Fashion Handbags (2005-2008) : 

• Onboard factories to execute order requirement of licensed mass-market celebrity designer label handbags and accessories. 
  
• ​On-site training of staff who lived closest to the factory to monitor workshops and prepare factory management for client hired 3rd party audits.
  
• On-site factory inspection from Guangdong to Northeast China.
  

Luggage and Travel Cases (2005-2008): 

• Onboard factories (Ningbo and Yangzhou) to execute order requirements for major US retailers including "Big Box" stores.
  
• On-site factory inspections for new potential suppliers from Quanzhou, Fujian to Wuhan, Hubei to Northeast China.
  

Home Textiles (2005-2008):

• Onboard factory capable of executing order requirements for newly acquired high-end baby crib bedding brand. 
  
• On-site due diligence supply chain evaluation such as Naturally Color Cotton in Urumqi, Xinjiang.
  

Wireware (2002-2004): 

• On-site observation of Dongguan based inspector (Hubei origin Hukou) for pre-shipment inspection technique at factory located in Bobai Guangxi. (i.e. observe travel/factory conditions and local dialect impact on inspection performance factors). 
  

Pet Products (2012-2013): 

• ​Developed products on-site with new factories who executed order requirements for custom pet products in Yangzhou, Jiangsu.
  

Polymer (2013-2014): 

• On-site development of Suzhou polymer supplier for additional manufacturing capacity to injection mold and finish cellulose acetate toys.
  

Tanneries (2005-2008): 

• On-site due diligence supply chain evaluation of hide sources from Kunming  in Yunnan Province to Haining  in Zhejiang Provinceto supply Shenzhen  in Guangdong Province based handbag design center.
  

Home Accessories (2003-2004): 

• On-site manufacturing process audit of window treatment products manufactured in New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai India.  
  
• On-site manufacturing process audit of MDF home cabinetry workshop located in Dandong  in Liaoning Province.
  

Cutlery  (2002-2003):

• Yangjiang, in Guangdong Province.
  

Cosmetics  (2002-2003):

• ​On-site manufacturing process and quality (GMP) audit of cosmetic factory located in Xiamen, in Fujian Province.
  

Glassware (2002-2003): 

• On-site manufacturing process audit of glassware factories located in Jinzhong, in Shanxi Province.
  

Upholstery Supplies (2004-2005) :

• Southeast Asia. 
  

Leather Fashion Handbags (2005-2008) :

• ShuiTou Town, Pingyang County, Wenzhou, in Zhejiang Province , Haicheng,  in Liaoning Province. 
  

Natural Fiber Fashion Straw Handbags (2005-2008) :

• Laizhou, Shandong Province.
  

Leather Fashion Accessories and Small Leather Goods (2005-2005) :  

• ShuiTou Town, Wenzhou, in Zhejiang Province.
  

Plush Toys (1996-2014) :  

• ​ Dongguan and Shenzhen, in Guangdong Province, Yangzhou,  Yizheng,  and   Luzhi   in Jaingsu Province.
  

Integrated Circuits (IC's)  from  Semiconductor Fabrication Plant (1999-2001):

• Taipei, Taiwan
  

Wooden Gifts and Toys (2002-2014):

• Ningbo, Yunhe, Lishui, Zhejiang, Caoxian, Heze, Shandong Province.                 
  

Lamps and Night Lights (2005-2008) : 

• Yuyao, Zhejiang Province.
  

Cast Resin (1996-2014) :

• Ornaments and bobble heads:   Xiamen, Fujian Province.
  

Ceramics and Porcelain Mugs and Figurines (1996-2014) : 

• Fuzhou, Fujian Province, Liling Hunan Province.
  

Printed Textiles (flags, chairs, tents, etc). (2002-2008):  

• Shangyu, in Zhejiang Province
  

Camera Cases, Diaper Bags, Laptop Cases, CD Cases (2005-2008):

• Ningbo, and Cixi, in Zhejiang Province . Quanzhou, in Fujian Province, Wuhan, in Hubei Province.
  

Bedding Textiles (2005-2008) : 

• Rizhou, in Shandong Province, Nantong, in Jiangsu Province.
  

Printed Towels (2005-2008) : 

• Xi’an, in Shaanxi Province, Lanxi, in Zhejiang Province, Changsha, in Hunan Province.
  

High-Pile Blankets (2005-2008):

• Jiamusi City  and Mudanjiang City in Heilongjiang Province,
  

High-End Patchwork Quilts (2005-2008):

• ​Wuxi,  in Jaingsu Province.
  

Metal Ride-On Toys(2013-2014):

• Jiaonan City,  Qingdao, in Shandong Province.

​Music Boxes (2013-2014):

• Shantou,  Dongguan, in Guangdong Province.
  

​​Pencils (2013-2014)

• Yiwu, Jinhua, in Zhejiang. Province.

Crystal Figurines (2013-2014)

• ​Pujiang County, in Zhejiang Province.

​Children's Craft Kits (crayons, sidewalk chalk, art clays, paint and canvas set, watercolor paint set, DIY Kits) (1993-2014) :

•   Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,  Mexico City, Mexico,  Lanxi, Zhejiang  Province,  
  

Children's Fashion Dolls (2013-2014) :

• Jieyang,   inGuangdong Province,
  

Children's Fashion Doll Costumes.(2013-2014) :

• Longgang,   in Guangdong Province
  

Children's Fashion Doll Accessories (2013-2014) :

• Foshan,   in Guangdong Province

Children's Jewelry(2013-2014) :

• Panyu, Guangzhou, in Guangdong Province.

