Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Operations Management Mcdonald s Marketing Management
Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 3 About McDonaldââ¬â¢s 4 Process of McDonalds 4 Operations management 5 Operations managers 5 Operation strategy of McDonaldââ¬â¢s 5 Pricing strategies of McDonald s 6 Innovation at McDonald s to improve operations and services 7 Inventory management 8 The Just-in-Time (JIT) Approach 9 Just- in-Time (JIT) Approach in McDonaldââ¬â¢s 9 Advantages and benefits of JIT approach 10 Capacity management 11 Capacity strategies 11 McDonald s capacity strategy 11 Quality management 12 Quality management strategies 12 McDonaldââ¬â¢s quality management 12 Reliability 13 Packaging quality 13 Interior design 14 Quality service abilities 14 Employee training 15 Continuous improvement 15 Customer satisfaction 16â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦About McDonaldââ¬â¢s McDonaldââ¬â¢s is a leading global food service retailer with more than 35,000 restaurants serving nearly 70 million people across 100 countries every day. It was found in 1940 and it was the first fast food industry in the world market. It has 1.8 million employees and 80% of the restaurants are franchised. The main revenue of McDonaldââ¬â¢s is generated from rent, royalties and fees paid by the franchisees. McDonaldââ¬â¢s revenue also includes sales done by the company operated restaurants. In 2012 company had annual revenue of $27.5 billion and profits of $5.5 billion. McDonaldââ¬â¢s sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, and chicken, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. McDonalds headquarter is located in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States America (USA). In 1993 McDonaldââ¬â¢s sold more than 100 billion hamburgers. In October 2012 monthly sales of McDonaldââ¬â¢s fell for the first time in nine years. McDonaldââ¬â¢s has its keen interest in attracting its customers by introducing new products or schemes every year. One of the main aims of the McDonald s is standardization. The taste of the product is same in all the areas. McDonald s is very clear about the concept, think global, act local Process of McDonalds McDonaldââ¬â¢s manufacturing process is like aShow MoreRelated McDonalds Case Analysis Essay1181 Words à |à 5 Pagespatroning one of their restaurants. The case focuses on a specific segment of the McDonalds restaurant chain that was opened in 1996, McDonald?s India. This segment of the restaurant giant had a more specific mission/philosophy to fulfill and had developed a special menu for these Indian customers to take into account their culture and religion. When it was realized that beef extracts were found being used in producing McDonald?s fries, outraged vegetarians and Hindus across the United States and Canda filedRead MoreStudy The Internal Resources, Capabilities, And Activities Of Firms993 Words à |à 4 Pageshow that firm is realizing its competitive advantage(s) in the industry through these three factors. This information can then by utilized by the firm itself to continue to build on these competencies and continue to develop them into higher levels of competiti ve advantage. Other firms can exploit this information to imitate or perfect this companyââ¬â¢s advantages for itself. Discussion Question 4.2 Conduct a value chain analysis for McDonald s. What are its primary activities? What are its supportRead MoreIntroduction to Franchising1357 Words à |à 6 Pagesway to cope with the vast growth of people. This was the period where many franchising giants such as McDonald s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wendy s started to get bigger and bigger. What is franchising Franchising is a system for marketing goods or services. A franchisor grant a license to the franchisee to operate a business under the grantor s name and system to market the grantor s product and/or services for a specified period. The renewal regulation usually is subjected by the grantorRead MoreCustomer : World s Largest Fast Food Essay1156 Words à |à 5 PagesManagement Information Systems CIA Jason Ferrao 1411925 6 BBA (H) A ___________________________________________________________________________ IT Service Provider: HCL Technolgies Customer: Worldââ¬â¢s largest fast food chain- McDonaldââ¬â¢s Location: Illinois, USA Industry: Food Beverage Product: Digital Engagement Platform Digital engagement broadly refers to the act of engaging/interacting with customers and prospective customers or the general public at large, from the pointRead MoreVision And Mission Of Starbucks Essay1235 Words à |à 5 PagesHieu Le Columbia Southern University Vision and Mission Statements McDonalds is the largest fast-food chain, which serves more than 160 countries in the world. The firm grew gradually in the last two decades in terms of market shares, revenues, and its franchise restaurants in the United States and worldwide. Furthermore, the fast-food chain believes that