Globalzation Road Trip: Shenzhen, China

Shenzhen day 6 and 7: Great meeting with our contract-manufacturing partner. Clearly Shenzhen is a different place than Xiamen! They told me the population was over 14 million (I doubt anyone knows). Take a look at the main entrance to the plant. Yes that is a 60,000lbs stone Buddha taking a shower!

Inside is even more impressive Lots of Buddha’s in the lobby, and they even have a temple. The president is one of the most gracious host I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I cannot show you photos inside the factory (except for the lobby and Temple). This place is really big well over 5000 employees (400 working on our products). These folks really have manufacturing down right. They also have a very impressive customer list (Cisco, Bose, Sprint, etc.).

Later we went out for the absolute best Chinese dinner I have ever had (and I had had a bunch). Check out this Lobster.

I am at the airport now with a bout 12 hours of travel ahead to India.

Globalzation Road Trip: Xiamen, China

Typical Chinese factory.

Day 5 it must be Xiamen (where did day 4 go?). Nice little city (by China standards an island with only one million people). We met with our supplier (part of a large US owned company) toured the factory, reviewed issues with our product design, and manufacturability etc.

Cindy the plant manager talking to Gordon Smith. All the staff here are very smart and very young, and clearly hard working.

After another great Chinese lunch we when to Gu Lang Yu, a island accessible by ferry (If you come here go ahead and spring for the extra 1 RMB (12.5 cents) to sit on the top deck.)

Also bring an extra bag for all the tea that you will be recieving as gifts. Tea is really big here. Now on to Shenzhen.

Globalzation Road Trip:Day 2 & 3

Ralph and the chairmen

I spent Monday meeting with my team in Beijing, a great group of very motivated employees. I talk to some of these folks several times every week, however face-to-face contact really makes all the difference. The good news was that I finally had time to see a little bit of Beijing (other than customers offices). We were able to tour the Forbidden City (Palace Museum) and Tienanmen Square. Quite a sight!
The team at lunch

Tuesday we went south about 70Km to visit my largest customer in China. We had a great meeting and for the first time they had nothing but good things to say about our products! Compliments are not part of the normal negotiating process.

Tomorrow on to Xi amen to visit a supplier (it is nice to be a customer sometimes).

Globalzation Road Trip: China, india, and Dubai - six cities, five different airlines all in 14 days.

I left Dallas Saturday morning on a trip to China (Beijing, Xiamen, and Shenzhen), India (Delhi, and Dehradun), and Dubai. In China I am Meeting with our second largest customer in Beijing and then visiting two manufacturing companies in Xiamen and Shenzhen. In India I will be visiting our new service center, a manufacturing partner, and then our largest customer. On to Dubai where our operation there is now staging the $60 million order for our Indian customer.

Looks like a fun filled (well at least interesting) two weeks. I will be posting comments as I go and putting up some photos.

One thing that struck me as I came though the airport (and waited for my lost bags), there must have been a hundred ads for GE (I use to work at GE). China is a little like GE; everyone works very long hours, and everyone knows what the five-year plan is. In China they are moving from the last plan “made in China” to the new plan “created in China”. More later.