U.S.-based consultancy Kline and Co. has established a more direct presence in China by acquiring the Shanghai office of Etonwood Pte. Ltd., its affiliate for the Asia-Pacific region.
The deal, announced last week, gives Kline control of an office that Etonwood opened in 1997 and which employs six.
China is clearly a growth market for many of the industries that we provide our services to, and having experienced, full-time staff on the ground there is key to our long-term business plans in the region, Kline President Joe Tarantola said.
Kline is based in Little Falls, N.J., and provides consulting services to the petroleum, chemicaland energy industries, including lubricants, as well as forlife sciences and consumer products. Etonwood, of Singapore, offers research and advisory services for the petroleum and chemical industries and has served as Klines representative in Asia-Pacific since 1980. The companies said Etonwood will continue to cover the region and will continue to collaborate with Kline.
Kline noted that the Shanghai office is only its latest expansion in Asia. The company opened an office in Tokyo in October. It plans to add two more staff members to the Shanghai office.