Leading e-procurement service company First Index has opened two more offices abroad as part of a global expansion plan.
Leading e-procurement service company First Index has opened two more offices abroad as part of a global expansion plan that will see the UK company consolidate its position as a major player in the escalating marketplace for Internet-based buying and selling portals or trading exchanges. The locations of the new offices, in Hannover, Germany, and Spokane, Washington, USA, were chosen because of their close proximity to densely industrialised areas and the manufacturing industries that need the specialised procurement facilities First Index offers. The new site in the USA, in the West of the country, directly complements an existing First Index office, established in 1996 in New Jersey, in the Eastern USA.

“First Index has high expectations for success in both the USA and Europe, not only because we have now doubled our presence in North America, but also because we offer a different kind of internet-based procurement service, which meets a real need”, said Hans Wigart, founder and chief executive officer of First Index Group.

“The First Index e-procurement service, called ‘findFAST Online,’ is recognised and sought after because it delivers measurable benefits to both sides of the supply chain - the buyer and the supplier.

It achieves this in a quicker, more efficient and less costly way than any other method”.

In addition, said Wigart, an important factor is that ‘findFAST Online’ is a profitable service, whereas many e-business ventures struggle to show a return on investment.

A recent allocation of funding worth nearly $11 million, raised by a consortium of leading venture capital firms in the USA and the UK, meant that First Index was able to take an important step and invest in establishing the new offices.

Hans Wigart said: “The funding has allowed us to accelerate our business plan and intensify our sales campaigns on a broader basis.

The new offices will act as an important springboard into other parts of the USA, Germany and further afield in Europe”.