Eindhoven, a city alive with innovation and global tech players, has become the home of HKC Europe, the leading manufacturer of TFT and CRT monitors. Headquartered in Shenzhen, China, the company’s exploration of the European market confronted them with several challenges. But the Netherlands, with “the largest port in Europe and perfect infrastructure” according to HKC’s product manager Mr. Sean Chen, proved to be full of promise. “It’s located in the center of the UK, Germany, and France– so that’s the biggest market in the EU, a place where we can focus on integrity, quality, confidence and perseverance”. In the past year, HKC Europe set up its office in Eindhoven with help of local expert BOM, the Brabant Development Agency, which meant a paradigm shift for its position on the European market.

Not only did BOM help HKC Europe move from small town location Wijchen to the IT industrial concentration of Eindhoven, but they also established HKC’s presence as a local player. From scouting the perfect office location to discovering the local talent pool, BOM’s experience proved to be crucial in the transitional process of setting up the HKC factory. “We got a lot of help from them, including partner recommendations, entry into the industrial network, and roundtable meetings”, Mr. Chen recalls. “It helped us obtain the knowledge we needed to connect with other professionals”. One of these parties was Ergon, who shares an emphasis on quality with HKC in assembling a driven workforce in a social factory setting. “Their excellent management and control system helped us prioritize quality, so we have the right people at the workstations to optimize efficiency.”

Aside from the business appeal of Eindhoven, HKC also found a considerable Chinese expat community, which facilitated the settlement on a human level while maintaining a connection to HKC’s roots. As Eindhoven’s industry keeps growing, the appeal of the Dutch southern region has become clear for everyone to see – not in the least because it offers a less saturated market and more cost efficient opportunities than, for example, the Dutch capital does.

“Today, we are creating a display production center in Eindhoven to bring our customers high quality and low cost products”, Mr. Chen asserts. “We have space for adjusting processes, which reaps plenty of benefits. Location is important to us. Therefore we’re thrilled with not only the atmosphere in Eindhoven, but also the information exchange that happens here with opportunities for skilled IT workers and professionals.”