Home Essentials Opens Office in Kabul, Afghanistan
Date: Feb 9, 2005
Contact: Patricia Coate
Coate & Associates
415-309-2231
patricia@coateconsulting.com
Hong Kong, February 9, 2005 - Hong Kong based Home Essentials, the largest furniture rental company outside the US, announced it has opened an office in Kabul, Afghanistan. With this move, Home Essentials becomes the first furniture leasing operation to have a direct presence in the country.
Home Essentials will offer a comprehensive turnkey service to foreign companies, embassies, non-governmental organizations, business owners, and expatriate workers to help them get situated in Afghanistan. In addition to wholesale furniture programs, Home Essentials will offer short-term and long-term leasing arrangements for office and residential furniture.
Home Essentials has already been awarded contracts for such entities as Her Majesty's Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Crown Agents (of the UK). Christopher Exline, founder and president of Home Essentials, said recently, "Entering the Kabul market not only represents a major step forward for our company, it vividly affirms the improving market conditions for business in Kabul. This investment would not have occurred unless the Afghani government had followed through on pledges to expedite reform and create a climate conducive to business."
Consistent with other new market entries, Home Essentials will invest approximately $1,000,000 USD into Afghanistan over a two-year period, and management intends to employ 50 locals within the first year.
Afghanistan augments the growing presence of Home Essentials in the Middle East. Kabul joins other locations in Dubai and Baghdad. According to Chris Exline, "The Middle East's receptivity to the Home Essentials concept accelerated our expansion plans throughout the region. More importantly, we have a deep bench of qualified managers ready to assume the reins of new locations."