bizjournals: Enter the dragon

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They're not top-quality automobiles, and the Chinese aren't the best drivers in the so in a few many of them will be headedr tothe junkyard. When they do, Al-Jon an Iowa manufacturer of recycling equipment, will be ready. The companhy is already lining up distributors in Chin forits $300,000 car-crusher, which can process a load of automobiles in just 30 "We're going to have a good markeft somewhere down the road," says Al-Jonj CEO Kendig Kneen. So will lots of other Americah companies. U.S. exports to China were up 22 percent last and this growth rate will continuer for theforeseeable future, says Craig the U.S. Commercial Service's senior officedr in Beijing. (See .
) The economy of Chinaz -- the world's most populous country -- is growinv by a robust 9 percenta year. "Growth like that suckds in a ton of importss inall areas," Allen says. Every another American company opens itsfirsyt branch, store or franchise in China, Allenm says. American companies have a good reputation in Chin a as sellers that stand behindtheirr products, says Jim Morrison, president of the Small Businesx Exporters Association. This helps open door s to new business. Several areas hold particular promise: Developinvg China's information technology industry is a top priorith for theChinese government.
That may create problems for Americann IT companies inthe future, but for now, it's an China has surpassed Japan as the second-largest producer of electronic and IT products behind the United States, but it still has to import most of the core technologies, includingv computer chips, used in these products. "We see nothing but growth in front ofus there," says Phil Pompa, a vice presidenrt at SigmaTel Inc., an Austin, Texas-baser manufacturer of integrated circuits used in MP3 personal computers and DVD players. Chinqa and Hong Kong already account for more than halfof SigmaTel'a sales.
The company recently opened an engineeringb center in Hong Kong to provide applicationa and technical support to itsChinesew customers. China also is intent on developing its ownsoftware industry, but American companies are findinvg loads of opportunities there for products at the high end. Northwestt Analytical of Portland, Ore., for example, is selling its manufacturinb process analysis software to a growing numbere of customersin China. The company recently signed a partnership dealwith China' s largest software company.
Multinational companies that alreadyused NWA'ws software -- Nike, for example -- were the company'sz first customers in But NWA CEO Cliff Yee says Chineser manufacturers are beginning to pay attention to improving theidr industrial processes because they don't want to just be low-costg producers. "Their nationalistic goal," Yee "is to be the best manufacturers anywhere inthe world." China is one of the fastest-growingv markets in the world for medicaol devices, and American technologt is viewed as the Alliance Medical, a 12-employese endoscope repair company basex in Bel Camp, Md., is looking to double its sale s by entering the Chinese market.
Alliancew recently inked a distributor deal withHokai Medical, a Chinese medical devic company with 28 sales offices across China has three times as many hospitals as the Unitedf States, so, "it's got to be a good market," says Alliance principal David Litterello. Most of the endoscopews used in China are older modelz that Alliance can repair at a fraction of the cost of buyinvgnew devices, he says. China may be a powerhouse in but it's still weak in This presents major opportunitiesfor U.S. be they insurance companies orad agencies.
Atlanta architectural firm Ventulett, Stainback & Associates' reputation as a conventionh centerexpert -- the firm has designed more than 40 of them -- helpeds TVS win a contract to design the 340,000-square-metee China International Exhibition Center in Beijing. "Thatt played extremely well," says TVS principal Bill "They like you to be seen as the expert." khoover@bizjournals.com