HAVING bagged a $16.3 million contract in Canada, Inter-Roller Engineering has set its sights on growing its revenue in the North American region - the largest aviation market in terms of expenditure on aviation infrastructure.

The mainboard-listed company yesterday hosted a signing cum ribbon-cutting ceremony for the contract to provide a baggage handling system for Canada's Winnipeg airport.

'Currently, less than 2-3 per cent of our revenue comes from North America,' said Oon Chong Howe, chief executive officer of Inter-Roller Engineering, at the ceremony with Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc.

'We expect this to grow to 10-20 per cent in the next five years,' he added.

The provider of airport logistics systems currently primarily caters to the Asian and Middle East regions.

According to the company's annual report last year, China accounts for nearly half its revenue, while more than a quarter comes from the Middle East.

Singapore contributes 11 per cent to its turnover and other Asean countries 12 per cent.

But now its eyes are on North America as well. IE Singapore estimated that more than $240 billion would be invested in the development of airports globally in eight years' time.

North America is likely to invest about $20 billion a year.

The contract for the baggage handling system consists of designing and installing the mechanical, electrical and control hardware, and includes the integration with X-ray security screening machines.

It is the company's first-ever project in North America, and Inter-Roller said this will help it springboard into other North American projects.

On winning the contract from Winnipeg, Lee Yeow Hwee, senior vice-president of Inter-Roller Engineering (Americas), said: 'We had to compete with other global players from America, New Zealand and Canada in their established market,' adding that the company's superior design, technical solution, system software and simulation stood out from the others.

《The Business Times》