Executive Forum panel has China covered

Executive Forum panel has China covered

PHOENIX (Feb. 1, 2:45 p.m. EST) — China’s phenomenal growth beckons some, threatens others. The one certainty is that anyone wishing to tap into that market needs a clear plan, plus significant cultural knowledge and international business savvy.

Seasoned veterans with on-the-ground Asian experience will share their insights at Plastics News’ Executive Forum 2005 in Phoenix. The Feb. 27-March 2 event will include a China panel featuring:

* Brian Jones, president and chief executive officer of Nypro Inc. in Clinton, Mass., which has 10 facilities and 7,000 employees in China now and plans to double those numbers within two years. Jones plans to discuss the incredible “pace of play” in China and the need to stay abreast of that nation’s ever-shifting business and legal landscape.

* Jeff Pluto, president and CEO of China Optimization Group in Geneva, Ill., which helps firms develop a business approach to China. Pluto will identify how North American plastics companies can grow profitably by employing China-based offshore sourcing strategies.

* Phil Spanninger, executive vice president with Americhem Inc. in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who currently is overseeing the siting of the additive maker’s first China plant. Spanninger, who previously headed business development for TRW Inc. in Asia, will address managerial challenges in China, including staff recruitment, training and retention.

* Jack Yeung, Shenzhen, China-based vice president of marketing and business development with Ace Mold Co. Ltd., a 600-person mold maker, and sister firm Ace Plastics Co. Ltd. a 100-press, 1,000-employee custom injection molder. Yeung will tell how China’s processing and mold-making businesses have changed in recent years and will outline challenges ahead.

Moderating will be Allan Goldner, a Cleveland-based partner at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP who heads the law firm’s China Group.

Additionally, the forum program will include a look at the macro economy by Gene Huang, China-born chief economist of FedEx Corp., and a discussion of merger and acquisition trends that will include Ian Morton, a partner with Crimson Investment. Palo Alto, Calif.-based Crimson is a private equity firm that acquires U.S. companies and partners with management to help them establish offshore Pacific Rim sourcing, production and service capabilities. Design speaker Craig Vogel, a professor of design and director of the new Center for Design Research & Innovation at the University of Cincinnati, will offer insights into China design capabilities and trends based on his extensive experience there.