Chinese North roasters are a complete different discussion as the 1k's are priced way below anything comparable. So why is that? Are they dumping? Mr. Tim was on this very board offering the machines at a ridiculously low price and received many negative responses. As it turns out, the machines are quite capable even being the low price leader. Obviously you can't be the best and cheapest at the same time, right?
Which leads me to the political and social aspect of the discussion. Cheap Chinese products are everywhere, now we have coffee roasters? Is North trying to sell roasters below the fair market value? Flood the market with cheap (in price) 1K machines?
If you lose a finger or hand in a Chinese factory they pay you a fixed price. Safety glasses and hearing protection are optional in China; no workman's comp. or benefits. In other words the workers get screwed in China and labor unions are prohibited.
I own two Taiwanese roasters, one Yang-Chia 800n and a Huky500 so I'm also guilty of buying imported. But there is a vast difference between Taiwan and China and I've been to China over 10x and owned real estate there. Taiwan is a friend of the U.S. China is our so called friendly enemy. Remember our navy plane that had to emergency land on Hainan Island?
OMG, Hank. Really?
Although Chinese based, like many Chinese companies, North/JYR is Taiwanese owned and operated. My first trip to China was in 1997 as a missionary. We supported non-state sanctioned churches, brought in humanitarian aid after a couple of devastating earthquakes, and later established a support network for Chinese orphanages and started an American adoption agency. Believe it or not, we own property in Beijing too. I import Chinese equipment into the US and export US made equipment to China on a regular basis. Is that enough street cred for you?
Can they be cheap and good? Well, yes. Visit the shop and see what all the hullabaloo is about. They put together roasters (1-120 kg, btw) about as good as roasters get at very competitive prices. I bring them into the US in quantity and pass the savings on. I'm sorry to tip over a sacred cow, but it worked for Walmart because people generally like to pay less and get more.
And as long as we're on the whole "don't buy imported stuff" thing, try to remember that you're buying imported coffee beans from some of the poorest people living in some of the poorest countries on the planet? Can you tell me why a poor Chinese worker is any less deserving of earning a living than a poor coffee farmer? Are either of them better off if I don't buy what they produce?
Here's the simple idea behind MCR: we provide the means to promote and increase commercial small batch artisan roasting. The more demand there is for better beans, the more money coffee growers and workers can make for their efforts and the more poor factory workers can be paid.
So what about poor American workers? Here's the answer: I make American stuff too. To survive in a competitive market, I allocate resources where I can be competitive and I prosper. I don't sit around complaining about "unfairness" in the market, much. Mostly because the market can be unfair much longer than I can be solvent.
Our theme is service and value, as in "do unto others". We think that's the original "win-win." If you can find anyone that has actually bought something from us that isn't completely satisfied with either our service or our value, it'll probably be the first we've heard about it.
Lastly, let me defend poor Mr. Tim. Tim's a guy that speaks a little English and works on commission. He's younger than most of my sons and was trying to promote his factory and earn a pretty minimal living. In the beginning, his tactics were a little hinky, but the vociferous responses some people had to him were overtly and inexcusably racist. The fact is, he's proved himself to be a heck of a good guy and didn't deserve any of that.
I'd ask you to lighten up, pay us a visit and have a cup of excellently roasted coffee. You'll likely make some new friends and maybe learn something too.
behind it?