its mission and vision statements will provide and demonstrate the firm?s belief, philosophy, culture for its customers and stakeholders in theRead More The Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility Essays1687 Words à |à 7 Pagesorganisations are incorporating CSR into their business operations in an effort to be seen acting as good corporate citizens, so what is CSR what is its role in todays organizations? The term CSR refers to a company?s obligation to maximize its positive impact on society, accommodating changing social, market stakeholder pressures in an effort to achieve sustainable economic, social environmental development throughout its operations and activities. CSR puts expectations, continuous improvementRead MoreMcdonalds Expands Of Vietnam : Mcdonalds Essay1221 Words à |à 5 PagesRunning head: MCDONALDS EXPANDS TO VIETNAM 1 MCDONALDS EXPANDS TO VIETNAM 6 McDonalds Expands to Vietnam Hieu Le Columbia Southern University Contents Expansion Planning 3 International Business Expansion 3 Regional Trade Agreement 4 Affordable Foreign Taxes 4 Financial and Technological Supports 4 Labor Hiring Methods 5 Advertising Strategies 5 StrategicRead MoreThe Conception Of Operation Management1521 Words à |à 7 Pagesabout the conception of operation management, and history of operation management. It also presents the circumstance of New Zealand SMEs and analysis on number of birth and deaths of different business sectors in 2010. At the end of the report, it provides the review of the business in New Zealand by major focus on their needs. In section 1, the report demonstrates the review of literature on the operations management. Among them, it includes what is operations management, explaining the roles andRead MoreImportant Elements For Business Organizations Essay1492 Words à |à 6 Pageshuman resources that offer necessary storage, computing, allocating, and communicating necessary information to employees or workers. This definition has resulted in the creation of management information system, which is a form of information systems that s used to provide important information for the management of an enterprise. In other cases, information system is a common term that is used to refer to an organizational department that is responsible for data processing and systems. TheRead MoreMcdonalds Operations Management Essay1145 Words à |à 5 Pagesand time in the operation management department of the business. This report will focus on the business, McDonaldââ¬â¢s and what practices they have put in place to ensure that they are producing their products efficiently and sustainably. The business will also be compared and contrasted alongside the American fast-food restaurant chain famous for its fried chicken, providing recommendations on how McDonaldââ¬â¢s could further improve their business in the area of waste and time management. Business Background
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Argumentative Essay About Video Games Example For Students
Argumentative Essay About Video Games If youââ¬â¢re getting into the world of critics or adjusting to your new school curriculum, you may come across various tasks demanded by teachers. Some of them require research with a deep insight into a topic that you have never heard of; others can be quite complex and require analysis of a vast range of materials along with a synthesis of new ideas, whereas the third ones can make no sense at first. No matter what kind of task you have, you still need to brace yourself and be ready for upcoming challenges that will enable you to improve your writing and researching skills. We will write a custom essay on Argumentative About Video Games specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Argumentative essay is a special case that requires carefulness not only since itââ¬â¢s a clear reflection of your understanding of a topic, but also because of its specific structure and necessary approaches. Though the term argumentative essay seems to be a narrow notion, it includes a variety of methods and strategies that can be used in order to compose one. The first kind of such a paper is a contrastive essay, which comprises facts and their negation or affirmation based on references to different sources. The purpose of this approach is to either oppose to a common belief or support it by providing sufficient arguments. Also, you can decide to be completely supportive of opinion, and conduct research whose purpose is to find the most persuasive arguments that testify that such an opinion is authentic and trustworthy. If you decide to follow this structure, then youââ¬â¢ll end up having a supportive argumentative essay. On the other hand, a topic can be quite controversial especially when your teacher wants you to demonstrate the most critical abilities. For this, you can approach argumentation from a neutral perspective and compose a pros and cons paperà that will both support and argue the integrity of an opinion. In this