Challenging China...

The growth of the Chinese economy is phenomenal and has no signs of slowing down – only increasing. Some companies may not think this will affect them but for me it is all too apparent that for those who own businesses in the manufacturing industry, work is needed to keep our businesses healthy. Failure to maintain our market share and building relationships with China could easily mean a massive loss of export business for UK companies and even demand from within the country due to China’s cheaper manufacturing costs and growing dominance of the market. While this...

Spirit Promoted in China...

As part of my trip to China I was able to exhibit at a bespoke engineering show held to promote manufacturing in China. I had one of around 25-30 booths from which I could advertise the work we are doing at Spirit Circuits to the many visitors who came to see what the UK has to offer in engineering. It was a brilliant chance to meet with other Managing Directors throughout Britain and China. One of the most important contacts I made was with employees of Renishaw – a business which holds the vast majority of the Chinese PCB market. The UK Trade and Investment held the UK...

Shang Hi Expo-dition...

Hi sorry for not posting much – I have been busy networking and touring in China, something that is becoming increasingly necessary. SHANGHAI EXPO FACTBOX Biggest expo in the world 70 million visitors expected Held for six months Thomas Heatherwick designed the UK’s pavilion and won the prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) Lubetkin Prize 2010. In this my latest trip to the fast-growing economic country, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Shanghai World Expo – the biggest expo in the world. It was a privilege to walk around...

Chinese Difficulties Mean Trouble Abroad...

China has become increasingly difficult to navigate in the last few months with extended lead times, price hikes and factories at full capacity, with little room to take on new orders in the lead times we have become used too. Since the Chinese New Year, suppliers and manufacturers in this growing economic powerhouse have struggled to manage demand. There has been the usual drop off in labour and all factories are on recruiting drives for staff; something which has become a difficult process as employees are becoming more demanding, coupled with the government imposing...

Challenge China...

Challlenge China is a program and series of workshops currently being run by the UKTI, and I was fortunate enough to be invited to the launch earlier this month in Southampton. I am no China expert, but I do have considerable experience trading in China and when I say “trading in China”, I am really only talking about a very small area in China, namely Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou and some very limited visits to Shanghai, Hangzhou and Hefei. If you chose to join the Challenge China program or even visit China, you will very quickly learn how different the culture is...