Artificial Flowers(2013-2014) :

• Yantai, in Shandong Province
  

​Children's Sleepwear(2015) :

• Weifang,  in Shandong Province.
  

Product Experience:  Premiums, Fashion Accessories, Toys, Home Goods.

 Fast-Food Premium Toys, Plush Toys,  Traditional Toys, Fashion Handbags, Small Leather Good's, Tanning (Leather Hides)  Consumer Electronics Bags/Cases, Backpacks, Consumer Electronics,  Home textiles, Bedding & Blankets, Home Decor, Lighting, Gifts, Cosmetics, Medical Devices, Digital Devices, Fitness Equipment, Window treatments, Spa Accessories, Pool toys and Pool Accessories, Sport  Accessories, Kitchen  Accessories, Textiles, Industrial Supplies, Fashion Accessories, Luggage & Travel bags, Travel Accessories, Novelty, Apparel, House wares: Glass-Metals-Wood, Batteries, Magnets, Hardwares, Handicrafts , Glasswares, Pottery, Wickerworks, Polyresins, Wirewares, Bookbinding, Stationery: School Supplies, Paper-Plastics,  Packaging and Labeling, Infant Bedding, Infant Products/Accessories, Kids/Tween Bedding and Bedroom Accessories, Pet Products: Custom Leashes-Collars-Mats-Bowls, Children's Sleepwear, candy packing.

"If you can dream it, you can do it."   Walt Disney

CASE STUDIES 

Children's Art Materials (1993)

Requirements: 

• Source Children's crayons and sidewalk chalk for Kids Meals and as Promotional Marketing Premiums.

Background 

• Colleagues ran into massive testing budgets (up to $10K/order) with unreliable supply chains that delayed projects due to lead in crayon failures.

Action Items:  

• Source away from the country with difficulty providing lead-free crayons and local reliable source with experience with testing to meet ASTM standards. 

Result: 

• Eliminated client's risk of U.S. Customs and CPSC  "Operation  Dead-Lead"  seizure of children's crayons and chalk containing hazardous lead                  by  sourcing with a reliable factory in Malaysia.       
  
• Client called to verify if their products were safe, they found relief that their product were safe and labeled "Made in Malaysia" which help manage the end-user expectation since "Operation Dead-Lead" did not include Malaysia sourced products.
  

​Homewares (2003): 

Requirements: 

• Set-up final assembly/pack-out  "black-box" workshop in an Export Processing Zone (EPZ).  
  

Background 

• SZEPZ opened in 2001 with Customs supervision facilities according to the requirements of the General Customs Administration with 24-hour Customs office services for enterprises in the EPZ.  Document review and customs clearance formalities and procedures were required by Customs and other administrative organizations.
• Legacy suppliers were not trusted to protect design IPR, so component parts were purchased and shipped to new SZEPZ for final assemblies.
  

Action Items:  

• Set-up and train PRC immigrant workers on final assembly/pack-out in Shenzhen Export Processing Zone (SZEPZ) during 2003.
  

Result: 

• Set-up assembly/pack-out layout, design line tooling, train workers.   However, the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) had delivery schedule limitations on semi-finished goods flow legally in for final assembly and out due to defects found during IQC (incoming quality control) after arriving the EPZ.  
  

​​

Traditional Toys: FOB prices continued to go up with high SKU count, low order quantities and no leverage over legacy single source supplier.
Requirements: 

• Onboard new trusted partner factories with lower FOB pricing as compared to legacy supplier FOB prices.
  

Background:

• Legacy Brand was approaching an important Anniversary Year Celebration while legacy suppliers were increasing  FOB pricing.
  

Action Items:  

• Locate capable new factories to price and counter sample.
  

Result: 

• Successfully priced and counter sampled priority products while using lower FOB prices from new capable factories for BATNA option to compel legacy supplier to lower their FOB price to match the new factory FOB price (i.e. thus providing necessary "walk-away-option" to lower FOB prices).  
  
• Hired long time assistance in PRC to monitor processes (i.e. boots-on-the-ground, factory document exchange, local time-zone follow-up, etc.).   
  
• This BATNA strategy was the"Better, Faster, Cheaper" solution,
  
  • Better:    Avoid risks with new suppliers who might struggle to earn a profit on low order quantities at the highest quality standards.
    
  • Faster:    Immediate response from legacy suppliers.
    
  • Cheaper:  Lower FOB prices from legacy suppliers by leveraging  a second or more competitive quote.
    
• The Anniversary Year Celebration was a success and all employees were given a company wide recognition bonus.
  

​2015

Children's Sleepwear:  NYC based manufacturer wanted an overseas manufacturer of their children's sleepwear.

Requirements: 

•  Match original samples with 10 color screen print quality of detailed artwork based on story book characters.
  
•  Benchmark competitors sleepwear fabric for compliance performance on federal sleepwear flammability regulations (CFR's).
  

Action Items:   

• Request quote from an experienced, trusted contact I had known for 10 years who was working for a Children's apparel factory.
  
• Their factory proactively tested several competitor fabric samples for material content and fire resistances performance per CFR's.
  
• Factory developed a custom blend fire resistance modacrylic fabric using imported yarn.
  

Result:               

• Onboard Shandong factory who shipped trial order that included several styles; 10 color screen print on custom blend fire resistance modacrylic fabric using eco-friendly dyes and printing inks (3-4 months).
  

Thomas Doyle  MSc.