This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.
Jewelry firm to attend Chinese investment event
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council is hosting a meeting today designed to introduce Chinese and Hong Kong companies to U.S. firms for potential investment, and a firm that specializes in jewelry mergers and acquisitions is attending.
Boston--The Hong Kong Trade Development Council is hosting a meeting today designed to introduce Chinese and Hong Kong companies to U.S. firms for potential investment, and a firm that specializes in jewelry mergers and acquisitions is attending.
The HKTDC’s Chinese Mainland--Hong Kong Joint Investment & Partnership Mission, which has visited a number of U.S. cities including Chicago and Los Angeles, is making a stop at the Westin Boston Waterfront.
Among those invited to attend was MainBrace Global Partners LLC, which advises on M&As in the jewelry industry and has offices in New York, Connecticut and Hong Kong. Jan Brassem, a contributing columnist for National Jeweler, is a senior partner at the firm.
Lyle Rose, also a MainBrace senior partner who is based in Hong Kong, said companies from Hong Kong and China that are attending the event have expressed interest in introducing successful U.S. watch and jewelry brands to China and are looking for U.S. jewelry companies to acquire.
Mergers and acquisitions have been making headlines in the jewelry industry all year.
One of the most notable came in mid-June when Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd. announced it was buying Hearts on Fire for $150 million in cash. Under the terms of the acquisition, Hearts on Fire will operate as a standalone business within Chow Tai Fook, which is one of the largest jewelry chains in the world, and will introduce its brand into the retailer’s stores in mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong.
RELATED CONTENT: Hearts on Fire sale shows the importance of brands
The HKTDC is a non-governmental organization that arranges promotional, networking and outreach events to help Hong Kong and Chinese enterprises connect with global businesses. Among the many trade shows the company organizes is the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, the next edition of which is scheduled for March 4 to 8, 2015.
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