MIPRO Electronics Co. Ltd, a 10-year-old company based in Taiwan, is taking a "route less traveled" by other manufacturers on the island. While most companies are focused on the OEM/ODM model, Mipro's tack is to focus on own-brand manufacturing and marketing to ensure competitiveness.

"Branding, if done successfully, prolongs your longevity," said Eugene Chen, vice president of international sales and marketing at Mipro, while explaining the company's 100 percent own-brand focus amid other maker's OEM/ODM orientation.

"If we focus on OEM, our business will be much bigger. But we want to have roots. We want to sell for many years to come," said Chen. He spoke to Global Sources at the recent Taitronics in Taipei, where the company exhibited a range of professional A/V receivers and transmitters, as well as wireless microphones and amplifiers.

Among the exhibited products was the ACT series receivers and transmitters including model ACT-74P, a UHF four-channel true diversity receiver. Also on exhibit was the MA808, a powerful wireless portable PA system in wheeled luggage design. The unit is a bi-amplified unit with an AB amplifier for the HF driver and a Class D amplifier for the 10in woofer. It is designed for large events held indoors or outdoors.

Key to Mipro's own -brand strategy is R&D. "We are very R&D-based. We emphasize innovative and high quality products a lot. For instance, 15 percent of our staff members are R&D engineers and technicians," added the US-educated Chen.

Mipro was founded in 1995 by renowned Taiwan RF and audio engineer K.C. Chang in Chiayi, Taiwan, where the company has a state-of-the-art 12,000sqm production and office complex. It is on the A-list of the Taiwan Electronics Association, winner of Taiwan Excellence award and is certified to ISO 9001:2000 standards by TUV Germany.