case, youââ¬â¢ll have to conclude the work with a statement that balances the flaws and applicability of an opinion, while your position is still unknown to a reader. Normally, an argumentative essay has a similar structure a simple article on the expression of oneââ¬â¢s opinion. It consists of an introduction comprising general information about a topic, a thesis statement and an opening to a discussion. Then it has a body consisting of arguments for and against a topic and their supportive or opposing facts, which are mostly drawn from credible sources. The last section is a conclusion that is a summary of everything stated in the previous parts but a concise and framing manner and a reference to the thesis statement in the introduction. Choosing an approach of writing an argumentative essay is an essential step towards composing one. If you wonder how such work should look like feel free to have a look at a sample essay right after this paragraph. Essay Sample Are video games a means of relaxation or a steep hill leading to an addiction? The 21stà century has gifted humanity with impeccable technological advances that have been intertwining with our life on a daily basis. The high-speed Internet and an opportunity to communicate in an instant are simplifying our routine and contribute to our social life. Alongside this, people can plunge into mysterious and undiscovered worlds of virtual reality, where they find a resort to make new friendships, become someone they have always dreamt of becoming and simply relax by playing video games. But is it true that video games are just an innocent way of embellishing oneââ¬â¢s sullen reality or, maybe, itââ¬â¢s a sinister invention that deprives people of the sense of presence? Itââ¬â¢s believed that video games have come into our lives as a creation of IT technologies and the elaboration of sophisticated computer improvements. The advocates of the gamesââ¬â¢ harmlessness assure that engaging yourself in virtual reality has a therapeutic function since it reduces the level of stress and calms down the symptoms of anxiety. Moreover, the supporters state that people who play video games are likely to improve their ability to concentrate and disperse anger by practicing from 2 to 4-hour playing sessions a week. .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f , .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .postImageUrl , .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f , .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:hover , .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:visited , .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:active { border:0!important; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:active , .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uced95b6f634f18397530ea4f0dc49c6f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: LEGALIZE IT Essay SummaryIn addition to this, video games are seen as a great way for people who suffer from social anxiety and other traits of socialization lacking. The communication and engagement in co-operation with individuals from all over the world, if itââ¬â¢s an online game, and merely observing the artificially represented human relationship patterns, as they say, can be an effective way to developing the sense of basic social interaction and, therefore, can be favorable in the end. On the other hand, constant and repetitive abuse of playing video games is considered by psychologists a dangerous and disruptive activity. According to the statistics, every second household in the USA is, to some extent, engaged in playing video games. This is almost 72% of the stateââ¬â¢s population, where every 4thà inquired person demonstrates symptoms of the addiction. The rave of plunging into virtual reality is becoming more and more popular with the sophistication and modifications of the product. Itââ¬â¢s established that people, especially children, who abuse playing video games suffer from sleep disorders, headaches, sensitivity and instability of the nervous system which causes aggression, irritability, apathy and, even, delusions. All in all, the problem of extensive video game playing has been one of the most discussed topics among psychologists due to its influence on everyday life and adultââ¬â¢s and childââ¬â¢s psyche and their mental health. There are two main parties with opposing opinions about virtual reality and its role in the contemporary society. The first one consists of advocates who support an idea that playing video games has become a part of our lives due to its ability to reduce stress and help people who struggle with depression, anger issues, and social anxiety. The second group is non-supportive individuals who are convinced that constant engagement in virtual reality and spending time at a computer are the main causes of mental health-related problems. The truth is that abuse of any kinds is likely to be causative to problems for oneââ¬â¢s well-being. The best way to avoid trouble is not to completely eradicate a factor, but to learn how to cope with it and incorporate it with the most of benefit for society.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Summary Loose Ends Research Paper Example
