In the fall of 2004, I began quarterly trips to China to meet with suppliers, visit our two sourcing offices, and get a general feel for the potential of China in our overall Global Sourcing strategy. Calipe Chong was director of both of our sourcing offices, one in Shanghai and one in Shenzhen. He was also our guide, interpreter, and fountain of knowledge about Chinese culture, habits, and protocol. Over the next seven years, Calipe not only taught all of us at MTD all of these things, but he also was instrumental in closing both of our offices, assisting in the acquisition of another sourcing company in China, and leading a contingent of MTD people all around China in search of the appropriate manufacturing location to begin our own China operations. During that time, Calipe and I had the opportunity to spend many weeks together and I learned to appreciate his dedication to his business and his knowledge of all things China. It was during this period that Calipe and I became more than associates; we became friends. Calipe was always ready and willing to help in anything that we were trying to accomplish as a company.
It is a great pleasure for me to encourage all to read and learn from Calipe’s book. He is one with great insight into the Chinese culture and has great knowledge of the workings of business practices and habits in China. I congratulate him on putting all of his knowledge together for all to share.
John Rainone
Retired Executive Vice President of Global Sourcing
MTD Products Inc