By Yang Huiwen

CHLORIDE Group, an international provider of secure power solutions for various industries, is expanding its headcount here as it uses Singapore as a base to expand in the region.

It set up its Asian headquarters in Singapore last year, a 1,300-sq m facility in Jurong, which also serves as a training, and research and development centre for the group's Asian operations.

Chloride, which has a 1,500-strong workforce worldwide, currently employs about 28 people in its Singapore office and plans to increase its headcount here to 40 this year.

Apart from hiring administrative and sales personnel, it plans to recruit and train highly specialised technical service engineers to beef up its service support network here as it broadens its local client base, said Chloride's chief executive Tim Cobbold.

Its customers here include those in the telecoms industry such as SingTel, the oil and gas industry as well as a number of financial institutions.

Singapore is also home to the Chloride Academy, its South-east Asia training headquarters where employees go through an accredited course to enhance their knowledge and skills in specific aspects of their technology.

While the firm is headquartered in London - where it is listed - and the bulk of its operations are in Europe, it is aggressively expanding its footprint in Asia partly through acquisitions and transferring its manufacturing and technological know-how to the region.

Growing energy demand, increasing digitisation as well as the growth of emerging economies in Asia present good growth opportunities for the sector, said Mr Cobbold.

Its Asian operations currently contribute about 20 per cent of overall revenue.

Chloride has an established presence in India, through acquiring a majority stake in DB Power Electronics, as well as in China, where it has a joint venture power firm. It opened its first representative office in Vietnam last year, and established an office in the Philippines last month.

It is looking for opportunities to further extend its foothold in China, as well as entry into the Malaysian and Indonesian markets.

The group has 'more than adequate resources to fund its expansion plans' given its prudent balance sheet, said Mr Cobbold.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on January 21, 2009.