Lion International Sets Up in
Hong Kong Following Tender Win
Personal protection equipment and work wear clothing specialist Lion International has expanded
into Asia with the set up of its HK$4 million TotalCare® Centre in Hong Kong
Lion International’s winning of the Hong Kong Government’s
Fire Services Department contract represents one of the
group’s biggest tender wins and is the key motive for its
expansion into Asia.
The new contract requires the manufacture and supply of
13,000 fire suits and their ongoing care including laundering,
necessary treatments, inspection and repairs. The company
has a fleet of three cars and drivers that visit Hong Kong’s 81
fire stations every two days to collect the soiled and deliver
the cleaned fire suits. On average, Lion receives about 150
fire suits per day which are turned around within two days,
ahead of the contract-specified four day turnaround time.
With this expertise and a tried and tested business model
Achenbach believes Lion Hong Kong is well placed to
win other business in Hong Kong. Initially the focus will be
on successfully delivering the Fire Services Department
contract. But in the short- to mid-term Lion hopes to win
additional business in Hong Kong and in the long-term
branch out to Macau, Mainland China and the wider region.
“Lion Hong Kong is part of a big group and we do a lot
of purchasing. For both market entrance and sourcing in
China, Hong Kong is the place to be. Ours and Hong Kong’s
potential will write a success story,” he said.
www.lioninternational.hk
“To deliver this level of aftercare service we set up the
company’s biggest TotalCare® Centre and invested in the
latest IT systems so that the lifecycle of each and every fire
suit can be tracked,” Rico Achenbach, Managing Director,
Lion Hong Kong Ltd, said.
Every fire suit is barcoded so the company knows which
two fire suits have been assigned to the city’s 6,000 firemen.
Every time a fire suit is turned in the barcodes are scanned
so the date it is turned in, the treatments it receives and
the date it is returned are all recorded. This enables more
professional budget planning, no over servicing and the
tracking of stock.
“The latest TotalCare® Centre and systems we have put in
place in Hong Kong will set the benchmark for all our other
operations around the world,” Achenbach said.
After finding a suitable location for the TotalCare® Centre,
it took three months to set up the facility. The company
has employed 12 local staff who are responsible for all the
different functions of the business. “Our professional local
staff is the back bone of the business,” Achenbach said.
The inspection and repair team, for example, come from the
textile industry and have all the necessary skills to ensure all
the fire suits that leave the facility are fit for purpose and will
protect lives.
Exciting Opportunities in Asia
Lion International is specialised in the provision of personal
protective equipment and work wear clothing for a variety of
customers. As part of the worldwide operating LHD Group
based in Germany, Lion Hong Kong provides a unique
approach based on LHD’s 360-degree service model. As
Achenbach explained, “We have the capability to provide
clothing solutions for all staff who work, for example, in an
airport, from security to rescue services to flight controllers to
pilots and cabin crew. We make sure that each person has
their clothes at the right place at the right time.”
Fast Facts: Lion International
• Lion International is part of LHD Group that is
headquartered in Germany
• It provides an all-inclusive service for clothing
management for the business world, specialising in four
areas: military solutions, personal protective equipment,
work wear and corporate fashion
• The group has business operations in Germany,
Switzerland, France, the UK, Spain, Australia, New
Zealand and now Hong Kong
• Its subsidiary Lion Hong Kong Ltd has recently set up a
TotalCare® Centre in Hong Kong with an investment of
HK$4 million and employing 12 local staff
Original date of publication: September 2011
www.investhk.gov.hk