My American Client

My American Client

Written by Li-Chang Kuo

Jennifer Lawrence’s famous movie—‘The Hunger Games’ in which there was a saying: “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.” This meant the ruler gave his hunger people something good. And ‘Yield Benefit’(讓利) became the popular words in the recent years. 

Reminiscent of 1966, every early morning at 2 o’clock, I went to market to help a stall to kill ducks and inject water into the skin of dead duck body; after closing the stall at noon, I went back my own machine shop to produce the sockets, tie clips, rings, oil lamps and other scattered orders, how hard I’d done the expenses still much higher than income. Until one day in November as I felt into a dead end, I prepared to go out and expect to find a purchasing order, when I opened the wooden door, a huge figure almost filled the narrow gate, an American handed over a piece of paper to me and asked, “Can you make this stuff?” When I realized that written in dense drawing was just a fine eyelet which my most familiar work, so I told him that “Come back the day after tomorrow, I’ll give you a sample in same size.” Because I must build a new set of deep-drawing progressive die for sampling as his drawing shown. He really came back the day after tomorrow, looked like very exciting as received the sample, then he’s gone and came again next day to point out a long line of defects to be improved, then to and fro a month, he eventually exposed a satisfied expression, and I had finally received a first purchasing order from him and took five working days to finish it. In that year, the money I earned could buy ten thousand square feet land at Park road of Tainan, and when I paid back the debts to those uncles and aunts in the Yamuliao Market(鴨母寮市場), they astonished but proud to say: “Your family will turn over!”

If you dared to stand up in the arena, American will never have mercy on you because you only 13 years old in 140 cm height, he still follows the game rule to treat you, so there is not the thing concerning ‘Yield Benefit’; conversely, if you’re looking for peace you must dare to face the challenge and be able to meet the requirements, and then you can win the respect to get rid of the plight, and enjoyed the first good year in 1967. President Eisenhower once said: “Peace was purchased only at the price of strength.” I showed my strength to my American client, the strength delivered my family from poverty to rich. In 1974, I was building my ‘Cheng Kuang Precision Industrial Co., Ltd. ’ at the side of Salt River in Tainan, Premier Minister Chiang Ching-Kuo entered my property, and gave me four words ‘Benefit Use Care People’(利用厚生) that meant “You are good at using the resources to benefit the people.” And encouraged that “People through voluntary service to country is a good thing.” Soon after, my American client who was in the name ‘AVNET’ to list on the NYSE, it’s said that “He provided 80% of TV Antennas to the world.” And I supplied him 90% what he needed. Many evildoers came to lobby that “Ha! Do you know that Avnet earned one US dollar, you just gained one NTD?” Attempted to cut off my American client’s supply line. In that year, the exchange rate was 1:40, it meant my American client earned 40 times of what I got; however, my family had turned over and my production line kept expanding by what I got; especially, I could use the rest hours after I worked 18 hours a day to study at the night junior high school till college, not only got wealthy but also supplemented those required knowledge and degrees, and I passed the examination to be a Reserved Officer as served in the army during 1976-1978. 

In 1979, my American client invited me for a dinner in the Twin-Tower of New York City, he expressed his gratitude for he started his business in a few sum of money and I never asked any penny of developing new products, at last, he genuinely appreciated that he met an excellent suppliers as well as a partner in Taiwan.

Vietnam had fought a tragic war with the United States of America, although Vietnam still listed as less-developed country today, but this October, they have courage to face the high standard agreement—‘TPP’ which dominated by the United States. On the contrary, we saw Taiwan authority’s indecisive, public sector is failure in the policies, and private sector is into a moral crisis from the food security issues, the society full of the drifting thought and missed an opportunity to challenge ourselves, the prospects are out of consideration, Taiwan will be left behind.

My Father Kun-Cheng Kuo

My Father Kun-Cheng Kuo

God always sent the chosen ones to change the world, my father Kun-Cheng Kuo was one of them.

