Empresaria Strengthens Asia P

RNS Number : 0282Z

Empresaria Group PLC

15 July 2008

PRESS RELEASE - Embargoed until 0700 Tuesday 15 July 2008

EMPRESARIA STRENGTHENS ASIA PACIFIC PRESENCE

Further investment in region

CRAWLEY, UK; 15 July, 2008:- Empresaria Group plc, the AIM-quoted global staffing specialist, has expanded its international footprint by acquiring a 60% stake in China and Singapore-based Intelligence HR Consultants, a recruitment company specialising in the engineering sector.

Intelligence specialises in sourcing senior and management level technical specialists in a variety of sectors including: engineering and construction; chemical and petrochemical; pharmaceutical and biotech; electronics and energy; manufacturing, finance and retail.

Intelligence Consultants was formed in 2003 by founder and Chief Executive Michael Yang, who retains a 40% shareholding in the company

Empresaria Chief Executive Miles Hunt said: 'Intelligence Consultants operates in a region with significant growth opportunities. It is our second investment in mainland China, reflecting our commitment to this market. Our investment is in line with a very defined Group policy of focussing on high growth staffing businesses, in different geographic markets and in diverse, specialist sectors. I look forward to working closely with Michael and his team.'

Empresaria was last year named International Business of the Year at the 2007 Fast Growth Business Awards, and last month was awarded Company of the Year for the greatest increase in both top-line and bottom-line growth at the Business Achievement Awards.

ENDS

More follows…..

Contd/………

Editor's Notes

About Empresaria

Empresaria operates out of 19 countries and over 150 offices and has over 1000 internal staff.
Approximately 60% of the Group's net fee income is generated outside the UK, and over 70% of net fee income is generated from temporary and contract business (56% in 2006)
Empresaria applies a management equity philosophy and business model with each group company management team holding significant equity in their own business.

Chinese industry figures

China's machinery industry output rose by 32% in 2007
In 2006 China overtook Japan to become the world's second-largest auto market as total vehicle sales grew to 7.2million units, up 25.1% year-on-year - foreign investment has played a vital role in development of the industry
In 2007 the electronic information industry created 53,000 new jobs, bringing the total employed to 6.75 million, and 1.02m workers in the manufacturing and software industry respectively
China is the world's largest producer of household appliances in the world after the US and Japan. It exports to more than 180 countries and regions, the largest being the EU which accounts for one-third of the total export volume
While the world average is an 8% growth rate, the Chinese pharma industry grew at 21% between 2000 and 2005