This morning, we had an early start. Our personal bus and tour-guide had already arrived by the time we made it down stars to the Lobby. We all filed on the bus and departed for our first business visit, Geberit. On the way, we able to enjoy a traditional Chinese breakfast of Dimsum, crab and pork. We arrived on time to Geberit and were warmly welcomed by the COO of the Asia-Pacific department, Dr. Christian Kober. We first enjoyed a presentation showing us how a Swiss Company can, by combining their values, successfully conduct business in China.
During the presentation we gained insight into Geberit’s top product the blue frame and white Flushing System. We learned that Geberit, with business Partners, gained prestigious jobs which helped expose them to the Chinese and the world. These projects include the Bird’s Nest, Beijing, and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. We knew before going that Geberit made sanitary and piping systems, but we did not realize that so much thought and effort went into making their products. The main focus seemed to be on being eco-friendly, but so many other values also influence the products; such as being fire-proof, long-lasting, and as quiet as possible. After the presentation and the Q&A we were divided into 2 groups for a walkthrough of the company. One group went with Dr. Kober to view the testing laboratory and the other group went with the Chief of Production, Mr. Steiner, to view the production process and facilities. By the end of the visit we had a clear picture of the whole company.
We then departed for our next visit. We were welcomed at Schaffner with open arms and a warm lunch. After a delicious Chinese meal we continued to the presentation room. During the presentation we learned that in the business of electromagnetics, in China, a growth of 50% a year is required, while in Switzerland growth is usually much slower. Also, because of the fast pace of the Chinese markets a company in China must grow quickly and change accordingly to maintain any market share. One way the Chinese branch of Schaffner stays competitive in the market is by operating a lean production system with a very tight supply and demand system for their raw materials and production lines. They also conduct 100% testing on their products to ensure quality.
After the presentation we divided into 3 groups for a complete tour of the
factory. On the tour we were able to see the whole process of making transformers, PC parts and other electronic pieces. We were interested to see the new technology being used and the way the production line ran so efficiently. After the tour we bid farewell to our new friends at Schaffner and returned to our hotel.
We then enjoyed the evening by eating dinner, getting haircuts, massages and sleeping.
Thank you to the great companies for hosting our large group. We really appreciate the time and effort. We learned a great deal!