Page 11 - SCBJ-201507
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July 2015
With its development, these initial interpreters gradually helped “Up to now, no Chinese companies manufacture the products we
to screen and qualify new interpreters. make,” he said.
Other than the two major factors leading to success, the two However, Hubbs also expressed his concern of expanding his
founders’ previous experience in financial services in the US, business in the world’s second-largest economy.
the trust between them, and the focus on the long-term vision
of the company all contributed to company’s healthy growth and “I never exhibit my products in any exhibitions in China, as I
promising prospect. found that some Chinese manufacturers have already copied
my products. Although they might look alike in appearance, the
Unlike the two founders of SeekPanda, Charles Hubbs, an quality differs greatly,” said Hubbs.
American living and producing medical products in China since
1989, waited for 10 years before taking concrete actions toward He hopes that the government could issue more strict regulations
realizing his dream of selling medical devices on the Chinese on controlling the qualification of Chinese plants to manufacture
mainland. medical equipment.
Hubbs first had the idea of expanding to the China market at least All of the 300 employees in his company in Guangzhou are
a decade ago, but he waited because he found out that hospitals Chinese, but most are able to speak English. Hubbs said that
back then were not sufficiently developed to use his products, he will recruit more Chinese for the company’s headquarters in
which are mainly devices offering protection to medical workers Houston who have graduated from US universities.
in the operating room, including microscope and equipment
covers, patient draping, and surgical accessories. “I find it easier to recruit Chinese-speaking staff in the US
His company, Guangzhou Fortunique Ltd, was established in than to recruit English speaking staff in China, as a person
1995 as a solely owned foreign enterprise and, in 1997, began who knows how to speak a language doesn’t mean that he can
selling his products under the brand understand completely and communicate free from barriers in
this language,” said Hubbs.
Premier Guard. The home office of Premier Guard is in Houston,
Texas, with its European sales office in the Netherlands. More than 30 million companies are registered and are active in
the US. Many small and medium-sized US companies have the
The company has made on application to sell its medical devices desire to enter the Chinese market, as China’s ever-expanding
in China. Hubbs said he expects it will be three months before domestic market clearly offers tremendous opportunities for
he gets approval, but he’s optimistic about the prospect of his American companies. For these companies, the biggest difficulty
business here. So far, his company has tested Premier Guard of course is their lack of language capability, said Harley Seyedin,
products in 20 hospitals in Beijing, president of American Chamber of Commerce in South China.
Shanghai and Guangdong province and has been in discussions The chamber is constantly engaged in educating US SMEs on
with Chinese medical distributors to market products throughout the fact that China now offers highly educated English-speaking
the country. Chinese workers and executives, and this can assist them with
“This is the right time to enter the China market, as the hospitals overcoming the language barrier.
here have developed to a level that advanced medical devices are
in demand. Chinese people’s average incomes has also increased Most US companies established in South China are already
to the extent that they can afford the services provided by these profitable and growing at a healthy pace. This is due to their
medical devices,” said Hubbs. innovation, unique products and services, and their ability of
adjusting to the changing and challenging business environment,
Another factor that made Hubbs so confident about his business said Seyedin.
outlook in China lies in the uniqueness of his products.
9
With its development, these initial interpreters gradually helped “Up to now, no Chinese companies manufacture the products we
to screen and qualify new interpreters. make,” he said.
Other than the two major factors leading to success, the two However, Hubbs also expressed his concern of expanding his
founders’ previous experience in financial services in the US, business in the world’s second-largest economy.
the trust between them, and the focus on the long-term vision
of the company all contributed to company’s healthy growth and “I never exhibit my products in any exhibitions in China, as I
promising prospect. found that some Chinese manufacturers have already copied
my products. Although they might look alike in appearance, the
Unlike the two founders of SeekPanda, Charles Hubbs, an quality differs greatly,” said Hubbs.
American living and producing medical products in China since
1989, waited for 10 years before taking concrete actions toward He hopes that the government could issue more strict regulations
realizing his dream of selling medical devices on the Chinese on controlling the qualification of Chinese plants to manufacture
mainland. medical equipment.
Hubbs first had the idea of expanding to the China market at least All of the 300 employees in his company in Guangzhou are
a decade ago, but he waited because he found out that hospitals Chinese, but most are able to speak English. Hubbs said that
back then were not sufficiently developed to use his products, he will recruit more Chinese for the company’s headquarters in
which are mainly devices offering protection to medical workers Houston who have graduated from US universities.
in the operating room, including microscope and equipment
covers, patient draping, and surgical accessories. “I find it easier to recruit Chinese-speaking staff in the US
His company, Guangzhou Fortunique Ltd, was established in than to recruit English speaking staff in China, as a person
1995 as a solely owned foreign enterprise and, in 1997, began who knows how to speak a language doesn’t mean that he can
selling his products under the brand understand completely and communicate free from barriers in
this language,” said Hubbs.
Premier Guard. The home office of Premier Guard is in Houston,
Texas, with its European sales office in the Netherlands. More than 30 million companies are registered and are active in
the US. Many small and medium-sized US companies have the
The company has made on application to sell its medical devices desire to enter the Chinese market, as China’s ever-expanding
in China. Hubbs said he expects it will be three months before domestic market clearly offers tremendous opportunities for
he gets approval, but he’s optimistic about the prospect of his American companies. For these companies, the biggest difficulty
business here. So far, his company has tested Premier Guard of course is their lack of language capability, said Harley Seyedin,
products in 20 hospitals in Beijing, president of American Chamber of Commerce in South China.
Shanghai and Guangdong province and has been in discussions The chamber is constantly engaged in educating US SMEs on
with Chinese medical distributors to market products throughout the fact that China now offers highly educated English-speaking
the country. Chinese workers and executives, and this can assist them with
“This is the right time to enter the China market, as the hospitals overcoming the language barrier.
here have developed to a level that advanced medical devices are
in demand. Chinese people’s average incomes has also increased Most US companies established in South China are already
to the extent that they can afford the services provided by these profitable and growing at a healthy pace. This is due to their
medical devices,” said Hubbs. innovation, unique products and services, and their ability of
adjusting to the changing and challenging business environment,
Another factor that made Hubbs so confident about his business said Seyedin.
outlook in China lies in the uniqueness of his products.
9
