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BUILDING BRIDGES FOR BUSINESS

Jessi Chang, Eric Zhang, and Shenghong Yao link us to our Far East factories.

by Jim Morgan

When the boat comes to the bridge, it will go through;
When the cart gets to the mountains, there will be a way to get over them.
— Chinese proverb

“This is a well-known saying,” Shenghong Yao explains with a smile. “The first line reminds us that a boat floats in a straighter line as it passes under a bridge due to the narrowing and focusing of the water flow.”

And Shenghong should know. With a Master’s Degree in fluid dynamics and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, he understands a few things about motion and structure. Since joining RL Hudson in August of 2002, he’s been putting his expertise to good use as a product engineer specializing in shaft seals. Shenghong is also a bridge builder, though not in the literal sense. Rather, he is one of three men whose cultural heritage and understanding facilitate the flow of information and ideas between RL Hudson and our factories in the Orient.

Born in the Hebei Province of China, Shenghong – who is affectionately known around the Hudson offices as “Doc” – stresses the importance of relationships when it comes to doing business in his homeland .

“Companies want to do business,” he says, “but they also want to feel that they are doing so with friends. Building strong relationships based on respect and trust is very important. [RL Hudson Founder and President] Rick Hudson understands this.”

Having immigrated to the United States in 1994, Shenghong now lives in Tulsa with his wife, Yibing Du, and their 3-year-old son, Bowen. Yibing has her own Ph.D. – in physics, no less – and if Bowen’s fascination with animated character Bob the Builder is any indication, he may someday covet his father’s calipers.

In the meantime, Shenghong’s interest in streamlining communication with our factories abroad is shared by Eric Zhang, the second member of our intercultural team. But whereas Shenghong is busy with issues related to drawings and specifications, Eric serves as our supply chain management consultant.

“One of my main responsibilities is supplier evaluation,” Eric says. “I monitor each supplier’s performance and provide general feedback for improvement. I work closely with our international suppliers to make sure they fully understand our shipping requirements and problem-solving process.”

A native of Xinghaihu, Heilongjiang, China, Eric grew up on a small farm in the frontier area near Siberia. He earned a Master of Science Degree from the Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, China, before working in import project management, marketing, and business training. He settled in the United States in May of 2000, and he joined RL Hudson in November of 2001. He resides in Tulsa with his wife, Kathy, and their 7-year-old son, Puqing.

The third member of the team is Jessi Chang. Like Shenghong and Eric, Jessi is charged with the task of optimizing our communications with the Orient. Unlike his colleagues, however, Jessi remains overseas. Raised in Changhua, Taiwan, Jessi earned his MBA from Feng-Chia University in nearby Taichung, where he still lives. Having worked in product management, sales management, and marketing for Taiwanese companies, Jessi joined us in April of 2002 as our director of Asian supply management. He focuses on four key functions.

“Like Eric and Shenghong, I help smooth the communications between RL Hudson and our factories here in Asia,” Jessi explains from Taichung. “I also help negotiate purchase prices, assist with technical and quality documentation, and help ensure parts are delivered per our orders, which takes into account quantities, timing, and quality.”

Jessi fulfills his role by conducting on-site consultations with our factories in both Taiwan and China. He’s quick to point out that he enjoys the requisite travel. Good thing, too. Whereas most passports are the thickness of this magazine, Jessi’s passport more closely resembles a paperback novel. He has been overseas more than 100 times in the past decade, including numerous visits to China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, plus 14 trips to the United States. He has visited 31 countries in all. When not on the road or in the air, Jessi can be found at home with Joanne Yang, his wife of 4 years, and their 10-month-old daughter, Carrie.

To all outward appearances, the task set before Jessi, Eric, and Shenghong is a daunting one. Communication isn’t always easy even when the communicators are in the same room, much less halfway around the world from one another. Still, all three are proud of the positive impact they’ve had over the past year, and all three are optimistic about future improvements.

“Don’t forget the second line of the proverb,” Shenghong says with a grin. “The cart may face mountains, but a path will present itself. You can always find a way to make progress if you work at it. That’s what we do. We work at it.”