Jergens Shanghai Creates Access for Northeast Ohio Companies to Expand into China
Recently, Global Cleveland spent time with the team at Jergens, Inc. to learn more about their innovative approach to connecting Northeast Ohio to international business opportunities. Bryon Shafer, General Manager of ASG and Jergens Shanghai, oversees the ASG Division of Jergens, Inc. and has operational responsibility for their wholly owned foreign enterprise (WOFE), Jergens Shanghai Commercial Co., Ltd. In our conversation, Bryon shares more details on how Northeast Ohio companies can partner with Jergens to break into the Chinese market:
What are some of the legal aspects that Jergens has gone through in opening an office in Shanghai? Were any aspects of this process unexpected or more difficult than planned?
Our WOFE in China was established in 2006 to grow market share of the Jergens brands into the Chinese market. In 10 years, our business model has grown and evolved to include other US mid-market industrial product manufacturers, providing them access to a proven platform to introduce their brands into the Chinese market.
Compliance is one of our top priorities in China. More specifically, ensuring all our HR and related social benefits for staff are handled properly, as well as customs and other regulations associated with doing business in China. (pricing, invoicing, tax, A/R, A/P, etc.)Compliance is also one of the core commitments we make to partners giving them the comfort of knowing we’re handling the operations correctly, so they can focus on growing their brand in China.
How was the decision made to locate in Shanghai?
Shanghai is the commercial hub of China, centrally located on the East coast, with easy access to ports and commercial flights from the USA. Our first few offices in Shanghai were located in the financial district of PuDong.
Prior to establishing the Jergens WOFE, our first staff were hired in Shanghai through AMT (Association for Manufacturing Technology) and it was a natural progression to establish our first office in Shanghai. As our business grew, in 2014 we signed a long-term lease and moved to an industrial park in the Jinqiao district of PuDong, providing abundant access to office and warehouse space and the ability to expand our brands into China.
How can Cleveland area manufacturers partner with Jergens Shanghai to work in China?
Once a Cleveland area manufacturer has determined it’s time to take their brand to the Chinese market, Jergens can provide them access.
The core services available include:
- HR & payroll
- Accounting & finance
- Logistics & warehousing
- We’ll also soon be adding marketing to the lineup
Our goal is to provide partner brands with a low threshold of entry to the Chinese market that is compliant, customizable, flexible and scalable.
What do Jergens Shanghai colleagues say about their visits to Cleveland?
Jergens Shanghai team members that have the chance to visit Jergens HQ in Cleveland are often impressed. The NBA is extremely popular in China and the Cleveland Cavaliers (and of course LeBron James) are a hit! Everyone wants tickets to a Cav’s game! Jergens hosts visits a few times a year for training, trade shows, or other special events. Of course, they prefer to visit in the spring, summer or fall months over winter.
If you or your organization would like to learn more about opportunities to partner with Jergens Shanghai, contact:
Bryon Shafer
[email protected]
U.S. Senator Bob Corker Speaks at Global Cleveland's Global Partners in Diplomacy Event
On Tuesday, July 19, Global Cleveland welcomed roughly 80 international ambassadors to its Global Partners in Diplomacy reception at Severance Hall. The event, coordinated in partnership with the 2016 Republican National Convention and the U.S. Department of State, introduced the ambassadors to nearly 200 of Northeast Ohio’s civic and corporate leaders.
Guests networked and enjoyed light appetizers in a setting befitting of such an esteemed audience. In his remarks, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish sang the county’s praises, and encouraged the ambassadors to bring investment to the region. The evening’s keynote speaker, U.S. Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, stressed the importance of understanding what “having people of different backgrounds and origins means to your community.”
Below is a transcript of his speech:
“I want to congratulate the City of Cleveland and the county. I love listening to the county mayor with the energy he had. I was able to walk yesterday around the city and was most impressed, number one, with the city. And, I have to say, I’ve been to almost every convention over the last 20 to 25 years. I don’t think I’ve been to a place that is more welcoming, nor have I been to a convention that, in spite of what is being said on the media, is one that is more unique and really homespun. There’s good feeling in being here, I’m so impressed with the effort of this organization to reach out to reach out to people of different backgrounds, to understand the importance of having diversity, of having people come to your community that are able to bring skills and knowledge and background that really broaden your community’s ability to function and to produce, and to welcome other people in. Each community has its own way of attempting to move ahead, and I just have to tell you, especially as chairman of the Foreign Relations committee, my hat is off to this entity, Global Cleveland, what you’re doing to bring talented people to your community and your understanding of what that means for the future.
To the ambassadors, please know that all of us who serve, like I do, understand that we have inherited from people who came before us a heritage. We’ve inherited that. And, the fact that 80 ambassadors from around the world would come to the Republican convention, and 80 ambassadors from around the world would go to the Democratic convention to understand what they believe our country’s role in the world is going to be is something that is very humbling to all of us, and we thank you for coming. We thank you for trying to understand the future. We also understand that when our country functions at the highest levels, relative to foreign policy, the world is a better place. I was talking to a couple of ambassadors before I came up here; one whose country I’d been to, one who hadn’t, and I said, ‘You know, y’all are here. This convention is something that’s probably very unique to your country,’ and that reminded me, actually, this convention is very unique to our country, and it is. And, what’s happened in the process, is that more people in our country are focused on what is happening during this election than probably anytime in recent times. But, what all of you know, because all of you are involved in internationalism, you understand that, around the world, more than ever, people are paying attention to this election. They want to understand what the future is going to be.
