Business & Real Estate
Go East, Young Man
China’s economic gold rush is drawing a generation of ambitious
young Westerners to its shores. Ben Briggs, the oldest child of Robbie
and Nancy Briggs, is typical of these new capitalist dragon slayers. In
2004 he took the plunge in business and in love, and found happiness in
the colonial port city of Xiamen, a gateway to the South China Sea. Boots
to Beijing spoke to Ben about his overseas business, the rule of law
and Chinese matchmakers.
What is your job in China?
The Barrington Group, Ltd., hired me to start a small leather goods factory in Xiamen, which is a city of 1.2 million people in Fujian Province strategically located across the straits from Taiwan. [click here for photo]
The Barrington Group is a Dallas company that sells promotional leather goods and other corporate gifts. For several years we purchased from factories in Taiwan and China, but felt that opening our own factory here would help our business as well as ensure that our workers are treated fairly.
How did the opportunity come about and what were your initial thoughts about moving to China?
After I left my job with EDS in London in 2003, I inquired among my Dallas friends about a position in China. Gil Sheehan and his partner, David Gowdey, asked me to lunch one day at Sammy's BBQ and suggested I go to China to start a leather factory for them. Having no experience in management, manufacturing or leather, — let alone any experience doing business in Asia — I told them “You're Crazy.” But we agreed to pray about it and doors started opening. Four months later I’m in Xiamen starting a new factory.
Are you making new friends and business colleagues there?
My
first hire was a young woman named Jenny Jing, who previously ran a leather
factory with 500 employees. She’s the one who really started the factory; I just “manage” it.
Most of my time is spent with my Chinese colleagues in the factory, who
are responsible for purchasing raw materials from Chinese suppliers. I
also spend time communicating with our Dallas headquarters and with international
leather suppliers.
What are some of the biggest challenges doing business in China?
One is trying to be an ethical business. Because of our Judeo-Christian background, honesty is more a norm in American culture. We’re also more direct in our speaking style, while the Chinese tend to speak in a roundabout way. Our laws are pretty clear, too, but theirs shade to grey. Take for example our experience of having our new facility inspected for the first time by the Fire and Customs Departments. In order to control the flow of products, the Customs Department stipulated that we needed to lock the side door. The Fire Department ordered us to keep the side door unlocked at all times in case of an emergency. We agreed to both requirements, but were faced with a dilemma. We didn’t want our employees to think it was okay to lie to the government by “fixing” the doors on the days each department came for an inspection. After thinking and praying about it, we found a solution: install a second door for an emergency exit. Sure enough, both departments were satisfied and we came through with our integrity intact.
Describe the city of Xiamen? [click here for photo]
China’s past and future are represented in this coastal city. The government designated Xiamen as a special economic development city because of its proximity to Taiwan across the straits. In many ways Xiamen harkens back to an older China though. Across the inner harbor is Gulangyu Island, where in the 16th and 17th centuries the Portuguese and Dutch established trading routes with China. The British captured Xiamen in the first Opium War and made it a treaty port in 1842. The island still bears witness to this colonial past with it classical European-style mansions, built by opium and silk traders. Parts of Xiamen are attached to the mainland along the coast, but the city center is an island that must be reached by a long causeway. Hong Kong, Taipai and Shanghai are close.
Describe your life outside of work? [click here for photo]
When I first arrived in Xiamen, I lived with an American friend in a large three-story house with a wonderful view of the sea. Xiamen pleasantly surprised me. It is a gorgeous island with fresh sea air, mountains and lots of greenery. It is one of the most livable cities in China. Since arriving here, I have visited many other cities and different parts of the Chinese countryside. Rural China is often gorgeous and diverse. I love the small villages and sometimes I hike or ride my bike from one to the other.
Meanwhile
at work I found myself falling in love with Jenny — yes,
the same Jenny Jing I hired as my first employee. A
Christian woman, Jenny came to work for us because we treat our employees
particularly well. Although we work closely together, she was unaware of
my feelings toward her. In 2005 I caught her completely off guard when
a friend acted as a Chinese
marriage middleman and told her about my interest. Jenny needed to
think and pray about this new development in our relationship. Fortunately
it all worked out. In August 2005 we became engaged. We married last November
with my family and friends present, including my grandmother, aunts, uncles,
and more.
How do people purchase properties in China?
One of the interesting things about owning real estate in China is that you’re actually only renting it from the government. I think it’s a remnant of the Communist ideology that ownership is actually a 99-year lease. When my wife and I bought our first home, I used a real estate agent for the first time in my life. After working with a couple of mediocre agents, we found a lady named Mrs. Zhang who was a passionate and knowledgeable real estate agent. I later told my Dad how much I enjoyed the experience with her, the kind of real estate excellence that Mrs. Zhang and Briggs-Freeman agents give their customers.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
My future is an open slate! I may be in China the rest of my life, or maybe not. Almost certainly I will be here for a few more years. We’re expecting our first child in a few months and have no plans to move.
