ONCE A HOUSEHOLD name sets up shop in the mainland, its China business development is often phenomenal, and as the company grows, so does its demand for talent.
That certainly appears to be the case for one premier multinational corporation whose brands are readily recognised in virtually every country around the world.
Photography and info-imaging giant Kodak sees China as the centrepiece of its US$2.5 billion greater Asian region business, and although the company has had a research and development (R&D) presence in the mainland for several years, operations have increased dramatically in the past 12 months.
'China is our main focus now, as there are so many different initiatives here,' said Cindy High, human resources director and vice-president, greater Asia region, Kodak (China) Investment.
Kodak's burgeoning business has led to the expansion of its manufacturing, marketing and sales operations and the establishment of a growing number of R&D centres, all of which have caused the number of jobs in the mainland to soar.
Indeed, as far as vacancies were concerned, thousands were in the offing, Ms High said. Many of these opportunities are at Kodak's R&D centre in Shanghai, which began operations with one person at the helm in January last year. By the end of the year, about 90 people were on board, and the centre is looking to sail into 2005 with another 60 recruits.