Summary: Loose Ends Paper Rata Doves main focus is to help explain why sometimes life has many loose ends. Dove starts off by explaining that when her daughter would come home from school she would not have much to say, usually one word answers. It did not matter what the question was, How was school? Her daughter would then answer, Fine. For whatever reason her daughter did not feel the need to give a long sophisticated answer for something so boring as school. However when Dove asked her daughter about Methane or the gossip on Lois and Clark her daughter would go into great detail. When you come home from school, I think the last thing you want to do is talk to your parents about your day. Days at school are boring and lack the creativeness that TV show writers capture. The first few days of the new school year you probably would go into more detail about your day because its something new and exciting. Life is so repetitive so that might also be a reason why Doves daughter did not go into great detail about her day. If life had all the dramas, like in most television shows, people would be more willing to gossip about it. When life is new it is great, it is wonderful but when life is same-old, same-old who would want to talk about it? Television always seems to get it right so-to-speak. Every show, for the most part, always seems to capture all drama right on the button. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary: Loose Ends specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Summary: Loose Ends specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Summary: Loose Ends specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When you watch a how on TV you expect that to happen, but in reality the loose ends are not always wrapped up. Why does life seem to always lack the climax or the perfect ending? After watching TV for most of our lives we seem to strive for the perfect ending but for most of us, the perfect ending never comes. Dove believes that It is effortless to talk about the salient points [because] there are there for the plucking (p. 578). You simply Just have to recall the events and that Is sometimes easier than talking about our own reality. The television offers an easier tale to tell and reality does lack the climax but as Dove said, Life, friends Is ragged. Loose ends are the rule (p. 578). You cannot live your life to tie up all the loose ends because frankly that Is Impossible. Your life will not have all the Hollywood endings because after all life Is not Hollywood. You must live your life to the fullest and forget about getting that perfect girl or getting the dream Job because that might not happen.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
The Dangers of Genetic Engineering essays
The Dangers of Genetic Engineering essays Chances are you have already eaten genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Look at the ingredient list on any packaged food in your cupboard. Any food with ingredients from corn, soy, canola, or cottonseed is likely to be made with GMOs. Thousands of products on supermarket shelves are made with GMOs. There are already over 50 million acres of GMO crops growing in the U.S. These foods contain genetic material that has never before been part of the human diet, from crops that have not evolved in any natural environment. Genetic engineering is not traditional breeding. A genetically modified organism is a plant, animal or microorganism that is created by means that overcome natural boundaries. Genetic engineering can involve crossing species which could not cross in nature. For example, genes from a fish have been inserted into strawberries and tomatoes. It can also involve putting chemicals into food. Almost all GMOs grown today are in one of two varieties: "insect resistant" and "herbicide tolerant" crops. The crop produces an insect toxin as it grows, in every cell of the plant throughout the entire growing season. When you eat GMO insect resistant corn you are eating a pesticide. Despite these alarmingly unnatural modifications, you won't find "genetically engineered" on the label of any of these products. The industry doesn't want you to know that it has embarked on an experiment unique in human history, an experiment that doctors and scientists around the world are warning may not be safe. One area of concern is biological pollution. While chemical pollution has been the scourge of the 20th century, biological pollution from GMO crops poses even more hazards as we enter the new millennium. Unlike chemicals that are released into the environment, GMOs are living beings that will reproduce and spread uncontrollably, with no possibility of containment or clean-up. Another consequence of GMOs is the increased use o...
