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Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/67815
MASTER CLASS made in china The realities and rewards of making toys in China Anna Mowbray has a large toy manufacturing business in China that exports internationally. Added to running this challenging business, she has recently given birth to a baby son. She has plenty of great stories to tell about operating a company in China and the juggling acts women always try to do! Q: Briefly detail your business and its functions: A: Zuru is an innovative, unique toy company headquartered out of Guangzhou China. We pride ourselves on bringing new, fun, innovative and informative toy products and merchandising techniques to the marketplace. Shipping to over 60 countries and selling in all major retailers including Walmart, Target, Toys R' Us, Kmart, Argos and Sainsburys we positioned ourselves at the centre of an emerging country to be able to tap into the emerging talent and skills. Q: What qualifications/training do you hold that prepared you for your current role? A: I studied at Massey University and obtained a Food Technology degree. The degree was technology based and consisted of Physics/Chemistry and nutritional courses, as well as practical papers revolving around the manufacturing of food goods. Whilst not directly related to my current role, it gave me a comprehensive idea of Western production techniques and processing implementations as well as a general knowledge of foreign business practices. Q: The company was founded by your brother, Mat who began selling toy hot air balloons as a teenager. Was joining him in the business a goal you had? A: No, it was never an avenue that as a student I had planned on exploring. When I was a couple of months into my employment at Frucor in Auckland, Mat called me saying that I had to pack my bags and be in China the next week!! It was then that I really thought about the risks/rewards of making a move to a very young company. Until that point in time Mat knew that I was enjoying university and wanted to finish that before moving on. The decision for me was relatively easy as I was young and ready for a challenge! Also, having both Mat and my younger brother, Nick already on the ground in China, I felt more comfortable with the transition. Q: Do the Chinese value that you are a family-run business? 38 | www.hermagazine.co.nz A: Yes without a doubt, family and loyalty are key to Chinese culture. Once you allow them into your family, the dedication and commitment they exhibit is beyond anything I've seen before. I do think that our team are very receptive and appreciative of our family orientated culture. They enjoy the more relaxed and friendly environment. We are definitely not as corporate as a Chinese-run enterprise. Q: With the establishment of your operations in China did you find people and organisations in New Zealand to be helpful? A: I think China is a scary place for many Kiwi's and unless you are on the ground here, understanding how the place works, you cannot really be of huge benefit. For us as a company we haven't really tapped into the New Zealand connections/organisations, but I hope in future that we will be able to. The above being said, the consulate team here in China are fantastic, and they have a great understanding of the country due to their full emersion into China, thus they are able to bring a significant value to us. Q: What were the challenges you faced? And how did you overcome these? A: Communication is a huge barrier to success, but thankfully the population here are very driven to master the English language – at this point in time around 75% of our office speaks English. When we first moved here we had to ensure that we employed very trustworthy dedicated employees who spoke great English to help us build the team. Being open to new ideas and concepts is also critical to success in China; you cannot commence business here without being adaptable to new ways and showing great humility and respect to the people. Q: After moving production to China how were you able to cope with the rapid growth of your business? A: The business has grown incredibly fast; our turnover increased 5 to 7 times within the first three years and more than doubled in turnover in years four and five. We are on track to increase turnover by 70% this year from last year. Our growth is very