On a sizzling afternoon in May, we made our way to the head office of our manufacturing partner, located about 50 minutes outside of the Guangzhou city centre. Street signs are all in Chinese, and driving in China is nerve-wracking. I breathed a huge sigh of relief upon reaching our destination nice and early.
My main contact and her manager greeted us in the lobby and up we went for a tour of the office and a working session in the boardroom. Besides the impressive awards lining the halls and clean washrooms, I was especially delighted to see a nice lounge and gym for employees. When I asked about the culture, both replied that they all treat each other like family.
In the boardroom, they did a short presentation about the company, and although I didn't gain a lot of new knowledge about their history, company values and capabilities, I did learn that their factory (another location) covers an area of more than 3,000 square meters and the company is staffed with 300 employees.
Our working session was productive and I was pleased with the samples that I received for a couple of custom projects that we are working together on.
We were then taken in their company car to the factory, about 20 minutes away. As we entered the industrial zone, the buildings were much larger, and we saw some of the housing for employees who choose to live close to work.
Finally, we arrived and began our tour of the manufacturing site. We were instructed to not take photos of other products to protect their clients intellectual property (I respected that!), but we were permitted to take videos and photos of the machines and production stations. German printing machines, cutting, folding, stamping, binding and other machinery and human resources were stationed throughout a well laid-out building of 4 floors. At the end of a fairly thorough walk-through, I was glad to have seen it all first hand, and to know that we've made a great choice. You can get a glimpse of the factory on our Instagram post.
In case you're ever interested in working with manufacturers in China, here are the top 3 things I suggest you look for:
- Certifications - Our manufacturer has passed international ISO certification, FSC, SGS, BSCI, SMETA and other certifications; this may vary depending on product category.
- Quality - Investing in samples is a must, to get a good sense of the company's workmanship and quality standards. Also, ask about their policy on returns and how they manage any quality issues that arise after a job is completed.
- Operations - Getting an in-person tour of their facilities was very insightful, but if that's not possible, then ask for a virtual presentation. Get to know things like how many days they operate, the types and status of equipment, size of staff and buildings and annual turnover (our manufacturer does $35 million USD per year).
And a couple of things to be aware of:
- Time Zones - There is a 12-hour difference so when we're working, they're sleeping and vice versa. Give lots of time for back and forth communication and build lots of buffer time into your workback schedules.
- Communication - Your Chinese partner will most likely have training in the English language but translation tools are probably commonly used. Grammar and accurate conveying of messages may be tricky at times. In addition to email, WeChat is also a useful app to use for quicker communication.
Having been in business for 6 years now, I am very comfortable with the entire process. If you're looking to create your own journal or planner, we'd be happy to help bring your vision to life. Learn more about how Do Good Paper Co. can help with wholesale and custom projects and contact us for a quote.
Happy with my samples in tow and clear next steps for our current projects, we proceeded with the rest of our trip in China. Now, if only I can get over this jet lag!