Filipino-owned Lamoiyan Corporation, manufacturer of oral, household and personal care products, has added China in their growing list of export markets noting as the company has attained cost competitiveness in the consumer market against the multinational toothpaste brands.

Lamoiyan marketing services manager Peter Paul Ang said this would beef up its exports in the region noting they have been exporting to the southeast Asian countries.

“We began exporting years ago but now we have become more aggressive in our campaign to address and expand into new markets,” Ang said.

This optimism to conquer new niche markets have been emphasized by Dr. Cecilio Kwok Pedro, the company’s president and chief executive officer.

“In every crisis, there is an opportunity,” he said.

To date, Hapee is exporting its products to neighboring countries namely, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Papua New Guinea, and the Middle East .

Lamoiyan Corporation was able to tap new markets through their participation in trade fairs.

In 2008, they attended a trade fair in Dubai and found a distributor.

“We met interesting people especially the overseas workers who are now buying our products,” said Ang.

This year, the company participated for the first time in the China-ASEAN Expo 2009, the country’s trade platform for exporters hoping to explore the Chinese market.

Led by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions
agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, CAEXPO 2009 is a yearly celebration of more than a thousand years of trade and cultural exchanges between China and South East Asian nations.

“We are looking forward to joining more trade fairs organized by CITEM for our products to be known in Asia and other parts of the world, “ Ang said.

Dr. Pedro started his business as a manufacturer of aluminum casing for companies distributing various household products. He later expanded to include toothpaste production using a second hand machine from Japan.

He was successful in supplying up to 30 million toothpaste tubes annually and employing about 200 workers.