Archive for October, 2009

Today was spent all day in our Xiamen office. Held two interviews in the morning, followed by two meetings with manufacturers in the afternoon. The first was a toilet seat manufacturer who currently produces novelty designs for one of our customers. They have recently opened a new factory in Quanzhou which is only a 1 hour drive from Xiamen. This will be good for quality control and new development. The second meeting was with a small metal manufacturer who produces components for various products which we combine with the metal e.g ceramic, wood, etc. The internet connection is too slow in the office for my UK domain, so I headed back to my hotel to carry on with the e-mails! Heading to Quanzhou in the morning for several factory visits.

Today was a busy day. Had two final stage interviews for office positions which both went well. The first was Chinese born but spent 8 years in New Zealand studying and then working for similar company to Sorcit. So a Chinese National with Western experience in similar company. The second was a materials science engineer who also has an MBA and could bring a lot of experience and contacts to the business. In the evening all the office staff and the two candidates joined me for dinner so we got to know them socially. Everyone had an enjoyable time. In the afternoon we travelled to a wooden factory that produces high quality wooden clocks and boxes for us. Main purpose was to discuss new developments. This was followed by a visit to a plastic  factory that specialises in producing bespoke projects. We currently have a number in production and under development. Extremely professional factory. All in all a productive day and now I am getting through e-mails!

Early start today (7am) with a one & half hour drive to textile factory (kitchen accessories & bags).  Checked quality of production for 2 orders which was excellent.  This is a factory based in Guangdong province which we started doing business with last year and is very professional in their approach to service and product quality.  We intend to do a lot more business with this factory over the coming year.

Was picked up @ 10am to drive to a new toiletries & cosmetics factory.  WOW!  What a factory.  From the outside of the building nothing to get excited about but still clean and organised.  Once you stepped into the building it was transformed.  Everything very modern and extremely clean. Everyone wears overcoat, head cover and shoe protectors.  They are producing for many famous cosmetics brands one of which they hope to secure in the near future is Chanel.  The young looking boss of this factory has been in the cosmetic industry for 25 years, so certainly knows his stuff!  Sorcit are currently working on a new development with this factory which will hopefully materialise over the coming months. I also have some other potential projects in the pipeline which they could produce and I will certainly be looking to write a more detailed blog on this manufacturer and its capabilities in the near future.

In the afternoon, I flew from Guangzhou to Xiamen ready to spend several days in our China office, recruiting more local staff and visiting factories. Upon arrival visited a bag factory that are currently producing a laptop bag in an eco friendly material…….great product which I am sure will sell very well for Christmas and well into 2010.

It has been a long day today! Covered home decorations, gifts/premiums and personal care. Picked up some very useful contacts for a number of projects currently under development. Got back about 8pm and have been on e-mail with UK ever since (now 12.30am). Getting collected in the morning @ 7am to visit one of our kitchen textile factories and inspect some current production and discuss new developments. After that, onto a new toiletry factory and then flying to Xiamen (where our China office is based).

First day at the Canton Fair phase 2 which covers general ceramics, art ceramics, gardening products, kitchen & tableware, glass artware, home decorations, gifts & premiums, festival products, clocks & watches, furniture, stone & iron products, household items, personal care products, toiletries, toys and weaving/rattan products. Lots of products!!! As usual my 1st stop was McDonalds to plan the day ahead and make sure I didn’t go hungry!  It was clearly evident that attendance was well below previous shows due the impact of global recession. The focus for me today was mainly ceramics (tableware and art ceramics) and kitchenware/tableware.  I came across excellent manufacturer of FSC approved wooden kitchen accessories (Oak, Sycamore, Beech, Birch) but more interesting was a new range of bamboo accessories produced in a variety of new techniques & finishes.  In terms of the ceramics, well it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Too many manufacturers and trading companies all trying to get your business and you need to decipher which ones are genuine and can produce to Sorcit’s requirements.  I found at least half a dozen very good options which we will be exploring further over the coming months.  Looking forward to another day at the fair tomorrow and of course another McDonalds!

Lazy morning in Hong Kong catching up with emails and then caught the train to Guangzhou in the afternoon ready for the canton fair. Hopefully lots more exciting things to report tomorrow!

Today I travelled from Hong Kong to Shenzhen by train.  The purpose of my journey was to visit a new electronics manufacturer and to assess whether they were suitable for producing our products.  From the moment on that I was met by factory boss at the train station, I knew it wasn’t going to be right.   Anyhow I finally arrived at the factory after 1 hour car drive and my 1st impressions where correct. Very small factory (about 10 workers) which was badly managed, poor communication and just generally not to the standard our customers expect of Sorcit. So all in all, not a great day but at least we know this is a factory we will not be doing business with and having endless sleepness nights wondering if the quality will be OK or if the goods ship on time, etc.  I’m back in Hong Kong now and will travel to Guangzhou tomorrow ready for the Canton Fair “trek”, starting on Sunday!

Felt bit more refreshed today after good nights sleep. Full day at the Hong Kong MEGA show so packed a lot in and met some great new manufacturers. Main topic of today is sustainability.

Firstly, I found an interesting range of eco-friendly stationary and bags all made from recycled PET bottles, bamboo, PLA (biodegradable material), post consumer waste and production waste.  Excellent quality and great attention to the detailing.   Lots of possibilities to develop new designs within other product categories using same materials & processes.
Secondly, I came across a comprehensive range of eco-bags. From simple PP non-woven reusable bags to high quality organic cotton. Divided into 4 main categories; Recycled or recyclable materials (PP, Recycled PET, wooden fibres + cotton yarn, recycled paper, recycled polyester), natural fibres (jute, bamboo, organic cotton, Ramie), mixed materials (Jute + PET, Jute + PP, Jute + Cotton, Milk Cotton), and other materials (Rice bags, Corn Bags, Compostable bags). The factory is also run on green eco-conscious principles that are applied to its manufacturing processes & practices as well as its materials. Today buying “green” is a big trend.

Thirdly, I found a manufacturer producing a diverse range of 100% bamboo fibre tableware & accessories (dog bowls, stationary clip boards & organisers, clocks). Available in any colour (can be Pantone matched) and also can be printed (offset printing technology) with pretty much any design on the surface. Certainly one of the leaders in this area in China with big potential as the demand for “green” products/materials picks up pace.

On a final note – found what has got to be described “the best” fashion bag manufacturer in China. Currently producing for many of the leading brands such as LIBERTY, TED BAKER, FCUK, JAEGAR. Focused on value & quality in a variety of materials i.e. leather, woven & synthetic materials, innovative materials & hardware and printed designs/patterns. The majority of fabrics are imported to control the high quality. Certainly a manufacturer Sorcit will be looking to get involved with on certain projects.

Lots more exciting stuff, but run out of time!   Off to Shenzhen tomorrow visiting an electronics factory.