BANGKOK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mr. Friedrich Hecker, President and CEO of TUV Rheinland AG, gave an opening speech on 10^TH August 2010 for the Grand opening of the Global Technology Assessment Center (GTAC), Bangkok. The GTAC Bangkok is the sixth Assessment Center established by the TUV Rheinland Group and serves the purpose of being a solution provider for clients to access international and domestic markets.

With an area of over 2,500 sqm containing more than 20 testing rooms arranged under one roof and an investment budget of over 150 million Baht, GTAC, which is located at Ladkrabang Industrial Estate in Bangkok, is the first GTAC in South East Asia and the 6^th of its kind. The facility is built to provide testing, inspection and certification services to manufacturing industries, especially for toys, shoes, garment/textile, furniture, stationery, electrical appliances, auto parts, and more, where such tests are crucial to assess the readiness of the products before they are exported.

TUV Rheinland is a leading group for the provision of technical services worldwide. It has over 490 locations in 61 countries on all five continents. With a workforce of 13,850, it achieves a turnover of approx. € 1.2 billion a year. The guiding principle in the Group is sustainable development of safety and quality standards. The motivating factor for TUV Rheinland employees is the conviction that without technical progress, society and industry cannot grow. For this very reason, using technical innovations, products and equipment in a safe, responsible manner is of decisive importance. TUV Rheinland has been a member of the Global Compact of the UN since 2006. TUV Rheinland is 140 years old and its headquarters are in Cologne.

Mr. Arno Zimmer, Managing Director of TUV Rheinland Thailand Ltd., further added that TUV Rheinland is now in its 19th year of operation in Thailand. "We are serving major industries in Thailand. For instance, electrical and electronic, automotive, rubber and medical devices industries. In Thailand, we are currently present in Bangkok, Chiangmai, Nakorn Ratchasima and Songkhla. This additional facility is of great importance to us and enabled TUV Rheinland to expand its investment and in return create over 100 jobs."

He also added, "We proudly present our GTAC Bangkok. We can provide chemical and physical tests for products like furniture, textiles, shoes, toys, stationery, electrical safety and performance tests as well as automotive parts tests. Our aim is always to improve services, products, processes or systems and to make them safer for our customers."

Yesterday, more than 200 participants attended the opening ceremony including Secretary-General of BOI, Dr. Atchaka Sibunruang, H.E., the German Ambassador, Dr. Schumacher, The President of German Thai Chamber of Commerce, and President and representative of relevant associations. They showed their confidence and trust in GTAC to contribute to Thai industries.