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Main Legislation in the Early Years of Foundation Stage Essay
Main Legislation in the Early Years of Foundation Stage - Essay Example When parents decide to use early years services they are determined to know how the provisions will help in keeping their children safe and promote their growth. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EFYS, 2008) is the structure that gives this assurance. Definitions of stages of growth in childhood come from many sources. Several theorists like Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, Lev Vygotsky and Erik Erikson, provided ways of understanding development, various researches done lately have provided important information concerning the nature of development. In addition, stages of childhood are defined culturally by social institutions, customs, laws that constitute a society. For example, while professionals and researchers define the period of early childhood as birth to eight years of age, others in the United States consider the age of five years, because it corresponds with entry into cultural activities of formal schooling. The EYFS mission is to assist young children at the age five wi th every matter and to ensure that the children stay healthy and safe; they should also enjoy and make achievements. Making positive contribution and gaining monetary well-being through: Providing balanced opportunity, anti-discriminatory activities and guaranteeing that every child is included in the children profile, and not disadvantaged by culture or religion, ethnicity, culture, family status, home language, disabilities or learning difficulties, ability or gender. The setting of standards for learning, care and development of young children should be experienced when they are attending a setting outside their family home and making sure that there is uniformity in progress in children. Increasing consistency and quality in the early yearââ¬â¢s sector can be achieved through a global set of standards that applies to all setting. This can be achieved by ending the differences between learning and care in the available frameworks and offering the foundation for regulation regi me and inspection. Creating structures for partnership through working collectively with parents and experts would determine the settings that children attend. Nevertheless, laying a protected foundation for future learning through development that is designed around the personal requirements and the interests of a child, using well-versed observational assessment is very vital in early foundation (Bowman Donavan and Susan, 2001). In context and legal responsibilities, the EYFS has played a crucial part in the ten-year childcare strategic choice for parents, which involves the best start for children and landmark childcare act 2006. The act gives a suitable framework for the delivery of EYFS and has taken together the other basics for strategy; the EYFS will be the centre for the delivery of new tasks aimed at reducing inequalities and improving results. Recently, there has been a significant improvement in the early years practice and standards, the EYFS developed this for practiti oners to realize the continuity with the principle and approaches to Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage. Also, the birth to three matters foundation and the national standards for Less than 8 years Daycare and Child minding was a major concern. The EYFS has the mandate
Monday, February 10, 2020
Japanese city Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Japanese city - Research Proposal Example Kobe has once been considered the most earthquake safe part of the country until 1995 when the great Hanshin Earthquake devastated the city. Kobe is known for its delicious cakes and coffee, "row of historic houses and precious cultural assets and various other delights" (asiatravelling.net). It also boasts of a rich natural heritage as relics are displayed in the museums. In fact, one of the great places in Kobe is the Kobe Archaeological Center which sorts, stores and exhibits artifacts from excavations of remains in the city (Kobe Convention and Visitors Association). Kobe is known as an "international city" with a diverse population of foreign residents. It is highly industrializes, with a variety of industries such as production of parts to manufacture of finished products, the leading edge R&D and the growing information technology (Overview of Kobe). Being a port city, some of its industries are port-related such as steel production, ship-building, foodstuffs, shipping and warehousing. Blessed with abundant natural resources such as the bodies of water, Kobe government has moved from the traditional method of fishing to modern aquaculture (Overview of Kobe). One of the most bankable and easiest jobs for me in Kobe is an English teacher. There are numerous opportunities for teaching jobs in Kobe, in elementary, middle school and high school. With formal education in English and a TESL certification, one can easily teach the English language in Kobe and there are various institutions such as "public schools, conversation schools, language and research institutes and corporate English training centers in Kobe" (NaukriHub). As Japanese seek to learn the English language, there is a vast opportunity for English teachers in Japan. 