|
by Jeff Moad, MA Editorial Staff   There's one thing you can say about Howard Shaffer: He does not shy away from a challenge. In 1985, fresh off a five-year stint with Nike in Beijing, Shaffer decided to strike out on his own. His plan was to launch a joint venture shoe manufacturing business in China. This was at a time when major brands were making most of their shoes in low-cost locations such as Taiwan and South Korea. Few -- Nike included -- had experienced much success penetrating China's bureaucracy in order to set up successful manufacturing there. Just a few months after its launch, however, Shaffer's plant in Guangzhou began to flourish. Productivity soared and, within a few years, Shaffer's company, Sabry Jen Co. Ltd., had 8,000 employees and was producing 800,000 pairs of shoes a month for brands such as Adidas, Timberland, ASICS, LA Gear and Nike. [Click to continue] |