Garrick-Aug launches new Asian mkt division.

Garrick-Aug launches new Asian mkt division

Garrick-Aug Worldwide, the international division of Garrick-Aug Associates Store Leasing, Inc., announced that a new Asian Market Division had been formed to lease space to American and Asian retailers and provide them with the information and introductions needed to enter these markets.

Mika Sakamoto, 39, a native of Japan and a former executive with Mitsubishi and Mitsui's Real Estate Group, Mitsui Rehouse, has joined the firm to lead the new division. She holds the title of director of Asian Markets.

In addition to its primary business of leasing retail space, Garrick-Aug Worldwide can now offer its services as consultants to American merchants on job ventures and licensing programs of master franchises with Japanese and other Asian partners.

Asian retailers who either buy companies outright, lease space directly, or purchase investment property, can consult with Garrick-Aug Worldwide on acquisition candidates, site selection and strategic planning before entering the U.S. market. These efforts will be directed by Sakamoto.

Sakamoto said, "American retailers who want to sell to Japanese or other Asian customers in their native countries may have difficulty going it alone. Those who have been successful have recognized that the cultural and business differences make a joint venture of some kind with a local Asian company a more realistic approach to entering the Asian marketplace. At the same time, Japanese and other Asian companies have found the transition to the United States equally as daunting."

Garrick Aug is headed by Charles Aug, president.

Before joining Garrick-Aug, Sakamoto spent 10 years with Mitsubishi Corporation  (Japan) and Mitsubishi International Corporation (USA). As a business development consultant, she was responsible for expanding Mitsubishi's base of venture capital partners and she spent her time identifying and introducing U.S. new business ventures and goods for Japanese clients and supervised all license programs and joint ventures between Mitsubishi's Japanese clients and American companies. In addition, she helped open doors for Japanese goods into the United States.

Sakamoto also consulted with other American and Japanese companies on licensing and joint ventures. Her former clients included Suzuya International Corporation, Hanatsubaki of Shiseido Cosmetics and the Golden Nugget Hotel, among others. After leaving Mitsubishi, Ms. Sakamoto became manager of the investment property department of Mitsui Rehouse of Mitsui Real Estate Group. She was the firm's number one producer while she was with the firm.

Sakamoto holds a BA in economics from Tezukayama Gakuin University in Osaka. She is married to an art dealer and has a six year old daughter.