madidus
Senior Member
I am really disappointed that some of the sentiment in this thread appears to be fuelled by 'negativity'. Comments like "So true though the people in China look at it as 'nothing more' than a job" and "I have no interest in being another "Pig iron Bob" and handing over capital to what looks to be a future enemy" really are beyond belief.
The fact is that to remain competitive in the global market place, companies have to make effective business decisions. The quality of a product is not determined by the geographical location of the manufacturing site or the ethnic make up of staff, but by the QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROCESSES that are put in place. Sure, there's plenty of second rate products coming out of China and India (and the USA and Australia for that matter), but that's because they are manufacturing these products for a client who is not prepared to pay for first rate QM processes.
The cycling industry is a good example: to increase their share of the market, some of the top name European bike brands are getting Chinese made carbon frames for their mid-priced models. The top of the line models are still made in Italy or wherever, but more and more of the competitively priced models are being made in China. They pay the manufacturers for first rate QM processes and as a result get a first rate product.
As far as environmental and political (ie. communist party) concerns go, the best way to address these issues is for the Chinese people to become part the global capitalistic market, both as manufacturers and as consumers. As Chinese citizens become more affluent and better educated, they will expect better safety and environmental standards and more freedom. I absolutely agree that a dictatorial communist government is a bad thing, but empowering Chinese citizens has to be better way to change such governments than anything else that's been tried in the past 60 years.
So as far as I can tell, Tama is looking to ensure its continued financial viability while taking responsibility for the quality of its products. And I don't believe for a minute that the Chinese staff at the Guangzhou factory do not take pride in their work.
For the record, I do not play a Tama kit and I am extremely unlikely to ever be in a position to be looking for sponsorships (I missed that boat 20 years ago). But if Artstar happens to read this, I wouldn't say no to a Straclassic Bubinga Elite with a Red Sparkle finish ;-p
The fact is that to remain competitive in the global market place, companies have to make effective business decisions. The quality of a product is not determined by the geographical location of the manufacturing site or the ethnic make up of staff, but by the QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROCESSES that are put in place. Sure, there's plenty of second rate products coming out of China and India (and the USA and Australia for that matter), but that's because they are manufacturing these products for a client who is not prepared to pay for first rate QM processes.
The cycling industry is a good example: to increase their share of the market, some of the top name European bike brands are getting Chinese made carbon frames for their mid-priced models. The top of the line models are still made in Italy or wherever, but more and more of the competitively priced models are being made in China. They pay the manufacturers for first rate QM processes and as a result get a first rate product.
As far as environmental and political (ie. communist party) concerns go, the best way to address these issues is for the Chinese people to become part the global capitalistic market, both as manufacturers and as consumers. As Chinese citizens become more affluent and better educated, they will expect better safety and environmental standards and more freedom. I absolutely agree that a dictatorial communist government is a bad thing, but empowering Chinese citizens has to be better way to change such governments than anything else that's been tried in the past 60 years.
So as far as I can tell, Tama is looking to ensure its continued financial viability while taking responsibility for the quality of its products. And I don't believe for a minute that the Chinese staff at the Guangzhou factory do not take pride in their work.
For the record, I do not play a Tama kit and I am extremely unlikely to ever be in a position to be looking for sponsorships (I missed that boat 20 years ago). But if Artstar happens to read this, I wouldn't say no to a Straclassic Bubinga Elite with a Red Sparkle finish ;-p