Shiyan in the Eyes of a Foreign Manager

By Wang Jikai, Deng Cheng & Liao Min

Golbert Tang's grandfather and father are from Taiwan, China, and his mother is from Spain. His family now live in Costa Rica.

In the workshop of Paninco Aluminum Heat Exchanger Co.,Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Paninco) in Shiyan (a city known for its automobile manufacturing industry) Economic Development Zone of Hubei Province, China on September 19, 2019, the workers'eyes were drawn to this tall and handsome man named Golbert Tang.

Working in the company for more than a decade, this foreign manager, who has a straight nose,heavy stubble beard, and deep-set eyes, still stands out in the crowd.He even has an adorable Chinese name—Tang Hua.

唐华工作照Tang Hua at work

Founded in 1992 by Tang Guozhong, Golbert's grandfather,the Paninco is a joint venture that mainly deals in the production of automotive air conditioning. The company was then passed on from his grandfather to his father, Tang Yuwen, and then to Tang Hua.Tang Hua came back to Shiyan and became a GM assistant after graduating from the School of Business Administration at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology in 2007. He was to assist his father in managing the company.

The 36-year-old Tang Hua is no stranger to Shiyan City. “I came to Shiyan with my grandfather when I was 8 years old, and then came again with my father when I turned 14. Every time I visited here, I would stay for a week.”

车城十堰的汽车生产线An auto production line in Shiyan, the truck town

“Shiyan changes every day. I still remember when I came here in the past few years, people would stop me to take a photo, but now few people feel surprised at my face when I walk on the street.There were no large shopping malls or supermarkets in the past, but now we have Wanda Plaza, IMAX cinemas, and chain gyms.” Tang Hua said.

Great changes have taken place not only in the city, but also among the people. “In the past, some local drivers didn't understand why I waited for pedestrians to cross the street first. Now, more and more drivers choose to wait at pedestrian crossings.”

Away from the beach of Costa Rica, Tang Hua has fallen in love with the mountains of Shiyan.

“Shiyan is similar to San Jose,which boasts mountains and rivers,but it's colder than San Jose in the winter.” Tang Hua said with a smile on his face.

Tang Hua's mother tongue is Spanish, and his second language is English, but he is keen on learning Chinese. He said in Chinese, “My grandpa is my idol. He is a great man. The fast development of Shiyan presents huge business opportunities and market potential for us.”

Tang Hua paid close attention to the management at Paninco when he joined the company. He initiated new modes of management and led the staff to compile a manual for standardized operation.

He is good at managing this company through figures and numbers. For example, he counted the exact minutes of lateness of attendees at each meeting to address the problem of being late,which greatly improved working efficiency.

In 2018, the output value of his company reached 270 million yuan.“I hope to, through my efforts, keep the company thriving and promote automotive air conditioning units made in Hubei to every corner of the world.”

Tang Hua became a father three months ago. “My wife and I love Shiyan. We hope it will have an even better future and attract even more international friends to invest and live here.”

(Translation: Li Li)