ICQ (HK) Ltd
- HKGCC Membership No. :
- HKI0300
Quality Assurance
Laboratory testing service provider ICQ (HK) Ltd has enjoyed rapid growth since itsestablishment in 2008, thanks to its aggressive diversification of services and the sustainable demand for toy testing – even amid economic turmoil.
“The impact of the global economic crisis on toy testing has been tempered by the strong buying activity for toys during the festive seasons. In Italy, for example, sales of toys slipped only 3%last year, which was seen as one of the worst years in the country. Parents won’t stop buying Christmas toys for their kids no matter how difficult the economic situation is. As a result, we haven’t seen any major change in our business volume,” said Alain Curti, general manger of ICQ (HK) Ltd.
Headquarteredin Italy, ICQ is the abbreviation for Istituto Certificazione Qualità – translated in English as Institute for Quality Certification.
The toy testing division, which was how ICQ (HK) Ltdstarted out, has been a major revenue generator for the company. “When we started up business in Hong Kong, we focused our attention on testingtoys. We later diversified our services to include textile testing and, more recently, cosmeticsand food testing,” Curti said.
Consumers’ mentality
U.S.and European consumers are highly concerned about product safety, especially with regards to food. “They want to know what they are eating, where the food is produced and whether or not pesticides are used in the production process. That is why an increasing number of companies are having their products tested before exporting to the U.S.and Europe,” he explained.
He underscored that big brand names have spent millions of dollars on advertisements in building up their reputation. Nonetheless, a reputation can be irreparably ruined if its name was published on the product recall list on websites like U.S.Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is why companies want to test products.
In Hong Kong, consumers are not overly concerned about certain products, particularly cosmetics. “One popular but risky product is whitening cream. Some chemical compositions used in the creams might irritate the skin or are even toxic to humans. Repetitive use might put one’s life in risk,” he said.
Curti acknowledged, however, that there is a shift in attitude towards product safety among Hong Kong consumers. Product safety is catching the public’s attention more now than ever before, he added.
Expansion
ICQ (HK) Ltd has grown from a small operation to a full-fledged team, with a current workforce of around 160. He explained that the company witnessed tremendous growth over the past few years, a trend that’s likely to continue in 2012, he said. “Our plan is to continue to expand our facilities in Hong Kong, as well as our presence in the Asian market.”
Seeing growing demand for testing service in India and Mainland China, the company is preparing to expand its presence in both marketswith the opening of a laboratory in New Delhi by summer and another one in Shanghai by the third quarter of 2012.
The New Delhi laboratory will focus on textile and garment testing in the initial stage of its rollout. “India is an important and growing sourcing centre for textile and garments. Later, we will gradually expand our services. Toy testing is one of the possible areas, because we expect toy exports from India to grow 300% to 400% in the coming three years,” he forecast.
As for the Shanghai laboratory, the company will initially focus on toy testing. Toy production is currently concentrated in Guangdong Province, but he believes there is also a growing concentration of toy manufacturing in other parts of the country.
Understanding that employeesarean important asset for the company, it places great emphasis on staff training. “All our staff undergo extensive internal training. We also exchange technical information with our Italian headquarter on a daily basis,” Curti said.
Meanwhile, the company works closely with local universities to offer internship opportunities for studentsand hires outstanding student interns after they graduate.
Rosy outlook
Despite intense competition within the testing industry, Curti remains confident about the prospects for the product testing sector.
“Many testing service providers are expanding their presence in Hong Kong. We have an optimistic outlook for 2012, given Hong Kong’s business-friendly environment and support from the government. We hope the government will conduct regular market monitoring to certify the credibility of the testing industry,” he concluded.