Recently, Joseph F. Engelberger, an American who was admired ‘Father of Robot’ and passed away on the 1st day of this December, there are many articles highly praise and honor him; Mr. Engelberger was born in 1925, grew up in the period of Great Depression, and studied at Columbia University during the World War II, then earned his master degree from Columbia in 1949; he started his business in 1961, and thereafter, developed the first robot of America named ‘Unimate’ to be the helper of factory automation. My father Kun-Cheng Kuo was born in 1926 at the most wealthy family of Tainan. For the sake of my grandfather Biao Kuo refused to use his fleet carrying ‘comfort women’ for the Japanese militarists, Japan’s officers raided all the Kuo’s properties in one night of 1937, then my father was forcibly recruited into Japan navy, until Japan surrendered in 1945, he returned hometown Tainan to start his Metal Works. I was born in 1953, a lot of automation around me at that time, I saw my father always carried a small pencil with some fragmentary paper in order to put his idea down at once. In the very difficult year of 1963, my father still completed one set of automation in addition to invent one kind of deep-drawing processing technique, and produced that special usage brass stripe for making the very fine eyelet—it can  put ten thousand pieces in my palm.

He said: "A-Chan, you must learn how to use this technology, rely on them, one day shout ‘BO’ the moment we will be away from poverty to rich…." But, year after year, no one came to purchase these fine-eyelets, and I became the only one who believed my father’s words on earth, no matter where we moved to, I had protected these automation by my life, and tirelessly day and night to practice application of realizing them; finally, I really utilized these automation to conquer the world in the days of my father was imprisoned; afterwards, I got those most bigotry Americans impressed just used his one of techniques.

The eve, my father was commanded to step into the ‘Zero Fighter’, his boss received a bad news--my uncle Kun-I Kuo died in a battle of New Guinea, and to secure my father to let him escaped the death; so that my father often said, “Life is fragile, people should be ‘help one another, share the harvest and cooperation’…” My father invented many stuffs, but he opposed that applying the patents, he said; “Patent is a world's curse, good stuff must share with others, and non-litigation is our family Instruction…” Moreover, he thought that ‘Social Service’ should be the right way to go, not pursuit of wealth endlessly. In November 1998, I celebrated his last birthday, he also performed a tap dance to former vice president Chang Yuan-Chang of Chi-Mei Company, and took his paper from his pocket to show a sketch to say how to use my ‘Power Chip’ at his new design aircraft in avoiding the air crash; however, no more than one month, I heard he was admitted to Chi-Mei hospital because of a headache, I was rush to drive the car straight from Taipei to Tainan, unfortunately, he told me he would live to be a hundred-year-old and commit to accomplish the new aircraft unable to complete for he was soon passed away on the 4th day of January in 1999, and his death became a pain at the bottom of my heart forever. 

Today, I saw an American the age similar to my father, would be able to grow up in the Great Depression, take the degree during the World War II safely, my father had to survive in the gap of death, and a dictator Chiang Kai-Shek who lost his authority from Mainland China to Taiwan in catching the Communist Spies and knocked my father into the abyss because my father helped the needy. Even though, when my father recovered and was able to help others, he would be always spare no effort, for example, just built a bridge in 1975 across the Silicon Valley to Taiwan with Mayor Janet Hayes of San Jose that already achieved many nascent entrepreneurs….

Recall that the age of reigning by the tyrant; my father’s pocket was always with some fragmentary sheet of paper and a small pencil, relied on them to create the necessary techniques of automation for achieving the Taiwan society in common prosperity , also to leave an industrial bible in my mind---

Father of a small pencil
Always with him and
Some fragmentary paper
He intently drafted up
To build the automation
Father of a small pencil
Jail could not lock his mind
Even the plots of evildoers
To trap him by iron-bar
Pencil still penetrated out
Father of a small pencil
Contributed Taiwan’s Industry
Deeply influenced his son
To create precision components
To reveal the miraculous signs

‘Open Society will appear its enemy’—said by Karl Popper

‘Open Society will appear its enemy’—said by Karl Popper

‘Siege as 10 times, attack as 5 times…’This is a method of ‘Destroying the Enemy’ said by Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’, simple interpretation: “To punch 10-kg kid with 100-kg boxer’s fist, the later must win!”—This dirty tricks are often used by Taiwan’s corrupt entities. On the 24th day of May in 1999, we came to Taipei City Hall for proposing that “TranSmart card and its transaction reading device (TRD) will construct a Golden Net (per Fig)→Job Creation→Rich Taiwan…”

