Having been exposed to European & North American equipment for many years, I often mumbled and complained to anyone who wanted to listen (and some who really didn't but were too polite to say so) about:
1. The price
2. The different time zones
3. The manufacturing standards tend to be rigidly EU standards with a significant premium for AS certification
4. The container freight cost and shipping time etc. etc.
5. The mis-interpretations of my specifications
I had been looking at Chinese manufacturers for a few years now and through exposure to their factories via some colleagues, I thought that at the very least, either to stop myself from grumbling or to satisfy my curiosity, I should investigate further in the concrete plant and equipment fields.
My first visit to Sisoul Corporation Qingdao in Shandong province was an eye-opener. Apart from the courtesy and friendliness of their English speaking Managers, I saw workshops operating very little different to our own in Australia and a new finished products warehouse with a gloss floor for concrete & cement mixers and other major products.
Meetings with Engineers and divisional heads demonstrated to me the soundness of Sisoul's various manufacturing divisions. Inspections of their workshops showed me skilled workforces that had a "Can-do" attitude (with some encouragement to depart from their standard products). The building of friendly relationships is very important when dealing with China and is the foundation for successful co-operation, which we are happy to say, has been forthcoming.