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individuals who were experienced at operating in China and yet were familiar with
how the rest of the world operated and knew where China had to go。 So between 1997
and 1999； we recruited a whole team of'New China' managers； typically mainland Chinese
who had worked for multinationals； and as these managers came on board； we began one
by one to replace the 'Old China' managers at our companies。〃
Once the new generation of Chinese managers； who understood global markets and
customers and could be united around a shared company vision…and knew China…was in
place； ASIMCO started making a profit。 Today ASIMCO has sales of about 350 million
a year in auto parts from thirteen Chinese factories in nine provinces。 The company
sells to customers in the United States； and it also has thirty…six sales offices
throughout China servicing automakers in that country too。
From this base； Perkowski made his next big move…taking the profits from offshoring
back onshore in America。 〃In April of 2003； we bought the North American camshaft
operations of Federal…Mogul Corporation； an old…line components company that is now
in bankruptcy；〃 said Perkowski。 〃We bought the business first to get access to its
customers； which were primarily the Big Three automakers； plus Caterpillar and
Cummins。 While we have had long…standing relationships with Cat and Cummins … and
this acquisition enhanced our position with them… the camshaft sales to the Big Three
were our first。 The second reason to make the acquisition was to obtain technology
which we could bring back to China。 Like most of the technology that goes into modern
passenger cars and trucks； people take camshaft technology for granted。 However；
camshafts ＇the part of the engine that controls how the pistons go up and down＇ are
highly engineered products which are critical to the performance of the engine。 The
acquisition of this business essentially gave us the know…how and technology that
we could use to become the camshaft leader in China。 As a result； we now have the
best camshaft technology and a customer base both in China and the U。S。〃
This is a very important point； because the general impression is that offshoring
is a lose…lose proposition for American workers…something that was here went over
there； and that is the end of the story。 The reality is more complicated。
Most companies build offshore factories not simply to obtain cheaper labor for
products they want to sell in America or Europe。 Another motivation is to serve that
foreign market without having to worry about trade barriers and to gain a dominant
foothold there…particularly a giant market like China's。 According to the U。S。
Commerce Department； nearly 90 percent of the output from U。S。…owned offshore
factories is sold to foreign consumers。 But this actually stimulates American exports。
There is a variety of studies indicating that every dollar a company invests overseas
in anoffshore factory yields additional exports for its home country；because roughly
one…third of global trade today is within multinational companies。 It works the other
way as well。 Even when production is moved offshore to save on wages； it is usually
not all moved offshore。 According to a January 26； 2004； study by the Heritage
Foundation； Job Creation and the Taxation of Foreign…Source Income； American
companies that produce at home and abroad； for both the American market and China's；
generate more than 21 percent of U。S。 economic output； produce 56 percent of U。S。
exports； and employ three…fifths of all manufacturing employees； about 9 million
workers。 So if General Motors builds a factory offshore in Shanghai； it also ends
up creating jobs in America by exporting a lot of goods and services to its own factory
in China and benefiting from lower parts costs in China for its factories in America。
Finally； America is a beneficiary of the same phenomenon。 While much attention is
paid to American companies going offshore to China； little attention is paid to the
huge amount of offshore investment coming into America every year； because foreigners
want access to American markets and labor just like we want access to theirs。 On
September 25； 2003； DaimlerChrysler celebrated the tenth anniversary of its decision
to build the first Mercedes…Benz passenger car factory outside Germany； in Tuscaloosa；
Alabama； by announcing a 600 million plant expansion。 〃In Tuscaloosa we have
impressively shown that we can produce a new production series with a new workforce
in a new factory；
and we have also demonstrated that it is possible to have vehicles successfully 'Made
by Mercedes' outside of Germany；〃 Professor Jiirgen Hub…bert； the DaimlerChrysler
Board of Management member responsible for the Mercedes Car Group； announced on the
anniversary。
Not surprisingly； ASIMCO will use its new camshaft operation in China to handle the
raw material and rough machining operations； exporting semifinished products to its
camshaft plant in America； where more skilled American workers can do the finished
machining operations； which are most critical to quality。 In this way； ASIMCO's
American customers receive the benefit of a China supply chain and at the same time
have the comfort of dealing with a known； American supplier。
The average wage of a high…skilled machinist in America is 3；000 to 4；000 a month。
The average wage for a factory worker in China is about 150 a month。 In addition；
ASIMCO is required to participate in a Chinese government…sponsored pension plan
covering heath care； housing； and retirement benefits。 Between 35 and 45 percent of
a Chinese worker's monthly wage goes directly to the local labor bureau to cover these
benefits。 The fact that health insurance in China is so much cheaper…because of lower
wages； much more limited health service offerings； and no malpractice
suits…〃certainly makes China an attractive place to expand and add employees；〃
explained Perkowski。 〃Anything which can be done to reduce a U。S。 company's liability
for medical coverage would be a plus in keeping jobs in the U。S。〃
By taking advantage of the flat world to collaborate this way… between onshore and
offshore factories； and between high…wage； high…skilled American workers close to
their market and low…wage Chinese workers close to theirs…said Perkowski； 〃we make
our American company more competitive； soit is getting more orders and we are actually
growing the business。 And that is what many in the U。S。 are missing when they talk
about offshoring。 Since the acquisition； for example； we have doubled our business
with Cummins； and our business with Caterpillar has grown significantly。 All of our
customers are exposed to global competition and really need their supply base to the
do the right thing as far as cost competitiveness。 They want to work with suppliers
who un…
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derstand the flat world。 When I went to visit our U。S。 customers to explain our
strategy for the camshaft business； they were very positive about what we were doing；
because they could see that we were aligning our business in a way that was going
to enable them to be more competitive。〃
This degree of collaboration has been possible only in the last couple of years。 〃We
could not have done what we have done in China in 1983 or 1993；〃 said Perkowski。 〃Since
1993； a number of things have come together。 For example； people always talk about
how much the Internet has benefited the U。S。 The point I always make is that China
has benefited even more。 What has held China back in the past was the inability of
people outside China to get information about the country； and the inability of people
inside China to get information about the rest of the world。 Prior to the Internet；
the only way to close that information gap was travel。 Now you can stay home and do
it with the Internet。 You could not operate our global supply chain without it。 We
now just e…mail blueprints over the Internet…we don't even need FedEx。〃
The advantages for manufacturing in China； for certain industries； are becoming
overwhelming； added Perkowski； and cannot be ignored。 Either you get flat or you'll
be flattened by China。 〃If you are sitting in the U。S。 and don't figure out how to
get into China；〃 he said； 〃in ten or fifteen years from now you will not be a global
leader。〃
Now that China is in the WTO； a lot of traditional； slow； inefficient； and protected
sectors of the Chinese economy are being exposed to some withering global
competition…something received as warmly in Canton； China； as in Canton； Ohio。 Had
the Chinese government put WTO membership to a popular vote； 〃it never would have
passed；〃 said PatPowers； whoheaded the U。S。…China Business Council office inBeijing
during the WTO accession。 A key reason why China's leadership sought WTO membership
was to use it as a clubto force China's bureaucracy to modernize and take down internal
regulatory walls and pockets for arbitrary decision making。 China's leadership 〃knew
that
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China had to integrate globally and that many of their existing institutions would
simply not chang