Meanwhile, preparing 499 million(NT$) for building the plant at Taichung’s Chungkang Export Processing Zone (TCEPZ), many tycoons came to ask for cooperation as the said ‘Most Technology-based Investment’ passed by the government (MOEA), and then the burglary broke our Lab to steal all the RD results, we thus ceased the investment of TCEPZ and paid the penalty which was required by the authority; Afterwards, the Investigation bureau attacked us, and the Prosecutors Office and the Polices were pitching us the stones. In December 2004, a jackal of corrupt group arrogantly said: “Ha, your 499 million is a little piece; we can destroy you in 4.99 billion…” (It fulfills Sun Tzu’s ‘Siege as 10 times of the opponent force’ ) The truth is that ‘our money was self-fund’, but ‘the money of corrupt group was from the public’. If my sovereign God did not reach his hand, the who was knocked down would not any possible to alive over the year of 2004. Nevertheless, today in the end of 2015, our invention-- the instrumental solution originally for Rich-Taiwan has become the most important part of human lives, and the commitments of ‘Eliminate Corruption’ were declared from UN’s Global Compact to TPP. Although ‘Open Society will appear its enemy’—said by Karl Popper (1902-1994); however, those entities of corruption they have done the exceed rampant attacks, and they will also not be accepted in this world.

A Hundred-year-old Teacher Mr. Ma Chen-Chiu

A Hundred-year-old Teacher Mr. Ma Chen-Chiu

Robotics industry has become a hot topic of speculation for fundraising, someone came to ask how to operate this industry, and a very deep influence teacher to me is natural to think of him, but I can not remember how to think of his name; until the day before yesterday, two presidents of universities talked about ‘Taiwan High-education Industry is disintegrating’ loudly in the TV Talk Show, suddenly, a name ‘Ma Chen-Chiu(馬承九)’ came over my mind. Long time ago, Mr. Ma provided ‘Mechanic Introduction’ to me and let me handle the affairs smoothly on establishing Taiwan’s Precision Industry as well as doing the social services of promoting the Factory Automation. In spite of over forty years, more past images like a movie flashback, for example, I saw Mr. Ma who was riding a bicycle into the campus of Cheng Kung University, very patience in the classroom to explain the relationship between ‘Driver’ and ‘Follower’ of the machine, and sometime he’d told me the stories like “C. W. Musser invented the strain wave gearing (SWG) and bearing set that will bring the era of high-speed machine.”

Mr. Ma was born in 1915, just full of a hundred-year-old, but the nation was very upheaval when he was young, so that his education was not smooth, he served in the arsenal as graduated from the department of Mechanical Engineering of National Central University (NCU), and then he earned an opportunity to obtain the public funds to study in the UK for two years because he did the outstanding performance in the arsenal. And later he went to Taiwan from Mainland China to teach the young people patiently, and taught that academic research methods like ‘Find and solve problems, to record the result of research’ to the industrial occupations, and indirectly laid the foundation of social prosperity.

I founded my first Metal Works at the age of 13-year-old in 1966, my brain was full of my father’s ‘manufacturing processes’, but after a tremendous purchasing orders were influx as water coming that ‘method’ should be required for digestion. Coincidentally, Mr. Ma Chen-Chiu provided me a method to integrate the manufacturing processes, and kept all the purchasing orders which came from abroad and very unique to Taiwan. And I must say that there’re two firms listed on the NYSE—Avnet Inc. and Mattel Inc. should be the most beneficiaries of above mentioned processing methods. In those past days, Mr. Ma did not show off the doctor degree to others, but earnestly impart his knowledge and his attitude of human being. In contrast, today we can see too many PhDs on the streets and at the campuses to contribute, their opinions for the future just ‘disintegrating’; when mentioned the practice they’ll answer “We knew theory only!” When you keep digging, you’ll discover they are in a very limited domain as the ancient philosopher Lao-tzu described, ‘Pirate’s boast(盜誇)’ that how to resolve the social dilemma? At last, I open the computer to search about Mr. Ma and acknowledge he is alive. May God bless Professor Ma Chen-Chiu ! 

 

 

References:

Mr. Ma Chen-Chiu’s Book: “The Notes of Fuel Cells”

Published in 2008

馬承九(2008)。燃料電持池札記。台北：三民。

 

馬承九老師(Mr. Ma Chen-Chiu)，1915年生於河南省，2018年卒於台灣台南；馬老師早年畢業於國立中央大學機械系，1944年留學英國，1947~1948年擔任「瀋陽兵工署九○工廠」工程師暨第二所所長，1948年擔任台灣省立工學院機械系專任副教授－1953升任機械系專任教授，1956年台灣省立工學院改制為「省立成功大學」擔任機械系專任教授至1971年，省立成功大學1971年改制為「國立成功大學」擔任機械系專任教授至1985年 (70歲)，後轉任兼任教授至2008年(93歲)—那一年出版了《燃料電池札記》。

