FosteringC BusinessHINA and Cultural HarmonyINSIGHT between China and the U.S. VOL. 10 NO. 1 www.chinainsight.info January 2011 A trip to China: Observations Chinese New Year and reflections on life in China By Greg Hugh, Staff Writer have been antici- until we checked into pating my first our next hotel around I trip to China for 9 p.m. as we visited several years. While places and had all of I expected to partake our meals together. Travel of the requisite sight- Day 1 of the tour seeing, shopping and was basically a travel dining that one would day since the direct normally experience, flight from Chicago to this trip also turned Shanghai takes about into a cultural and his- 14 hours. Upon our toric odyssey for me arrival in Shanghai/ as I traveled through Pudong Airport, we parts of China for 15 were greeted by our days. My wife Linda guide, Leo Li, who in- along with sister-in- troduced us to the pen- Arts law, Carol from Chi- Shanghai waterfront nant/flag that would cago and I joined a henceforth be the ral- tour group of about 50 other individuals in each other, our diverse group that included lying point as we moved among the masses Chicago for our flight to Shanghai, China several extended families, children, elders, in China from one place to the next. Upon which was an optional tour prior to attending including non-Chinese, quickly became checking in we learned that our passports the 11th International Moy Family Conven- friends as the tour helped us develop a would need to be provided to the hotel and tion in Guangzhou, China as guests of the harmonious relationship. Our schedule for this was the policy required at all hotels in delegation from Chicago. the next 6 days would start with a 6:30 a.m. China. We also learned that you do not take Although most of us did not know wakeup call and we would be on the go Trip to China continues on Page 9 China Manufacturing and U.S. Retail, operating a lean company to drive maximum sales and profitability Sports By Greg Hugh, Staff Writer he December meeting of U.S.- them… bottom line.” China Business Connections The beauty of doing business with Chi- Tfeatured Shean Ferrell, Managing na, states Ferrell, is the fact that the country Partner of Pellegrene, Ferrell & Associates, has established a highly competent, efficient speaking on U.S. Retail and China Manufac- manufacturing base with the knowledge and turing, Operating a lean company to drive infrastructure to support mass production at maximum retail sales and profitability. highly competitive prices. There are few In a small satellite office in Minnetonka, places in the world that are able to offer Minnesota 3 individuals; Shean Ferrell, such vertically integrated manufacturing communication and workflow they utilize Joe Pellegrene and Eric Voltin have been practices that can quickly turn a sample or Skype to video conference with their Chi- managing, manufacturing and selling mil- a concept into finished product customized nese manufacturing partners, which is a free lions of products for U.S. mass retail since to the specification of the customer. service that allows them to have real-time 2003. The company Pellegrene, Ferrell Through technology and strategic busi- face- to-face meetings where all parties can & Associates “PFABRANDS” or “PFA” ness partners PFA has been able to develop preview prototypes, concepts and finished has been able to maintain low overhead a business model that allows them to oper- goods. and reduce risk by utilizing technology to ate a low overhead virtual business that In addition they can also discuss product effectively communicate with its Chinese essentially operates much like those with specifications and utilize instant file trans- ALSO IN THIS ISSUE manufacturing partners, worldwide logistics fixed assets and high overhead. To simplify fers to transfer workflow documentation. teams and U.S. retail customers. According Announcements........................2 E-mail is an effective tool but nothing beats to Ferrell, “There is no need in our business Education.............................3-4 the speed of a face-to-face meeting and for lavish office spaces or a large staff when Skype is a great resource to bridge this gap Sports.....................................5 we are able to utilize the resources of our and is a universal product that is utilized Arts .................................6 Chinese and U.S. business partners. We see worldwide. EFAX is another great tool Finance...........................7 companies come and go quite often in this PFA has incorporated into their business that Travel.............................8-9 industry and in most instances the reason Business...........................10 has to do with resource allocation, how companies