| At the beginning of 2006, Mr. Andreas Kuchta, the new President of Linde Gas China and Managing Director Linde Gas Xiamen Ltd. officially started at his new job. Mr. Kuchta, who has been living in China for 18 years, has an extensive knowledge of Chinese culture. This, to some extent, reflects the great importance that Linde Gas attaches to the development of its business in China. Together with Dr. Bernd. R. Conrad, President of Linde Gas Asia-Pacific, Mr. Kuchta accepted an interview with a Common Talk reporter.
Extensive knowledge of Chinese culture
Q: I learned from your resume that 18 years ago, you were sent to China for a two-month project, which became a turning point in your life. What made you stay in China for 18 years and more years to come?
Mr. Kuchta: 18 years ago, I was sent to China by a German company for a project that was scheduled to complete in two months and after that I was supposed to return to Germany. When I started to do the project, I found the Chinese way of doing business was quite different from that of German. Therefore, I decided to stay to learn more about it and the Chinese culture, which seems fascinating to me. In addition, it was a very special experience to be with the Chinese people, who are very hospitable. They often invite me to join them. These are the two major reasons for my staying in China.
Q: How many more years are you going to stay in China?
Mr. Kuchta: There aren’t any plans at all. I will stay here as long as Linde requires me to. I have put down my roots in China. You see, now I’m married with a Chinese lady and we have two lovely kids. They go to Chinese primary schools and their Chinese is much better than mine. The roots of family are in China now. Hence, I don’t have any plans in the foreseeable future to leave this country.
On the other hand, during the 18 years in China, I have gained extensive knowledge of the Chinese market, a great insight into the business practice and thinking of the Chinese people and a love for this old culture. Therefore, I hope to use my knowledge to bridge the differences between our two cultures.
A long journey ahead
Q: As the new General of Linde Gas China, what’s your expectation for your work in Linde?
Mr. Kuchta: When I first came to the company, I noticed a stone imbedded into the building with some Chinese inscriptions on it. It is a famous saying by the ancient Chinese Lao Tse: “A thousand-li journey begins with the first step — the highest eminence is to be gained step by step.” The stone inscription was the idea of our first General Manager here in Xiamen—Dr. Bernd R. Conrad, who also loves the Chinese culture. From my viewpoint, this Chinese saying not only fits the company in general, but also it is a reflection of my personal career. During my work in Linde these days, I find my job very interesting and challenging. I’m aware that there is a very long journey ahead and we need to work towards our goal step by step.
Dr. Conrad: Let me add more to his answer. Linde Gas is part of the service industry. The sophistication lies behind the product itself, e.g., the packaging of the gas, customer approaches, transmission of the gas. This is very different from other products. Let’s take Mercedes for example. Mercedes itself is a showpiece of beauty and engineer excellence. People who intend to buy it don’t need to test it. However, our gas products are invisible and we need to prove its reliability and high quality to our customers. Therefore, it’s not easy to sell our products.
Furthermore, new investments need to be approved by the board of directors in Linde Group. Nowadays, the competition is between Russia, Ukraine and China. Over half of the German population can speak Russian and there is also huge market there. Therefore, as the General Manager of Linde Gas China, Mr. Kuchta needs to prove to the board of directors that the investment in China will pay the best returns. Therefore, it’s a long and tough journey.
Striding into a period of expansion
Q: As the saying goes: it’s easy to open a shop but hard to always keep it open. Linde Gas has gained a firm footing in Xiamen and other parts of China in the past ten years. What are your plans to continue to expand the business of the company in the next few years?
Mr. Kuchta: The first ten years for Linde Gas is a period of consolidation, where we get familiar with the Chinese market. Based on the existing network, we are going to develop the business further and stride into a new decade for expansion and growth. We will widen our product range and look for new areas where we can service the local industry. I believe there are still many potential opportunities in the greater Xiamen area and Fujian area. Nevertheless, we are in the meantime aiming at the markets all over China, in the north, Yangtse River Delta and in the south, Pearl River Delta.
However, Xiamen, as the starting point for Linde Gas China, will maintain its role as a hotbed for breeding and educating people for future tasks in all over China. For example, the financial manager in Xiamen has recently been sent to Shanghai as the head for Yangtse River Delta projects. Xiamen is the cradle of talented people of Linde Gas China for future development. |
