Three 12' x 20' Schweiss hydraulic designer doors are on their way to China.
Transported via container vessel, this shipment is the first sale to China
for this rural Minnesota manufacturing firm, but it's not likely to be the
last.
Mike Schweiss relates, "It was about 7, 7:30 in the evening. I was outside
washing my car. My cell phone rings. The guy asks, "Are you Mike Schweiss
with this Schweiss doors operation?"
The call was from Shanghai, China. The guy making the call was Robin Ho,
born in Malaysia but for several years now Quality Control Director for
Beijing Curtain Wall Co., LTD. a huge Chinese business development firm that
is part of the Yangtze River Delta Group, Shanghai.
Ho had just landed a contract with a firm building a new $250 million Ritz
Carlton Hotel, downtown Shanghai. The architect of this new hotel wanted a
look of elegance for three, single-leaf doors for the hotel's swanky
restaurant opening to a huge plaza. Why that look of elegance?
Because starting this July travelers from around the world will be flocking
to Shanghai. This city of over 10 million people hosts the World Expo, the
biggest showcase of innovation, technology and world commerce ever put on
display on Planet Earth. World Expo has 162 countries participating and
includes 55 new Expo buildings each specially designed for countries wanting
an exceptional facility for showcasing its particular wares. And this
spanking new, 25-story Ritz Carlton Hotel, just blocks from the Expo site,
intends to be part of the glitz!
So why the cell phone conversation between Ho and Schweiss? Internet to
the rescue. Just a few months back, Schweiss Doors was a non-entity to
Robin Ho but as many have learned, the Internet is a world dictionary. Ho,
like thousands every day, went Google, then started by clicking "doors". A
few more clicks and the Schweiss website surfaced.
Related Ho, "After that it was a routine process of sorting through the
tremendous amount of information the Schweiss website provides. And that
led to my phone call. Imagine my surprise to be talking with the President
of the company. And he's washing his own car as I talk with him. That
immediately told me this is a no nonsense "down to earth" operation. I wasn't
needing to wade through layers of people to get my questions answered."
Perhaps unusual was the importance of fold up doors with a look of elegance.
Ho explained that because of this unique location in down town Shanghai,
"The hotel people wanted to build something nobody else has, and that
included glass-front, elegant looking doors opening to the hotel's
plaza-level restaurant."
Designer Doors are nothing new to Schweiss. Matter of fact they started the
concept several years back by custom building specific doors with special
sidings, including all glass, artistic windows, even remote controlled
switching. "If you think it, we can build it" became their marketing theme.
So after a few more phone calls and email exchanges, Ho told the Schweiss
people to write up the order.
Monday, February 8 (temps of 10 degrees and 6-8 inches fresh snow), Robin
Ho showed up at Schweiss Doors, rural Minnesota. He and his project
coordinator had never been to Minnesota but they wanted to see first-hand
what Schweiss doors was all about.
Indeed. They did a walk-through of the Schweiss facility observing welders,
electrical technicians, painters, even the packaging operation. Shipping
three 12' x 20' hydraulic doors via shipping containers does indeed require
some special "packaging".
And Ho finally met, shook hands, and sat down face-to-face with Mike
Schweiss. Ho's reaction? "Well, yes maybe some surprise. Here we fly about
8,000 miles. Then we drive 100 miles from your Minneapolis airport and out
here in the country we find this door factory. We see our three doors ready
for packaging. I meet Mr. Schweiss and he's in blue jeans. That wouldn't
happen in China."
Ho admits the business officials of his development group back in Shanghai
were skeptical about making a deal for these three special doors over the
phone. "But I told them. Don't worry. That is how business is done in the
United States. I tell them I made the call after 5 o'clock. I'm not
certain if anyone would even answer. And here I get the president of the
company. So there are no concerns. Then I talk with Jeremy (Jeremy Ricke,
special project coordinator for Schweiss Doors). I ask many questions. If
he can't answer directly, he gets back to me, usually in just a few minutes.
The Schweiss people are tremendously accommodating, that I can say for
certainty."
That first cell phone visit with Mike Schweiss was summer, 2008. The
Schweiss website was still infantile. But Ho says as he revisited the
Schweiss web several times and there was continually more information and
his comfort level just kept growing. "So I learn more than enough to feel
good about making the deal. And being here today just further confirms that
everything will be okay."
Besides this project at the new Carlton Ritz hotel, Ho has four other
projects in the works. He's confident he will be revisiting America and
Schweiss Doors for more business. China is in the midst of an economic
explosion dwarfing that of any other country, around the world, including
the United States.
And Ho likely speaks for architects and development specialists around the
world when he talks about the fact that doors have become a new focal point
for the design and utility value of commercial structures. "The Schweiss
web shows me doors and designs I never could have visualized."
These three Schweiss hydraulic doors were fabricated from galvanized steel
and special painted. Once delivered to the hotel project, unique thermopane
windows will be installed on site along with a final silver-gray paint
scheme. The doors will open onto a beautiful landscaped plaza area.
Looking in every direction stainless steel sky scrapers dominate the sky
said Ho. And during the 6-month duration of World Expo, millions will be
shopping downtown Shanghai plus enjoying the fine foods of this beautiful
new hotel. And on the outdoor veranda area, three gleaming Schweiss
'window wall' hydraulic doors will be providing shade and shelter plus
24-hour security for the Ritz Carlton dinning adventure.
"Shanghai is indeed an amazing City. Construction activity far outstrips
anything I've seen anywhere in the United States, or elsewhere. You bet, we
appreciate this new chapter in our marketing life," summed up Mike Schweiss.
Time frame is three days transit from Schweiss Manufacturing to Los Angeles,
then 25-days across the Pacific to Shanghai. The traditional Chinese New
Year Festival starts February 14. By the time these doors get to Shanghai,
Robin Ho will be there to supervise installation at the Ritz Carlton hotel.
Ho said the hotel plans a July 1 grand opening.
