A newly established business New City Building Supplies Ltd is looking at expanding across Upolu and Savai'i following positive growth over the past year.

Owned by a group of Chinese investors, who said they heard about Samoa through a group of friends and opened their hardware company in July last year. 

The hardware company opened its first branch in Fugalei in July 2022 and a second one soon followed in town a short time later due to rising demand for building materials. 

In an interview with the Samoa Observer on Tuesday, manager Yuhang Deng said their new business was founded by a small group of Chinese friends and they're considering an expansion given their increasing number of customers on a weekly basis.

"This is the first time establishing a business in Samoa and Samoa is very nice," he said. "The culture and climate are very nice and we learned about Samoa from our friends."

According to Mr. Deng, the process of moving to Samoa and establishing their business wasn't difficult and tedious, thanks to the hospitality of the local bureaucrats who processed their paperwork.

"Samoan people are always welcoming of foreigners and that's why they make everything fast. The offices of the Government are very friendly," he said.

New City Building Supplies sells building materials, tiles, cement and equipment needed for construction with all their products imported from overseas, especially from China.

"I think we are the best here because we get so many customers and we're looking at expanding although it depends because we just started but it would be another five years or so," he added. "The name of the business is New City and we're trying to build people a new life with their buildings and so forth."

New City Building Supplies Ltd currently provides employment to more than 20 locals, according to the management.