 

Li-Chang Kuo’s Future Sewing Machine

Li-Chang Kuo’s Future Sewing Machine

The unit price of WTI crude oil was down to US$ 35.49 per barrel last week, today Taiwan’s media says, “Oil prices are collapsing, fill it up no more than NTD 1000 (US$ 2.558 per gallon)”—This is definitely not government's benevolent rule, but an international trend. There is a fatal factor in this trend that is ‘Taiwan's petrochemical industry in jeopardy’, because I initiated that needle and thread will be no need in the future sewing machine, that concerning the oil price and development of new industry, those related industries will think carefully about the consequences of it. I proposed that ‘IIA-TES’ (Invest in America for the Economic Stimulus) as I attended the APEC 2009 CEO Summit to response the topic ‘Rebuilding the Global Economy’ after one anniversary of the unprecedented financial crisis, I was questioned that “The cost is so expensive in the United States, how to invest in America?” I responded that “The Investing reason is right at expensive!” The ‘IIA’ really achieved by the smart leader in the later 6 years, for example, like the successful exploration of oil shale at the highest point of the oil price, afterwards, new energy carrying out the new opportunities, and then the new multilateral free trade agreement—‘TPP’ will bring more benefits in the United States for the rule of ‘Textiles and Apparel’ was set in Chapter 3 of TPP—it declared that “Most tariffs will be eliminated immediately, the chapter also includes specific rules of origin that require use of yarns and fabrics from the TPP region, which will promote regional supply chains and investment in this sector, with a ‘short supply list’ mechanism that allows use of certain yarns and fabrics not widely available in the region.” In other words, TPP regional industries will enjoy all the preferential treatment and protection, outsiders who can only watch and slobber. Actually, America was a big exporting country of textile and apparel in the 20th century, as well as the sewing machines; they’ve been misleading by the fallacy of "To buy the things there where the prices are cheap!" But experienced the great unemployment problem of the unprecedented financial crisis, American asked ‘Mr. Barbie’ about the feasibility of sewing machine without the needle and thread. I must say “This is already 21st century; my power chip was by means of the ‘pico-tech’ (one trillionth meter), and contactless TranSmart card was a product of laminating-tech, so that the sewing machine without the needle and thread should be feasible." At last, the questions is, under a series of rampant corruption, as Former President Lee Teng-hui asked: “Where shall Taiwan to go in the 21st century?”

‘ANTI-CORRUPTION’ has become a great trend

‘ANTI-CORRUPTION’ has become a great trend

Written by Li-Chang Kuo

‘ANTI-CORRUPTION’ has become a great trend, UN’s Global Compact determined to eliminate corruption for the purpose in order to build sustainable, inclusive and transparent societies. Taiwan’s corrupt group had threatened in December 2004, “Do not let you live over 2004!” After much deliberation, I realized that our mission is just to implement the goal of "everyone has job, and every family has bread", invention of the E-Commerce Industry was only for rich Taiwan and to open the way for next generation  under the LORD’s teach: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” However, inventor was actually attacked by the evildoers plus those investigators, prosecutors and polices together as a sort of siege to overthrow to the ground, and it was also really scared someone to death. When I was in extremely dangerous, a voice sounded from the bottom of my heart, followed the instruction to sell my property in very very cheap price and by such resources to take care of the inventor entire year, then redeemed her life; and I further was at APEC 2006 CEO Summit to propose the theme of ‘ANTI-CORRUPTION’ with the other leaders of economies, Taiwan’s public-private hookers were defined as ‘the Entities of Corruption’, but my social service was admired as ‘Open the Way for Next Generation’; in addition, the situation was gradually changed from ‘I bright and enemy dark(我明敵暗)’ to ‘I invisible and enemy expose(敵明我暗)’, the head of corrupt group-- brutal Moab-king found out that he was seeking his ‘Personal Gain’ whole life and finally walking into the valley of death and gave the breath to perish to the dust—his followers foolish enough to keep moving forward into the rat cage and trying to eat the hanging bait. Recently, the leaders of the civilized world have issued the declaration on ‘Anti-Corruption’, TPP Agreement set the rule of ‘Anti-Corruption’ in Chapter 26, emphasized that “TPP Parties agree to ensure certain due process rights for TPP stakeholders in connection with administrative proceedings, including prompt review through impartial judicial or administrative tribunals or procedures. They also agree to adopt or maintain laws criminalising offering to, or solicitation of, undue advantages by a public official, as well as other acts of corruption affecting international trade or investment. Parties also commit to effectively enforce their anticorruption laws and regulations.” Right now, the situation is totally different from December 2004, and indeed in a condition of ‘I relax and enemy toil’, the Most High‘s voice sounds once more, “Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Li-Chang Kuo (A-Chan)

