Global Sources
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|
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce, Publishing, Trade shows |
| Founded | Hong Kong (1970) |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong, SAR, China |
| Key people | Merle A. Hinrichs, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Sarah Benecke, Executive Director, Craig Pepples, Chief Operating Officer, Eddie Heng, Chief Financial Officer |
| Revenue | US$207 million (Dec. 31, 2008) |
| Employees | 2500, in more than 44 locations worldwide |
| Website | www.globalsources.com |
Global Sources (Chinese: 环球资源) is a Hong-Kong based business-to-business (B2B) media company. It facilitates trade from Greater China to the world, using a wide range of English-language media and facilitates trade from the world to Greater China, using Chinese-language media. The company provides sourcing information to volume buyers and integrated marketing services to suppliers. In addition, Global Sources verifies the quality of the manufacturer.
Founded in November 1970 by Merle A. Hinrichs[1] and C. Joseph Bendy as Trade Media Ltd., the company’s first publication – Asian Sources magazine was launched three months later. The stated vision of the two founders was that global trade was a means of transcending national and cultural differences in order to further world peace.
At the end of 1973, the company’s first spin-off publication - Asian Sources Electronics appeared. More industry-specific titles were added as the company grew.
Global Sources launched its China Sourcing Fairs in 2003. Since then, these specialized export fairs have brought together international buyers with China exhibitors.
In 1996, Global Sources began to make supplier information available on the Internet. Today, Global Sources provides over 803,000 active buyers with information on 4.3 million products and more than 196,000 suppliers annually through [2][3]
- Global Sources Online marketplaces that allow buyers to contact manufacturers directly for inquiries and purchases.
- Global Sources Magazines offering readers industry-specific news and product information. Website
- China Sourcing Reports that provide research based on in-person, phone and/or email interviews with senior executives and export managers and covering industries from electronics to fashion accessories.
- Trade shows -- including China Sourcing Fairs; Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Samsung and Carrefour are among the buyers that make use of the company’s trade services.
Until 2008, Global Sources also offered direct-from-china ecommerce / wholesale under the brand "Global Sources Direct". This operation was shut down voluntarily by the group. [4]
[edit] Revenue
Global Sources, which is listed on the NASDAQ exchange (Symbol: GSOL), derives revenue from its online, print and trade show offerings. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2007, revenue was US$182.1 million.[5]
