A wood comb is displayed at a Carpenter Tan store. The Hong Kong-listed company plans to further expand its network at home and abroad and promote its brand to increase sales. Liu Junfeng

Carpenter Tan vows to add 200 stores, 30 high-end outlets in '10
Carpenter Tan Handicrafts Co, China's largest comb maker, is planning to invest big to enhance its brand and expand its national network this year to become one of the world's leading comb producers, Tan Chuanhua, founder and chairman of the Hong Kong-listed company, said yesterday.
The Chongqing-based comb maker is forecasting its sales will surge by more than 30 percent in 2010, outperforming the previous years, Tan predicted.
Starting in 1997 as a small business with registered capital of 500,000 yuan, Carpenter Tan has grown into the largest comb maker in China, with sales hitting 109 million yuan in 2008.
The company raised HK$140 million through a Hong Kong initial public offering late last month.
With the injection of funds Tan believes the company is geared up to improve itself and turn more profitable.
"We have quality combs, but the Tan brand has not been widely recognized nationwide. The company will be launching branding programs to promote the image," he said.
Carpenter Tan targets white-collar workers aged between 18 and 45, and wood combs are priced at 70 to 150 yuan each. According to the company's comprehensive survey launched last year, few of those questioned considered the combs were worth the price. Tan plans to work on that area, saying: "We have confidence we can change that."
The company's branding programs include redesigning existing stores, overhauling interior product displays, launching more high-end products and stores.