Li-Chang Kuo (A-Chan)

Li-Chang Kuo (A-Chan) born in 1953, Tainan city of Taiwan, started his first business Cheng Kuang Metal Works in 1966 for his father was put into the jail by the tyrannical authority. As built the ‘Cheng Kuang Precision Industrial Co., Ltd.’ in 1974, Premier Minister Chiang Ching-Kuo gave A-Chan four words ‘Benefit Use Care People’(利用厚生) that meant ‘Good at using the resources to benefit the public.’ 

Furthermore, Li-Chang Kuo was called as ‘the father of Taiwan’s Precision Industry’ and ‘the father of Taiwan’s Incubator.’ Li-Chang Kuo created thousands of precision parts and electronic components and the applied materials such as Insulated Plates and Super-fine Lead Wires in addition to the processing methods and tooling and automation in ten years. However, his father, Kun-Cheng Kuo thought that the talent should be used in the social services, not to seek the wealth; so that Li-Chang Kuo moved to Taipei in 1982 and started his mission of social services.

Li-Chang Kuo taught those who tried starting their businesses about how to produce the electronic components in the techniques of stamping, deep-drawing, injection molding and by means of the automation; meanwhile, rescued the Barbie Doll from the abyss during 1982-1986 to prove his theory of ‘Technologicalization of Traditional Industry’ was feasible. And further to proceed that ‘Social Responsibility Investment’ (SRI) from creating new industry for new jobs to resolve the unemployment problem which was getting worse and serious. His wife Linda Din invented a new-tech trade and economic system which was called ‘The eStore System’ (TES) concerning the contactless-tech and transmission-tech to form a multilateral trading system, would be able to help nascent entrepreneurs gaining better access to the market. A-Chan played a role as incubator to accomplish all the components that required by the ‘TES.’ Moreover, Linda Din spoke the topic ‘Market Access’ at APEC 1998 in K.L., Malaysia, and based on the ‘TES’ to gain the bill of ‘Steering the Electronic Commerce’ at the ministering meeting. And then submitted ‘Global Channel-TES’ at ‘Growing the APEC SME Exporters Community II: Business Perspective’ of APEC 2003 to win the best practice, the theme was initiated by Australia, and the Information Society of 21^st century started beginning since then.

While Li-Chang Kuo participated the APEC 2006 CEO Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, the delegates of the economies questioned that the schedule of proceeding ‘Global Channel-TES’ in order to meet the Bogor Goal; those delegates astonished that big name ‘Linda Din’ was attacked to sick and beyond cure, and A-Chan must drop all the works to take care of Linda 24 hours a day; in the meantime, the attacks came from Taiwan’s Prosecutors Office, Police Office and Investigation Bureau never stop, but Linda’s invention like TranSmart card and its reading device (TRD/Toller) had been infringed to use for profit in the market. Consequently, the delegates said that ‘You’re persecuted by your government!’ And defined those evildoers as the entities of corruption. And then, Peru announced that ‘Lima Anti-Corruption Declaration’ at APEC 2008 to trigger a tide of combating corruption. Any achievement will be in vain by the corrupt deeds, so that the corruption must be vanished to secure the social responsibility investment and for establishing the economic society of righteousness.

To start the business for 5 decades, the period can be divided to two steps:

Step 1. From an impoverished teenager to a conqueror:

Li-Chang Kuo developed a new product for his client normally no more than one week and no any charge of the RD fee, so that the other makers of eyelet lugs had diverted in 1967-1970; As to the 1970s, the global market coverage rate more than 80% of Antenna Terminals of TV Sets was made by A-Chan; and the recording switches mounted on the cassette player which exported from Taiwan all made by A-Chan.

Step 2. Social Services:

To attain an idea to be real was not too hard to approach, and to reach a hand to the needy was also a simple thing; however, time is changing, ‘High-quality Awareness’ has gradually been replaced by the ‘Inferior Consciousness’ to make the society in moan and mourn. So that one kind of education for raising the high-quality awareness must be advocated to achieve the common prosperity.

