Binswanger Sets Up Shop in Thailand

Philadelphia-based Binswanger is a real estate services firm whose clients have included Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Cummins, Teleflex, Shell, Comcast, 3M, Motorola, Intel and Sony. The Brooker Group is a boutique business provider with specialists in accounting, financial services, business management, market research, investor relations and valuation. Its clients include multinational companies; international public agencies such as the Asian Development Bank, World Bank and United Nations; and Thai and other Asian government agencies with policy-making roles in economic and social development.

Frank Binswanger III tells GlobeSt.com that the joint venture has been in the works for a year. Investors in the deal include Frank Binswanger's associates from the Young President's Organization. While not placing a dollar value on the joint venture, Binswanger says both sides are putting cash into the deal, money that was used in part to hire respected real estate folks working in Thailand to get the company up and running as quickly as possible.

Brooker Group is like the Price Waterhouse of Thailand, says Binswanger. The plan is to provide Brooker's client base a one-stop shop for real estate services as well. "What this does is give us access to the top of Thailand and Thai companies looking to do business around the world," he says. "By setting up this joint venture, we can handle clients' real estate, licensing and accounting work."

Binswanger sees Thailand as an alternative to China. China is a major source of business for the firm but also one in which companies such as automobile manufacturers are wary of keeping all their international eggs, he says.

"There are only a few other places where you can do business where you have safety and one of those is Thailand," Binswanger says. "In many other markets, it's getting more difficult."