inappropriately deploy capital Images: Products offered by PFA Culture.......................11-13 and don’t focus on the objective at hand Food...........................14 China Manufacturing continues on which is manufacturing products and selling Chinese New Year............15-16 Page 10 PAGE 2 > JANUARY 2011 announcements www.chinainsight.info Statement by the Press CHINAINSIGHT Secretary on the Visit of Advertisers Publisher: President Hu Jintao of the Your potential customers Gregory J. Hugh People’s Republic of China are reading CHINAINSIGHT. [email protected] Shouldn’t you be bringing them The President will host Hu Jintao, bilateral, regional, and global issues, as well in the door with an ad? Editor: President of the People’s Republic of as the friendship between the peoples of our Jennifer Nordin China, at the White House on January 19 two countries. The President looks forward [email protected] for an official State visit. This will be the to welcoming President Hu to Washington Contact Greg Hugh third State visit of the administration and to continue building a partnership that ad- Manager of Operations/ reciprocates President Obama’s State visit vances our common interests and addresses 952-472-4757 to China in November 2009. our shared concerns. [email protected] Circulation: Richard He President Hu’s visit will highlight the The President and Mrs. Obama will host or visit importance of expanding cooperation President Hu for an official state dinner on [email protected] between the United States and China on the night of January 19. www.chinainsight.info for more advertising Marketing Director: Yo-Yo Ma named a Presidential information. Will Ahern [email protected] Medal of Freedom Recipient Production Editor: On Nov. 17 President Barack Obama extraordinary lives that have inspired us, named fifteen recipients of the Presidential enriched our culture, and made our country Dawn Murphy Medal of Freedom. One of the recipients and our world a better place. I look forward CHINAINSIGHT [email protected] was cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The Medal of Free- to awarding them this honor.” is seeking dom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, Artist/Intern: presented to individuals who have made Yo-Yo Ma Production Editor Lauren Hugh especially meritorious contributions to the Yo-Yo Ma is considered the world’s Must be passionate about security or national interests of the United greatest living cellist, recognized as a our mission: in addition to being Staff Writers: States, to world peace, or to cultural or other prodigy since the age of five whose celebrity success-oriented, self-motivated, Greg Hugh significant public or private endeavors. The transcends the world of classical music. resourceful, creative, disciplined [email protected] other Medal of Freedom recipients are: Born in Paris, Ma was a child prodigy who and community-minded. President George H. W. Bush, Chancellor went on to study with Leonard Rose in New Responsibilities include layout Elizabeth Greenberg Angela Merkel, Congressman John Lewis, York. He made his Carnegie Hall debut at and design of 10 issues per year John H. Adams, Maya Angelou, Warren age nine. He was the recipient of the Avery using Adobe InDesign and Photo- [email protected] Buffett, Jasper Johns, Gerda Weissmann Fisher Prize in 1978, and, in 1991, Harvard shop, some proofreadiing, must be Klein, Dr. Tom Little (Posthumous), Sylvia awarded him an honorary doctorate in mu- Internet savvy. Anthony James Mendez, Stan Musial, Bill Russell, Jean sic. He serves as Artistic Director of the Silk [email protected] Kennedy Smith and John J. Sweeney. The Road Project, and has won sixteen Grammy This is a part-time, awards will be presented at a White House awards. He is known especially for his volunteer position. Albert Leung ceremony early in 2011. interpretations of Bach and Beethoven, and [email protected] President Obama said, “These outstand- for his ability to play many different styles Contact Greg Hugh at ing honorees come from a broad range of of music, including tango and bluegrass. He 952-472-4757 or Jennifer Nordin backgrounds and they’ve excelled in a broad serves on the President’s Committee on the [email protected] range of fields, but all of them have lived Arts and Humanities. [email protected] Mike Xiong [email protected] About CHINAINSIGHT CHINAINSIGHT is a monthly English language newspaper fostering business and cultural harmony between China and the U.S. CHINAINSIGHT is a Member of The Minnesota Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). Submissions & Correspondence CHINAINSIGHT welcomes guest articles and mail for the Letters to the Editor column. 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