Recall that once a summon came from the mountain top, Li-Chang Kuo answered the call—‘people through voluntary service to others’ to make the 21^st century information society come true. The Calling indicated that the society must be common wealth for and of the people, but there are evildoers existed to do the non-economic interference to hinder the grace. At this turning point of crucial moment, by faith and believe that ‘The most fierce storm couldn’t drown a man of faith. The most ruthless enemies couldn’t defeat a determined person.’ And remembered that the Scripture says “And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Peter Kuo & Mattel’s Barbie

Peter Kuo & Mattel’s Barbie

Written by Li-Chang Kuo

In the period of 1980s, as my journey of social service unfolded, it had a particular memory that I accompanied with a famous toy—‘Barbie Doll’ from 1982 to the earlier 1986, watched the renewal Barbie climbing from the bottom to the top of the world. Everything was like God's arrangement to assign me help this Mattel Inc., and rely on the natural gift of knowledge, wisdom and sincerity to assist them to pass through the Valley of Baca, and make it a place of springs. The amazing stories had been circulated around Taipei, people gradually knew the said company where manufacturing such well-known products in Taishan; and meanwhile, I won a nickname, ‘Mr. Barbie.’

When I started the social service since 1982, the first idea came up over mind was ‘Upgrading the Industries,’ unfortunately, Taiwan was full of second-hand industry to pretend as ‘technological industry’--it is only the sort of industry doing assemble matters without challenge. But I found out that famous Barbie’s Mattel Inc. seems into plight after searching the traditional industry. Indeed, the gate’s guard of Mattel Limited Taiwan (MLT) saw me and asked the first sentence: "They’re preparing to close, why you are coming here now?” I responded, “To rescue Barbie!”

Barbie Doll was launched in 1959; two decades or more gone away, old state has been revealed—not Barbie herself, but the aging of the workers. Barbie’s charming face was elaborately done by the make-up affairs; the tool of make-up was named ‘Painting Mask’ which required good eyesight to be able to fabricate the sophisticated mask. The aging the sight losing to actuate the sense of crisis—if there were new fabricators, the old ones might be laid off—this became a big situation, and as a vicious cycle to run in the enterprise. So someone suggested that “To develop the remote control and electronic toys," and the results were getting worse and worse.

The United States experienced the era of frustration and disappointment in the 1970s, Dr. William E. Deming (1900-1993) proclaimed that ‘Japan, the Best’ and ‘If Japan can... Why can't we?’ Not only harm the pride of American, but also harm American girls' dream – the elegance of Barbie doll was to push down by Japanese style dolls. Although, Mattel had a very excellent marketing team, but they’re still to mislead by the engineering staff. An enterprise’s core competence at mechanical toy tried to turn the operation to unknown industry of ‘remote control and electronic’ that was very dangerous and the tragic fate could be imagined. Nevertheless, I assured that the problems included ‘head, hair, face, body, leg and leg armature’ all can be solved as I looked into the production at my first glance, because these improvements for Barbie were much easier if compared to create Taiwan’s precision industry from nothing.

Upgrading the industry continuously is the way of keeping the competitiveness, or to be replaced by the others. ‘Technologicalization of the Traditional Industry’ is my advocacy. Consequently, I made a list of improving the defects to submit for the top engineering staff. But, I was astonished that the response was ‘you must prove Barbie can not be saved!’ They did not want rescue Barbie actually. Outrageous, so that I decided to fight with those evil intentions to the end. However, the time continually lost, and no chance to implement for my plan; but “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” By faith, the time will be coming.

For the sake of Mattel’s Barbie lost the existed market, a series of ‘He-man’ had been developed to access the boys’ market and to be successful, because of comics and cartoons with marketing, the access generated the good effect. Then, a new He-man put on his chest with a ‘Drum’ which was required to print 6 colors on each 120 degrees, I recommended the local supplier to purchase the ‘Tampo Printer’ which quotation shown the unit price as ‘NTD 200,000,000’ and they can come within 10 minutes to do the maintenance if mechanic malfunction. Incredulously, those Engineering Executives spent more than ten times price to buy back two machines which could not be used from Hong Kong, and repaired at MLT everyday for a half year. I was seeing the new year of 1984 began, the best sell product was unbelievable to absent from the market that just caused by a ‘Drum’ could not be printed, and more delay more plight. In my evaluation, ‘Hong Kong machines can be fixed up.’ Yet, all the Mattel’s engineering officials came to check over the machines, and still was day after day dragged, and nothing to be changed. Eventually, I really couldn’t bear to write a letter to the top management in California to ask them a question, “To Be, or Not To Be?” And then, A Big Beard who was very angry to call me in his office, first, he blamed me to meddle the matter not belong to me, and consistently threw that acknowledged letter to me, I saw the w/b was ‘to be!’ Big Beard reached his finger to my nose and said, “Peter…You’re so meddlesome, then the 20^th day of May (1984) is a holiday, I give you that day to fix the machine up!”

