Brilliance opens European headquarters, to resume activities
Just a couple of weeks ago, a rumor about Brilliance abandoning the European market spread online. The media jumped the gun on the story. Brilliance’s distributor in Europe, HSO Motors had declared bankruptcy a year earlier and it appeared that one of the first Chinese forays into the European market had not completely failed, in spite of claims that Brilliance wasn’t giving up just yet.
Without their importer, Brilliance will do it alone this time around. Autohaus Online reports that Brilliance is opening their European headquarters in Ginsheim, Germany under the name “Shenhua Europe GmbH”. Former Hyundai Europe manager Eberhard Niering (left) is the CEO of the new company.
Shenhua Europe will take over operations, dealing with warranties, spare parts and managing dealers. Niering told Autohaus that “Brilliance would like to establish themselves in Europe with their products over the long term.” Now it will depend on Brilliance and their ability to supply competitive vehicles to achieve this goal.
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We have discussed on this forum the numerous mistakes made by Brilliance in Europe, and many good points were made. Choosing the infamous Hans-Ulrich Sachs and his HSO Motors to be the distributor started the ball rolling down hill. His organization was there to help Brilliance make one bad decision after another.
I admire the fight that Brilliance is showing. Lets hope that Mr Niering, with his Hyundai experience, can help them formulate a successful business plan.
@ santos palisander
> Lets hope that Mr Niering, with his Hyundai experience, can help them formulate a successful business plan.
Even a world class salesman cannot sell a poor product. Brilliance can’t make it in Europe with its current lineup regardless of who sells them.
Have you tested their latest 2011 products? If not, then be quiet.
This company is stupid.
China is the largest market, and they are running around like a headless chicken wasting money.
The way I see it is, they are thinking a step ahead. Anyone with some investment experience knows that it’s dangerous to put all your eggs in one basket. The Chinese market won’t grow forever. And it takes a very long time for a brand to establish themselves in any market.
So if some day in the future the Chinese market suffers a contraction, those who have solid exports will have a better chance of survival. You have to start from somewhere…
The PRC is pushing consolidation to strengthen the players in the industry, and then encouraging exports to protect those companies from inevitable contraction in the Chinese market.
True, Europe or the US may not be the best place for them now, but that policy is behind the investments Chinese companies are making in Russia, Brazil, Mexico, India, and Central Asia. It’s they way the successful companies of the future will operate.
I agree that Chinese market will contract eventually, but surely not anytime soon. Brilliance should use the Chinese market extensively to test out new innovation & increase their quality before trying to leap frog into more demanding market.
Kudos to Brilliance, this is the kind of spirit we would like to see in companies. I hope they will be successful.