TECHNOLOGY : AST Opens Subsidiary in Singapore in Bid to Expand in Asian Market

AST Research Inc. has opened a subsidiary in Singapore to expand its sales of personal computers in Asia.

The computer maker, based in Irvine, said the subsidiary will allow it to expand into the growing Southeast Asian market for PCs. The 7,500-square-foot facility includes a warehouse and service center.

Previously, AST used a single distributor to sell its PCs in the Singapore region, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. AST has Asian manufacturing plants in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Sales in Asia accounted for $179 million, or 19%, of the company’s $944.1 million in sales for its latest fiscal year, which ended June 30. For the quarter ended Sept. 30, the company reported a 66% increase in its sales in Asia compared to the same period a year earlier.