I did not know where the courage came from, pounded the table to say, “Just right one day, who you scare!” The very day’s morning, my right leg was paralysis and painful, my wife helped me to the intersection to call a taxi straight to the MLT. Even though I crippled a leg, the machines still fixed up in one day and running 24 hours per day until MLT to be closed. I resolved Mattel’s He-man crisis, and therefore I earned the opportunity to attain my plan, and to bring the standardization, rationalization and automations in this MNC. In regarding to improve Barbie’s chest, I deeply studied construction of female breasts in order to avoiding the spot appeared as injection molding. As to the make-up of Barbie Doll, MLT’s top engineering said, “To spend millions of US dollars can not improve this problem---“ I just wrote a ‘Teach Plan’ and spent no any penny of official budget to set up a ‘Mask Fabrication Division,’ and training 10 operators to be the mask-fabricators as dressers. Mattel will never be limited by the affairs of make-up.

While Barbie was on the market in 1959, but there was a commercial on TV in 1955, because Disneyland opened in California on the 17^th day of July, a cartoon ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ was sponsored by Mrs. Ruth Handler, and introduced her created ‘Barbie Doll’ to the girls, and further became the most popular toy while launched in 1959--we can see the unique character of Mrs. Handler’s leadership as a paradigm of entrepreneurs. When Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929) announced that ‘Theory of the Leisure Class,’ women in the 1950s were asked for the casual consumption to honor their wealthy husbands in the USA. However, Handler created Barbie to teach girls learning independence, not attachment. So that I thought Barbie is not only a doll toy, but also a symbol to represent the progressive of human being. Barbie was a representative figure of ‘Feminism.’ Therefore, I poured the business model of precision industry into MLT to renew Barbie, and to prove the feasibility of ‘Technologicalization of Traditional Industry,’ the succeeded experience worthy as precious resource. The Scripture says “And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.” Barbie revived, once again became the world girls’ dream, and reached the mission goal of Mrs. Ruth Handler, and Peter Kuo as ‘Mr. Barbie’ spread so far.

After preaching the way of upgrading industry for years, the Authority set the policy to guide the industrial direction for Taiwan’s enterprises; in addition, U.S. Reagan’s Administration also made an era of American renewal, Taiwan's vitality was jointly and severally restored; but many foreign firms evacuated from Taiwan since 1985 to the cheaper labor’s countries, they said, “Taiwan's national income has reached three thousand US dollars, there is no investment niche---“ On the other hand, the result of rescuing Barbie had been accomplished, I must actuate the other affairs of social service to approach the calling. My simple hope was expecting to keep Mattel in Taiwan by the Taiwan’s first-hand technologies which I left behind; unfortunately, MLT’s high level staffs from Purchasing, QC, Engineering to Production were greedy and irresponsibility everywhere, they did not fulfill the simple duties. Consequently, I left MLT in April, 1986, Mattel Inc. immediately shut down the Taiwan plant.

Reference:

Kuo, Li-Chang (2005:65-91). Open the Way for Next Generation. Taichung:Panhornic.

Social Responsibility Investment, SRI

Social Responsibility Investment, SRI

Due to foresee the unemployment problem will harm the future, I, Li-Chang Kuo and my wife Linda Din started proceeding that ‘Social Responsibility Investment’ (SRI) since 1986. We’ve been making much efforts to avoid the economic plague, so that we directly invested our talents into creating new industry by means of ‘Pico-Tech’ for incubating new components and forming a new tech-economic system as the instrumental solution to help nascent entrepreneurs gain better access to the market; then we got the achievement and brought the result like the fruits to share with the others at APEC since 1997, and earned the conclusion of “Steering the E-Commerce” as Linda acted a keynote speaker of the topic of ‘Market Access’ at APEC MM 1998 in KL Malaysia. Afterwards, we won the best practice of strengthening the economic society by officially submitting the Proposal “Global Channel-TES” at APEC MM 2003, the seminar “Growing the APEC SME Exporters Community II: Business Perspective” was held by Australia’s self-fund. Australia was trying to improve the imbalanced development of the regional economy; the achievement was having an international best practice to approach the Bogor Goal.