Now, I don’t know what the outcome of this election is going to be, and therefore, it is very difficult, because the chief executive, our president, plays such a huge role in foreign policy. We play a role, but in our country, obviously, the president determines more fully than anyone else what our country’s role is gonna be. But, what we need to do, and what Cleveland has done such an outstanding job of doing, is we have a responsibility with our citizens to understand the importance of U.S. leadership and involvement around the world. We have four-and-a-half-percent of the world’s population in America. Four-and-a-half percent. And, yet, we have, we participate in twenty-two percent of the world’s gross domestic product. And, the only way that we’re going to continue to better the lives of our own citizens is to ensure that our citizens understand how it important it is for us to be involved in the world, and most of the ambassadors here, they will tell you that ‘Look, when there’s a vacuum in world leadership, someone will step in and lead.’ And, I think most of them, regardless of where they come from, would rather it be the United States that takes that leadership role. I can tell you firsthand that the world is a better place, the world is a better place because of what the United States represents when we take that leadership role in concert with others. So, look, this is a group of very influential people, people that are very knowledgeable, people that have traveled the world, and people that understand what I just said happens to be true. But, in a country like ours, we’ve got a job to do, because what’s happening with people’s concerns about security, with people’s concerns about economic issues, we are going through a period of isolationism where people want to retrench, and that’s the opposite, in my opinion, of what a great nation needs to do. That’s the opposite of what the world needs to have happen.
So, I want to close by, again, thanking Cleveland. Thank you for your broadness of understanding of what having people of different backgrounds and origins means to your community. I want to thank the ambassadors for paying us such a huge honor and being so interested in what is happening, and I want to commit to all of you that I have a privilege of serving as chairman of the Foreign Relations committee, and I’m going to do everything I can, as one senator, to help take the example that is being set in Cleveland around our country and make sure that we play the rightful role that we need to play in this world. Thank you very much.”
The Power of Citizenship
This nation is home to 24 million non-native non-citizens, 9 million of whom are eligible to become citizens but for the barriers of cost and English proficiency, which often stand in their way. Every year, Greater Cleveland is proud to welcome the 2,500 individuals who make the decision to become New Americans and Global Cleveland is proud to welcome each new American at every naturalization oath ceremony.
The goal of equality and full participation is enshrined in the founding documents of our nation. The Declaration of Independence begins with the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Our history has been one of continued struggle to make these words true, from the struggle to end slavery to the enfranchisement of women. Our democratic ideal is one person, one vote. This is not good for these individuals, for our nation, or for our democracy.
Global Cleveland stands by all International Newcomers and remains steadfast to helping aspiring citizens complete the naturalization process regardless of their political beliefs. Citizenship has many benefits, including protection against deportation, and is the antidote to the dangerous anti-International Newcomer sentiment that has taken a hold in this country. In the weeks, months and years ahead, we will continue our important work and stand with all International Newcomers when we see their rights – and the values of our country – compromised.
New Americans are not the only ones who gain advantages from increased naturalizations. We all benefit when our neighbors, and their children, are grounded in American values; citizenship does that. It’s a rite of passage that unites us, that makes us all part of the rich American fabric.
Find out more or sign up to volunteer your time at an upcoming Naturalization Ceremony here.
Closing Doors to Our Displaced Persons Sisters and Brothers is Not Who We Are
Providing protection to people seeking safety is one of our nation’s proudest and longest standing traditions. Curtailing our Displaced Persons program threatens our shared prosperity that relies on the innovation and creativity of people who come from all places, faiths, and cultural traditions.
“The people who seek to enter our country as Displaced Personss are fleeing violence and threats to their lives,” said President of Global Cleveland, Joe Cimperman “It is our moral duty to help individuals in need and not to discriminate on the basis of nationality or religion. Halting our Displaced Persons program and denying protection to the most vulnerable goes against the fundamental core and strength of America. Displaced Personss are our coworkers, neighbors, friends, business owners and community leaders and we are proud to be a community that is welcoming and inclusive of all people, including Displaced Personss.”
Cleveland is a city that has been greatly enriched by the contributions of our Displaced Persons and International Newcomer communities. International Newcomers contribute to the economic and social vibrancy of our city as neighbors, doctors, community leaders, business owners, coworkers and friends. Two of these community leaders are George Koussa and Isam Zaiem, both originally from Syria, who now call Cleveland home. We agree with George “This is a nation of International Newcomers. We are stronger because of this” and with Isam Zaiem, that “International Newcomers are the new blood that rejuvenates the business and economy of the city.”
According to the State Department, 78% of Displaced Personss resettled in the United States are women and their children. Displaced Personss are here because they face a threat to their safety in their former homes. They are far more likely to have experienced the trauma of violence and unrest than the average American. Marzieh Ayati, an international PhD student from Iran, studying at Case Western Reserve University states “We should keep it in our mind that nobody likes to run away from home if home is a safer place."
Any proposal or statements calling for a ban on Displaced Personss, as well as discrimination based on religion or nationality is un-American. As a nation founded in part by Displaced Personss and International Newcomers, these kind of discriminatory policies dishonor our history, beliefs and values.
Global Cleveland stands with all our Displaced Persons neighbors of all faiths, and we pledge to continue to fight discrimination in all its forms. #WeStandTogether
Here’s how you can join us in our support of Displaced Personss and International Newcomers in Cleveland:
Volunteer your time at an upcoming Naturalization Ceremony and help us to welcome our newest American Citizens on one of the most important days of their lives: Sign Up Online
Make a donation TODAY! Donate Online Your contribution helps us do more to welcome and support International Newcomers from across the globe and across Greater Cleveland.
*Quotes are taken from our International Newcomer Heritage Year Campaign
