The goal of organizing a prospecting mission is to establish good relationships with the managerial teams of the companies targeted. These initial contacts with decision-making groups help place FRANCHE-COMTÉ on the short-list of sites for future expansion.
Several missions to Japan resulted in the opportunity to meet car and equipment manufacturers including FUJI. The group expanded into France in 2004, buying the MANDEURE steering column site from FAURECIA.

The objective: persuade the FUJI AUTOTECH group to invest in FRANCHE-COMTÉ
Loïc Laroche, the ARD Prospecting Manager, met the group’s President, Kiyoshi Takeda. Discussions were started. The goal was to persuade the Japanese group to locate its European development base in MANDEURE. Following two years of discussion and follow-up talks a decision was taken: FUJI AUTOTECH expanded its operations to MANDEURE.
The group plans to invest 40 million euros here by 2012 and to create 220 jobs, 120 of which will be in place by the end of 2008.

The arguments: a combination of ingredients to guarantee success
The meeting with Kiyoshi Takeda was decisive in the process and confirmed the choice of MANDEURE as the group’s European development base. Expansion into European markets by the Japanese group was the trigger for investment operations. A variety of factors played a decisive role: the level of technological know-how and expertise in the region, the quality of managerial staff and workers etc. Negotiations, support and follow-up did the rest: "It’s a long-term project. You’ve never completely won ." explains Loïc Laroche. Support for the group will continue.

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