...The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (Scott) was the world’s leading dealer and marketer of consumer products for do-it-yourself lawn and garden care in addition to products for specializing in horticulture. Scotts started it spreader business according to “(Pearce & Robinson, 2011), with the introduction of drop spreaders and expand business in later years to develop broadcast spreaders. Scott’s Vision for the company future involved making the plant automated as possible and were headed in that direction.” Scott’s was trained and developed there human resources to meet the need for the future direction of the company. This direction would consist of fewer assemblers and a greater number of machine technicians to maintain plants. By making these changes the company would dramatically cut labor cost and make help balance out the difference and make the cost comparable to the cost of plants in China. I think the key issue with Scott’s growth and development wanted to maintain quality but, also it was important for the company to innovative and cost effective. A good example of this sort of process innovation according to “(Pearce & Robinson, 2011), was the development of a new hand spreader assembly process. Scott’s redesigned the spreader and removed screws connectors this allowed for a pressure fit. In addition to allowing the company to build an in house an automated assembly line which help to cut cost because less staff was needed. This process only required four people but...
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...Potential of Brazilian plastic industry for investment Assignment 02 ECON 5100 Report Objective The main objective of the report is to assuage the potential for investment in the plastics industry in Brazil by GE. To get a better understanding, the report has been broken down into four parts – 1. Evaluation of the Brazilian plastic industry, market structure and demand 2. GE and Brazil 3. The current health of the Brazilian economy measured by the major macro economic factors 4. Strengths and Weaknesses Brazilian plastic industry The Brazilian plastics industry comprises resin manufacturers, machine manufacturers, additives suppliers, tool makers and more than 11,000 converters and plastics recyclers. The major Brazilian resin manufacturers supply a wide profile of grades of plastics resins, such as Polyethylene (LLDPE and HDPE), EVA, Polypropylene, PP compounds, PVC (flexible, rigid and compounds), Polystyrene, PET, SAN, ABS, Polycarbonate and others. Additives, master batches and other basic chemicals are also provided by a number of other raw material suppliers. The industry offers a broad range of products for the automotive, electrical, electronics, IT, packaging, medical, household appliances, agricultural and construction industries. Having a strong manufacturing base with more than 11,000 companies, the Brazilian conversion industry operates with a variety of production processes, such as injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, thermoforming...
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...Brazil Brazil is the largest and most populous nation in South America with a total surface of about 8.514.200 km² (covered by one-third of rainforest) and a population of approximately 192,273,000 inhabitants. The following table illustrates Brazil’s import and export figures which help to get a concret overview of its world trade: |Brazil | | |GDP – Composition by sector (2008) |Agriculture: 5.5% | | |Industry/Manufacturing: 28.5% | | |Services: 66% | |Total export (in % of total GDP) |6.7% (1990), 9.1% (2000), 11.2% (2007), 13% (2008), 10.2% (2009) | |Total import (in % of total GDP) |4.8% (1990), 9.8% (2000), 8.6% (2007), 11% (2008), 9.7% (2009) | |Most important products of export (in % of |Manufactured products 44.1% (automotive parts, civilian aircrafts etc.), crude oil (29.2%), Coffee | |total export) (2009) |(20%), Soybeans (39% of world soybean exports; market leader; N...
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...Origin and Evolution of Medical Tourism Medical tourism is actually thousands of years old. In ancient Greece, pilgrims and patients came from all over the Mediterranean to the sanctuary of the healing god, Asklepios, at Epidaurus. In Roman Britain, patients took the waters at a shrine at Bath, a practice that continued for 2,000 years. From the 18th century wealthy Europeans travelled to spas from Germany to the Nile. Since the early nineteenth century, when there were no restrictions on travel in Europe, people visited neighboring countries in order to improve their health. At first, mere traveling was considered to be a good therapy for mental and physical well-being. In the 21st century, relatively low-cost jet travel has taken the industry beyond the wealthy and desperate. Later, mostly wealthy people began traveling to tourist destinations like the Swiss lakes, the Alps and special tuberculosis sanatoriums, where professional and often specialized medical care was offered. In this century, however, medical tourism expanded to a much larger scale. Thailand, followed by India, Puerto-Rico, Argentina, Cuba and others quickly became the most popular destinations for medical tourists. Complicated surgeries and dental works, kidney dialysis, organ transplantation and sex changes, topped the list of the most popular procedures. It was estimated that in 2002, six hundred thousand medical tourists came to Bangkok and Phuket medical centers in Thailand, while approximately one hundred...
