U.S. company appoints RCA distributor

U.S. company appoints RCA distributor

JAKARTA (JP): General Electric of the United States,
yesterday, appointed PT Mahameru Antarnusa Niaga of the Artha
Graha Group, as the distributor of RCA electronic appliances in
Indonesia.

"We will strive to gain at least 2 percent of the appliance
market in Indonesia by next year," Mahameru's president Hendra
Priatna said.

He said the company would market appliances such as
microwaves, refrigerators, and washing machines.

Mahameru is also the distributor of RCA audio-video products
under an agreement with Thomson Consumer Electronics of France,
signed in the middle of last year.

Mahameru is owned by PT Artha Graha Wahana, a subsidiary of PT
Telagamas Pertiwi. The three companies are members of Artha Graha
which is controlled by businessman, Tomy Winata.

In addition to RCA, Artha Graha, through its separate
subsidiaries, also distributes Sony audio-video products, Nokia
hand-phones and Compact computers. The company also operates two
retail shops which specialize in electronics.

General Electric has control over RCA appliances while Thomson
manages audio-video products.

RCA, previously known as Radio Corporation of America, was set
up in October 1919 as the patent holder of General Electric and
Marconi. Since then, RCA has made numerous technological
inventions.

Last year, Mahameru began marketing RCA audio-video products
such as televisions, VHS players and recorders, video CDs, CD
players, tape recorders, radios and digital integrated receiver
decoders.

Thomson's general marketing manager, Daniel Seow, said that
his company owned a manufacturing plant in Batam, Riau, with a
monthly capacity of 8,000 to 10,000 TV sets.

He said that the facility would also produce satellite
decoders for Indovision, the country's cable television provider.
(icn)