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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 1998)
O c to b e r 7 ,1 99 8 • G 13 (Tljc s p o rtia n i» OObBcruer’s jJ inoKi^y Easiness Plastics Development Inc. PD I is an in je c tio n m o ld in g c o m p a n y ru n by D ia n n a R o g e rs . H er c o m p a n y d e s ig n s a n d b u ild s m o ld s an d m a n u f a c tu r in g c e lls . H ow d id y o u r b u s in e s s g e t s ta r te d ? T h e b u s i n e s s b e g a n in 1955 by m y p a r e n t s , B ob an d Z o la B r e i t e n s t e i n . T he w o rk w as d o n e in th e g a ra g e an d q u ic k ly g rew from a p a r t- ti m e h o b b y in to a f u ll- tim e o p e r a tio n . P la s tic s D e v e lo p m e n t In c ., w as fo u n d e d in J a n u a ry o f 1973 as an e x te n s io n o f th e to o l a n d d ie o p e r a tio n . W h at w e re s o m e o f th e c h a lle n g e s y o u h a d f a c e d th a t w ere u n iq u e to b e in g a w om an - o w n e d b u s i n ess? S e c u r in g f in a n c in g fo r a n ew f a c i l i t y w o u ld h a v e b e e n th e o n ly tim e I f e lt any b ia s as a w o m a n -o w n e d b u s in e s s . H o w e v e r, in a ll f a ir n e s s , a m an m ay h a v e fa c e d th e sam e c h a lle n g e s . W h at w e re y o u r c o m p a n y ’s g r o w th c h a l le n g e s ? A g ro w in g c o m p a n y fa c e s Dianna Rogers m any d i f f i c u l t c h a lle n g e s . It m u st m ak e s u re it h a s d e v e l o p e d th e i n f r a s t r u c t u r e w ith in its o r g a n iz a t i o n to su p p o rt th e p ro je c te d g ro w th . S o m e k ey e le m e n ts in c lu d e a g o o d p la n fo r th e fo llo w in g : * P ro c e sse s and P ro c e d u re s * In f o r m a tio n S y s te m s * A C o m p re h e n s iv e Q u a l ity P ro g ra m * T eam b a s e d e n v iro n m e n t W h at c o u ld y o u h a v e d o n e d i f f e r e n tl y to e x p a n d y o u r b u s in e s s ? O u r s tr a te g y to d e v e lo p o u r s a le s a n d m a rk e tin g w as d e la y e d u n til we r e lo c a te d in to o u r new f a c ility in D e c e m b e r, 1997. In r e tr o s p e c t, we s h o u ld h a v e c o n tin u e d to a n a ly z e o u r p o te n tia l m a r k e t n ic h e a n d e x p lo re how w e w e re g o in g to a g g r e s s iv e ly p u rs u e new b u s in e s s . In o u r in d u s tr y , te c h n o l o g y is c h a n g in g so r a p id ly th a t p ro d u c t life c y c le s a re v e ry s h o rt. S a le s on a s p e c if ic p ro d u c t tra il o f f in v o l u m e, a n d it is m a n d a to r y new p r o je c ts are ra m p in g up b e h in d th e e x is tin g p r o je c t in a tim e ly m a n n e r. A n a g g re s s iv e s a le s p ro g ra m is a c r it i c a l e le m e n t to s u p p o rt e x p a n s io n o f o u r b u s in e s s . W h at tr e n d s a re d e v e l o p in g in y o u r in d u s tr y ? O ur in d u s tr y is fa c e d w ith th e c h a lle n g e o f c o m p e tin g w ith o f f s h o r e m a n u f a c tu r in g . A ny p r o je c t o f s iz e is b e i n g q u o t e d in M e x ic o , C a n a d a o r S in g a p o re . As a r e s u lt o f N A F T A , th e c u s to m e rs w ith la r g e r v o lu m e s a n d la b o r in te n s iv e p ro d u c ts a n d a s s e m b lie s a re r e l o c a t ing th e ir m a n u fa c tu rin g f a c ilitie s . T r a d itio n a l lo c a l la r g e r m a n u fa c tu re rs are now lo o k in g at m i d - s i z e c u s to m ers fo r s a le s . T h e s e are the s a le s th a t fa ll in o u r m a rk e tin g n ic h e . T h is i n clu d es c u s to m e rs w ho n eed to i n c l u d e s h o r t r u n s , kan b an a n d p o in t o f u s e , and e x c e lle n t c u s to m e r s e r vice. A n y a d v ic e to o th e r m in o r ity - o w n e d b u s i n esses? Q uality c u sto m e r s e rv ic e and b e in g p r o - a c t iv e in s u p p ly in g c u s to m e r s a re key in g r e d ie n ts . It is ex tr e m e ly i m p o r t a n t th a t your c u sto m e r know s they can d e p e n d on you and you truly ca re a b o u t th e ir c o m pany and its p r o d u c ts . These a re o p p o r tu n itie s , and a lth o u g h we fa c e s ig n ifica n t c h a lle n g e s as m i n o r ity -o w n e d b u s in e s s e s the bottom lin e is how you treat y o u r c u sto m er. This w ill m ake a d iffe r e n c e in how you s u c c e e d in y o u r business. K M H D 8 9 .1 FM Mt. Hood Community College • Gresham F re e w a y B lu e s B p .m , to B p .m . R h a p s o d y In B lu e s B p . m . to I B p . m . B lu e s P a la c e I B p , m . to 1 a .m . 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