When I participated the APEC Singapore CEO Summit in November, 2009 to contribute the ‘IIA-TES’ (Invest in America for the economic stimulus) because not to much improved after one year later of the unprecedented financial crisis. My contribution has been admired that ‘Just to meet the theme of rebuilding the global economy.’ I strongly recommended that first priority should be ‘Anti-corruption.’

Those entities of corruption must be vanished, then, the resurrection of the world economy shall be able to come. As to the rebuilding global economy, I have contributed to APEC for many times; hereby, I must emphasize the importance of to build an economic society of righteousness, but the evil ones who know nothing about “Love” to hinder the recovery of economy, Consequently, “Strongly Combating the Corruption” should be the first priority matter to do.

In the past three decades, we already tried to invent various methods of rescuing the jobless problem; moreover, incubate something new to resolve the constructive unemployment issue. ‘Invest, invent and incubate‘—these three factors are all no difficult to make. But the furious attacks of the corruption plus public sector’s persecution can cause the efforts in vain.

For the sake of seeing the MNCs shut down their plants and moved to pursuit of their higher profits and caused the jobless problem, we predicted the consequence would increase the disaster since 1986. We thus actuated the SRI—“Social Responsibility Investment”--doing 3I: “Invention-Investment-Incubation” →expecting to achieve the common prosperous society, and my ‘Project Incubator’ became a policy to help our country people walking through the Asia Financial Crisis 1997, and furthermore, to bring the hope for those suffered economy bodies.

We’ve been proclaiming the RD result around the international conferences in addition to the local self-fund seminars. Finally, we got the progress at APEC 1997 in Vancouver and to invent ‘Micro Business’ in the meeting, then based on our invention ‘TES’ (The eStore System) to earned the bill of “Steering the E-Commerce” at APEC 1998, and promoted that ‘ICT’ at APEC 2000 in Brunei, then ‘IPR’ was achieved at APEC 2001 in Shanghais. We’re invited to propose “Global Channel-TES” officially at APEC 2003 in Thailand to win the best practice and make new-techs such as RFID to be popular, and “TES” gradually becoming a term of ‘the economic stimulus’. Moreover, I also wrote more than ten books to proclaim the good news of restoration for an economic society of righteousness in the near future.

Remembered that I proclaimed ‘Creating New Industry for New Jobs’ (創新產業‧解決失業) in Silicon Valley since 1998, many experts laughed at me. However, the economic plague really came in September 2008—a few persons who started realizing what I’ve been talking about. Then, ‘SRI’ was continuously proclaimed at APEC CEO Summit 2009 to receive the enthusiastic feed-back. I pointed out the core-value of ‘SRI’ as below:

1. The talent of people must be achieved.(人盡其才)

2. The benefit of land must be accomplished.(地盡其利)

3. The flow of goods must be circulated.(貨暢其流)

4. The use of material must be completed.(物盡其用)

The Paradigm of Social Responsibility Investment--“Global Channel-TES” consists of above mentioned core-value, and it’s a vital action plan of people through voluntary service to others and, necessary economic and financial measures for resolving the crisis to offer hope to the needy.

A Thought of Mr. William H. Gates’ 90th Birthday

A Thought of Mr. William H. Gates’ 90th Birthday

Mon. 11/30/2015

This very day is Mr. William Gates' 90th birthday, I'd like to say 'CONGRATULATIONS!' A good father is a very important thing—the son can soar on wings like eagle to the sky.

Recall that I founded the Taiwan’s Precision Industry in 1974 that achievement was admired as ‘good at use to benefit the people(利用厚生)’ by Premier Minister Chiang Ching-Kuo. When my Automatic Troop got ready to prepare gaining the global profits of 1980s, My most respected father, Kun-Cheng Kuo who jumped out to say: ‘You’ll harm the world!’ He pointed out those automations and the piled innovative products which I made to express that “Only ten years, you created so many stuffs from nothing, if keep going on, the others do not to live---” He directed me to give up my business and to do the social service. Recently is also my father's 90th birthday if he still alive. However, I actually saw the world was harmed by the evildoers for the sake of my social service.