Point S targets Asia for growth

SINGAPORE — International retailing group Point S Development has hired tire industry veteran Ler Hwee Tiong as its chief representative for Asia, based in a newly established office in Singapore.

Mr. Ler — founder of Tyrepac.com, Asia's first tire ecommerce site — will coordinate all Point S activities in the Asia region, and assist in the further expansion of Point S beyond the recently announced business affiliations in Malaysia and India.

Represented in the U.S. by the former Tire Factory Group, Point S is a retailing concept developed in France and now active in 32 countries with more than 3,400 affiliated retail points of sale.

Point S Development CEO Fabien Bouquet called Mr. Ler's experience "impressive" and his successes in Asia "widely acknowledged."

"We will be patient, and adaptive to each and every market in Asia, and do not expect to simply photocopy our past successes," Mr. Bouquet said. "We are also taking this opportunity to invite all interested candidate to become part of the Point S family."

In Malaysia, Point S is affiliated with Goodway Integrated Industries Berhad (GIIB) and partners, which will create a dedicated company to manage and develop the Point S network in that country.

GIIB Group is described as Asia's largest rubber compound exporter, tire retreader and trader. It branched into tire retailing in 2005 with the acquisition of Big Wheel, based in Kota Kinabalu,

In India, Point S sees a lot of potential in a country with a replacement market of approximately 17 million passenger tires and a significant truck market that's undergoing radialization.

Point S is working with a trio of regional partners covering five key states: Deviate Enterprises for Delhi and Punjab; GIAAN International for Maharashtra and Goa; and Tyrekada for Kerala.

Point S Development expects to convert 25 stores this year to Point S signage and have 100 stores throughout the five states "mid-term."

"The Indian market faces major changes and Point S wants to take this opportunity to implement its concept and become at term a major retail player in the country," Mr. Bouquet said.