakable when screwed into the ground, they can be recycled or reused at the end of a project. Because of these outstanding benefits, we have decided, as we already have our own steel-tube factories, to expand our production line. This investment will increase the value of the product," he said. 

Mobile sector :Nokia 'committed to lead'

At the 3GSM World Congress 2007 event in Barcelona, Nokia president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo yesterday reinforced the company's commitment to leading the next phase of mobility in the industry.

It unveiled a new line-up of devices and services that harness Internet connectivity and will begin to transform how people use mobility in their professional and personal lives. Kicking off the simultaneous Showcase Nokia 2007 event in Bangkok, Urpo Karjalainen - Nokia's senior vice president for Asia-Pacific customer and market operations - said the company expected that in 2007, the 3-billion mobile subscriber mark would be crossed globally, with the Asia Pacific contributing significantly to this growth.