The Euromonitor Directory of Asian Companies

Citation

Reid, C.D. (1998), "The Euromonitor Directory of Asian Companies", Collection Building, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 46-47. https://doi.org/10.1108/cb.1998.17.1.46.5

This directory is the first in a series of regional company directories published by Euromonitor which will cover the world’s emerging markets. Owing to the tremendous growth opportunities available, many multinational companies are turning their attention to the Far East. This, then, is a very timely volume. It aims to “provide a comprehensive listing of the major companies in the relevant Asian countries.”

Approximately 5,000 companies are included, arranged alphabetically by country. The 13 Asian countries covered are China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The companies included have been selected according to strict criteria of size and importance. Half of the companies have been selected on highest turnover, while the remainder represent the largest companies in their particular sector. The information given for each company includes full contact details, year established, main activities, parent company details and any major subsidiaries, key personnel, number of employees, main products and brands, turnover and profits for the last four years. One of the most useful features is the addition of general notes which gives company news and recent developments. These can be particularly informative, for example in the case of the San Miguel Corporation of the Philippines, we are told the company’s market share of specific products. It is unfortunate that these notes do not extend to more companies.

The selection of industry sectors covered reflects the economy of the country concerned. These do, however, range from advertising and marketing through civil engineering and consumer health care to transport and tourism companies. All types of companies have been included ‐ banks, conglomerates, dealers, exporters, manufacturers, retailers and service companies, to name but a few. There are three indexes which allow for easy identification of companies ‐ an alphabetical index by company name, an index by sector and by type of company. The directory also includes a listing of the top 100 companies in Asia, and each country section begins with a list of the top 50 companies in the country and the top five banks and insurance companies.

This directory joins others already on the market covering companies in the Far East ‐ Duns Asia/Pacific Key Business Enterprises and Major Companies of the Far East and Australasia (1996) to name only two. Each directory covers a slightly different area and provides slightly different information. Anyone interested in companies in the Far East would need to consider which directory offers the most appropriate and complete information for their needs, and also whether it is more appropriate to have this information on paper or in electronic form.