PROSPER®

PROSPER --- GOING UP
Small But
Global
FARMINGTON IS THE RIGHT
SPOT FOR ISOQA
ISOQA Founder and President Chihhua Chang in front of the
company's facility in Farmington.
ISOQA HAD ALREADY ZEROED IN ON FARMINGTON AS
a location for its U.S. laboratory by the time it connected with Oakland
County officials.
Founder and President Chihhua Chang says the company, which
is a test and certification house for automotive lighting components,
chose Farmington after deciding to focus on metro Detroit. ISOQA is
headquartered in Taiwan and has satellite locations in Germany and
China in addition to its newest facility in Farmington.
“We chose (this area) because of the Big Three: General Motors,
Chrysler and Ford,” Chang says. “Our customers are a very closed
community, but also very globalized — about 200 companies worldwide.
“Farmington is very close to the airport. We’re an international
company, so that is very important.”
In order for a foreign company to bring products to buyers in the
U.S. and Canada and vice versa, it must meet certain standards, Chang
says. It’s the same for product going from the U.S. and Canada to other
countries. ISOQA tests and certifies that all meet those specifications.
Chang found a suitable building in Farmington that was for sale.
Meanwhile, he had met Alan Weber, a senior business development
representative on the business development team of the Oakland
County Economic Development and Community Affairs office at
Automechanika, one of the world’s largest trade fairs for the automotive
service industry, in Shanghai about three years ago. That relationship
came in handy later when the real estate purchase ran into snags. Weber
interceded to help move the process along.
“When we decided to buy this building, he helped us,” Chang says.
The county also put Chang in touch with a law firm, though Chang
researched lawyers and other professionals on his own as well.
Response from current and potential customers to the company’s
decision to establish a lab here has been extremely promising.
“The location here is good,” Chang says. In fact, by the fall of 2015,
ISOQA had already attracted a significant supplier to the Big Three and
was expecting others.
“Some of them, when they learned I’m coming, it was a great
encouragement to them to give me the order,” Chang says.
While the Farmington office is starting with around three employees,
Chang expects to add another five to seven over time.
“We intend to enlarge our investment here,” Chang says. “I am very
optimistic.
“We are small, but very high level.”
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