3. Being an "international city", there are various facilities and amenities by and for the foreign communities such as "international schools with foreign language-based curriculum, places of worship for a vast number of religions, businesses geared to foreign visitors and both short-term and long-term residents, as well as multitude of dining establishments representing almost all of the world's cuisine. (Overview of Kobe). "It is the base for many multi-cultural friendship organizations and has a great many facilities for such activities and for assisting non-Japanese residents of the city and the surrounding areas and there are also a number of places to study the Japanese language and culture" (Overview of Kobe). The city also boasts of a large number of parks where people can meet, with 16.61 sq.m of parkland per person. 4. There are a large number of beautiful places to visit in Kobe. Its parks are truly calming to the souls and satisfying to the eyes. Among these famous parks are Fruit and Flower Park which also houses hotels and hot springs with an admission fee of 500 yen, the Kobe City Suma Rikyu Park which is a blue expanse of water and of course the Sorakuen garden which is a Japanese style garden with important cultural properties. Kobe is blessed with beautiful bodies of water, therefore cruising is one of the precious activities one can have while staying there. At the Harborland/Meriken
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Pearl River Piano Company Essay Example for Free
Pearl River Piano Company Essay Pearl River Piano Group (PRPG) was established in 1956 by bringing together six small piano shops in Guangzhou. The group of 100 employees produced only 13 pianos that year. After many attempts, Guangzhou technicians were finally satisfied with the tone color and quality of its first manufactured piano, and in a short time it was sold in Hong Kong. It would be twenty years before the factory was able to prove its potential. As a State -owned enterprise PRPG is accountable to the Guangzhou municipal government. Investments from both Yamaha and Steinway Sons have played a key role in the expansion of their production. In addition, PRPG has bought the German piano brand Ritmuller and will be expanding in the European market. Guangzhou, located at the north of the Pearl River delta, is an important trading center as well as a busy port and the capital city of the province of Guandong . The city has an area of over 16,000 square kilometers and a population of 6.7 million. Guangzhou is also one of the most important centers of foreign commerce in South China. There are a lot of interesting legends concerning its past. One of the beautiful stories which gives the city its name Goat Town says that five gods riding on five goats brought the first grain to the city. In 1959 PRPG consisted of a shed on the side of the street to repair pianos. Later a shelter was built to process the wood. At that time the pianos were carried in a cart with men walking barefoot to the port. During the tumultuous of Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s, few Chinese dared to buy a piano, which symbolized the Wests decadent and bourgeois society. Learning the piano was frowned upon at that time. The factory didnt stop making pianos. However, they were lucky if they sold more than one hundred pianos a year. In the meantime Chinas one-child policy has created a culture where parents invest heavily in their childrens education. Parents like to spend money to improve their childrens education and culture and this has paid off for PRPG. Nearly 80%of their pianos are sold in China. Pianos have caught on in China. PRPGs domestic shipments climbed even throughout Asias financial crisis. During the1960s companies such as Yamaha took advantage of low labor costs to enter the global and domestic market. They were quietly followed my South Korea. For years the musical instrument business was dominated by U.S. and European companies. But this has been changing now for decades. In 1992 Tong Zhi Cheng took control of the company. He had worked for only one company during his adult life, the state-owned PRPG. When Tong took over pianos were fairly common in households in Europe and the U.S. for nearly two centuries, but in China they have been a luxury. In 1995 PRPG and Yamaha Pianos of Japan forged a $10 million joint venture. They set up a company called Yamaha-Pearl River. This company was set up to make certain Eterna models that are exported to Europe and the USA. Unlike Chinas typically backward state-owned companies, PRPG is savvy about brands and looks for new products to sell. Tong bought a mature German brand Ritmà ¼ller in 1999. In addition he has struck a deal with Steinway Sons to produce their Essex line of pianos. Today, PRPG consists of a factory spanning 2 million square feetthe worlds biggest piano plantcranks out 250 pianos every day. White-smocked workers steer computer-driven kilns that bake oak planks en masse. Individual piano keys are hand-checked for precision and balance. Five pairs of ears listen to each pianos tuning, speeding another instrument out the doorand into Americas living rooms. Just two years after Pearl River set up a U.S. sales arm, its high- quality, low-priced pianos have snared 10% of the market, and the company vows to capture a 25% share by 2005. It already has won the hearts and minds of some U.S. consumers.
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