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...Case: WL Ross and Plascar 1. Evaluate the strategy of the International Auto Components Group. International Auto Components Group’s (IAG) strategy is to acquire distressed auto components companies and turn them around. Ross and Toy concluded that the Automotive Components Group is fragmented, plagued by overcapacity, exposed to rising raw material costs, and debilitated by globalization. Ross and Toy specifically identified automotive plastic parts as their target product line and started acquiring all distressed companies in this area. They are mainly interested in companies that have good operations and management in place and buy the debt at a bargain and takeover the company. They are especially interested in companies in developing countries like Brazil, and Argentina where there is a lot of growth opportunities for the automotive industry and where the labor costs are less. 2. Should Ross acquire the equity and inter-company debt-claims of Plascar? Yes, Ross should go with the third option mentioned in the case. In essence, Ross should acquire the equity and inter-company debt-claims of Plascar. The cost of equity is not that high, as the stock price of Plascar is trading very low due to customer’s lack of confidence in Plascar. Once he takes over the company, Ross should work with Minority shareholders and tax authorities to resolve outstanding issues. Ross should reject the option of using Brazil’s bankruptcy procedure to pursue their debt claims as it is...
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...THE UNITED STATES STEEL INDUSTRY * Porter’s five forces model * Risk of entry by potential competitors * Absolute cost advantages: From this case we can identify that steel industry in different categories has various type of cost advantages. For eg: those small steel makers minimills who used arc furnaces to smelt and produce scrap steel which usually cost lower than large established companies who used iron ores that requires huge investment and tends to raise their cost. More over another absolute cost advantage that had over established companies are that they used and located in rural areas where labor costs were relatively low and established companies used unionized labor and in flexible work rules that increases their cost. As a result we can say that absolute cost advantage was achieves by small steel maker but established industry did not have any cost advantage * Customer switching cost: Basically customer considers steel as a commodity type good as mentioned in the case for which they could easily switch from company to company and they took this as an opportunity to bargain down prices further. * Government regulations: as mentioned in the case low trade barriers took away market share away from companies that once dominated the industry. This led to creation of many new small companies that could operate at low cost which resulted in intense competition and lost profits * Rivalry among established companies: Rivalry among established...
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...Strategic Plan Riordan Manufacturing is a Fortune 1000 company that that leads the world in the manufacturing of plastics and plastic injection molding. With more then a billion dollars in revenue, Riordan has decided to shore up their global business by developing a strategic plan that will take the company into the next five years. With global and domestic operations based in Michigan, California, Georgia, and China, Riordan has reviewed their business structure and revealed areas, which require the optimization of operational efficiency throughout company. Along with other companies, Riordan manufacturing shares competitive advantages in several avenues of manufacturing and business. Riordan’s focus on direct selling gives them a competitive advantage, as does their commitment to their employees, customers, and shareholders. Riordan’s commitment to the community is to provide low cost products, while at the same time sustain revenue and profitability growth. Riordan’s strong brand recognition in their industry gives them an advantage just as Apple, DuPont, GMC, and Nike have in their markets. Riordan’s strong engineering and R&D departments are known for their quality. Strategic Plan Over the years Riordan has expanded business operations from development, to large-scale manufacturing and finally to producing state of the art plastic injectors. Riordan expanded their operation when they acquired a manufacturing plant in Pontiac, Michigan, and followed...
