Construction of a new Crocodile headquarters building started Sunday in China's economic hub shanghai, announced chairman of the Singapore-based Crocodile International Pte Ltd.

Chairman Ang Boon Tian said that the construction will be completed in 2006, when the headquarters of the Singapore apparel company will move to Shanghai.

With an investment of 120 million yuan (about 15 million US dollars), the nine-story mansion is located in Changling District, covering 1.2 hectares of land and with 28,000 square meters of floor space. It will encompass a global strategic center, design and research center, exhibition center and training center.

He noted that after 12 years' unremitting efforts, Crocodile International Pte Ltd, Singapore got trademark registration in the Chinese mainland.

Established in 1947, the Singapore-based apparel brand entered the Chinese mainland in 1993, and has scored 2.5 billion yuan (about 300 million US dollars) from apparel sales, and 3.5 billion yuan (about 400 million US dollars) from sales of other authorized products.

Tian said that 30 percent of his company's global sales is from China's mainland. China has become the world's most vigorous and potential market, and that's why the headquarters will be moved to Shanghai, according to Tian.

Source: Xinhua