Partnership for profit

摘要

LEVERKUSEN,GERMANY -Foam-Partner,the umbrella name for an international group of foam makers,is going from strength to strength.Despite its main operations being in the high-cost countries of Germany and Switzerland,its 2004 annual results show turnover up 5 percent,to SFrl34 million(112 million)in what it calls a "stagnating market."The bulk of the firm's business is spread across Europe,but it has a unit in North America,some business in the Far East,primarily in Japan,and is in the final stages of establishing itself in the People's Republic of China,initially as a jointly owned marketing venture with one of Germany's other leading speciality foam makers,Otto Bock GmbH of Dudelstadt.