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...Canadian exporters including their international buyers. EDC also supports abroad and investors into Canada. EDC provide financing solutions, with a wide range of government programs that aim to help Canadian entrepreneurs. These government programs provide grants, loans or other financial assistance and information are available to Canadian region and industry. 1. The Canadian government does a lot to facilitate international trade. EDC and DFAIT encourage Canadian companies to get involved in trade. They fill a number of different roles in this effort. Describe what EDC and DFAIT do (provide 2 examples for each of them) to promote and encourage international trade. EDC supporting Canadian in the World. Photo: EDC, Support Business Worldwide EDC Contribution to Encourage Trade: * Export Development Canada (EDC) has facilitated over $20 billion to Canadian exports in Brazil for more than one decade. In 2000 EDC serve 169 companies, and increase the number of companies to 338. The business volume is $2.1 billion. Also, EDC insured 861 international buyers. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service concluded that Brazil has a significant growth opportunity for Canadian companies, and it is considered to Canadian as the13th largest trading partner. The most important opportunity for Canadians is mining, life science, ocean technologies, automotive, tourism, service, and agriculture. * EDC secured loan to WestJet for their three Q400 by 80% of the purchase price...
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...The Outlook for the US Chemical Industry kpmg.com Chemicals and Performance Technologies KPMG’s Chemicals and Performance Technologies Practice • Honest, independent advice • Built on deep sector knowledge • Delivered by an integrated global team © 2010 KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. Member firms of the KPMG network of independent firms are affiliated with KPMG International. KPMG International provides no client services. All rights reserved. Executive Summary Is the worst over? A cautious but growing consensus among economists and industry analysts suggests that after more than two years of turbulence, the global economy in general and the chemical industry, in particular, are entering calmer waters.1 While a full recovery for chemical companies is not expected this year, certainly, the earnings releases across the industry for the first half of 2010 suggest that growth is returning at a faster rate than many had expected.2 Increased production in the domestic auto industry is supporting new demand for US chemical products, but the construction sector – another major market for US chemicals – is recovering more slowly. However, after massive layoffs, improvements in cash management and operational belttightening, the US chemical industry is expected to realize a year-over-year increase of around 7 percent in 2010, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC).3 At the same time, this recovery presents its own set of challenges...
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...Business Plan CHE488 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS FOR ENGINEERS Student: Matheus Borges Piuzana Barbosa - #1001008401 Professor: Joseph Orozco University of Toronto CHE488: Entrepreneurship and Business for Engineers (Winter 2014) Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 3 2 The Business and its Owner ................................................................................................... 4 2.1 The industry ..................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Business Location............................................................................................................ 4 2.3 Key people ....................................................................................................................... 4 2.3.1 CEO: Matheus Borges Piuzana Barbosa ...................................................................... 4 2.3.2 Research and Development: Erick Fonseca ................................................................. 4 2.3.3 Sustainability Responsible: Louis Briand .................................................................... 4 2.3.4 Marketing Consultant: Lucas Henrique ....................................................................... 5 2.4 Trademark and patent info ...............................................................................
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... this improvement has resulted in an estimated cost-savings of approximately $180 million. They have trimmed the weight of their 20-ounce PET plastic bottle by about 25%, lowered their 12-ounce aluminum can by about 30% and lightened the 8-ounce bottle by about 50%. In sourcing for the right materials in the production of one of their latest breakthrough technologies of Coca-Cola, the company encountered various issues. PlantBottle is the first ever-recyclable PET plastic beverage bottle initially made partially from plants in 2009. It differs from the traditional PET bottle because of the material used in making the bottle. The traditional PET plastic is manufactured by using fossil fuels, like petroleum while the PlantBottle is made using about 30% of plants. They both deliver the same performance e.g. shelf life, recyclability, weight and appearance but PlantBottle reduces the carbon footprints. In sourcing for the right materials in the production of PlantBottle, Coca-Cola encountered various issues. Interesting the biggest carbon cost of PlantBottle isn’t in the transportation of the materials but in the raw materials used in production. Raw materials: The company uses responsibly sourced Brazilian sugarcane and converts its natural sugar into b-MEG, which is where they make one of the key ingredients for making PET plastic in India. The result ingredients for making PlantBottle are then shipped to the UK. Due to the world increase in the demand for biofuels, the company...
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...sincerely, Nusrat Binta Nasir ID: 2009-1-10-272 ............................... Sabrina Zaman ID: 2009-1-10-054 ............................... Saima Nusrat Shorna ID: 2009-1-10-055 ............................... Samir Ahmed ID: 2009-1-10-051 ............................... Md. Shafiar Rahman Rana ID: 2008-3-10-038 ................................ Acknowledgement: We express our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Md. Gazi Salah Uddin from whom we have received instructions and advice for making a report on this subject. We will pay regards to him for his kindest co-operation to prepare the report. Executive Summary Leather Industry developed in Bangladesh on a large-scale basis from the 1970s. It is also known as Tannery Industry. About 95% of leather and leather products of Bangladesh are exported abroad, mostly in the form...
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...Book 3 - Technology, use and potentialities of Latin American starchy tubers Chapter 18 Starch-based plastics Olivier Vilpoux1 & Luc Averous.2 18.1. Introduction Brazil disposes of approximately 240,000 tons of waste per day, an amount lower than that in the USA (607,000 t./day), but fairly above those in countries such as Germany (85,000 t./day) and Sweden (10,400 t./day). Of that total, a large amount goes to open waste deposits. Only a small quantity is disposed of in appropriate places. A city like São Paulo spends, per day, US$ 300,000 with waste. According to the Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas – IPT (Institute of Technological Research), only few municipalities have specific teams and public policies engaged in dealing with the waste. When it is not treated, waste becomes a serious sanitary problem, since it exposes the community to illnesses like diarrhea, amebiasis, and parasitosis, apart from contaminating the soil, waters and water tables. Among solutions, there are the creation of sanitary landfills in appropriate places, adoption of selective collecting and recycling programs, conducting of campaigns with the aim of both making society conscious about the problem and demanding a greater participation of government authorities (Editora Abril, 2002). The manufacturing of biodegradable material offers an interesting solution for plastic materials. Like it happens with organic residues, such as foodstuff, elimination of biodegradable materials ...
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...Social Charter signed in 2000 prohibits discrimination and child labour and protects our employees against exploitation. The agreements of the International Labour Organization (ILO), to which the Charter commits us, are for me no more than natural standards for anyone engaged in business. In order to achieve long-term success, you have to think in terms of the future. For me as a businessman it is extremely important not to make profit at the cost of future generations. Amongst other things, I am creating sustainable sources of wood, our most valuable raw material, which do not have a negative impact on either people or the environment. It was for the same reason that, some 30 years ago, Faber-Castell set up a forestry project in Brazil which was certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) as being...
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...Northampton, Detroit (Farmington Hills, Novi), Tokyo (Kawagoe, Okegawa), Shanghai, and São Paulo (Jundiaí). Around the world, approximately 3,000 development engineers and technicians are working on forward-looking concepts, products, and systems for the ongoing development of vehicle power trains. As a leading global development partner for the automotive and engine industry, MAHLE offers unique systems competence in the internal combustion engine and engine peripherals. With its two business units Engine Systems and Components and Filtration and Engine Peripherals, the MAHLE Group thus ranks among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for piston systems, cylinder components, as well as valve train, air management, and liquid management systems. Almost all automobile and engine manufacturers around the world are customers of MAHLE. The Industry business unit bundles the MAHLE Group's industrial activities. These include the areas of large engines, industrial filtration, as well as cooling and air-conditioning systems for railway and special vehicles, buses, ships, construction and agricultural machinery, the aerospace industry, and stationary large engines for power generation. The Aftermarket business unit serves the independent spare parts market with MAHLE products in OE quality. In 2011, the MAHLE Group achieved sales of around EUR 6 billion (USD 8.3 billion), positioning the company among the...
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