Die Auswärtige Presse e.V.

By Aurang Akhtar

Entrepreneur Ali I. Shahzad about his Success, the Economic Crisis and his Prognosis

On October 11th 2008 Mr. Ali Shahzad kindly took some time for this interview and answered our questions.

In 1978 Mr. Ali Shahzad emigrated from Lahore / Pakistan to Germany, because the local government expelled many successful entrepreneurs from Pakistan due to religious backgrounds. Mr Shahzad gained experiences in different companies and increased his knowledge continuously. Although his life was marked with ups and downs, he never lost his way to achieve his objectives.

The Interview:

Mr. Shahzad, would you please be so kind as to report about you and your success?

Originally I come from a total different industry. In Pakistan I completed an apprenticeship as a software engineer. I acquired knowledge by myself through attentive observation and asking. Finally ending up in the area of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Technology owes its emergence to chance. I started as a normal employee in a PCB factory and worked my way up successively (production supervisor). That I was able to keep working hard for achieving my aims didn’t remain concealed to my superiors.

After 11 years of employment I went into business for myself and set up a small company as a One – Man – Show. The economic survival was an uphill struggle. It took a long time before we received major orders. Over the years we received increasing orders from different companies. Today I am the owner of one of the biggest PCB companies in the global competition with 40 employees in Germany as well as three branches located in China, India and Hong Kong. As you see our success is deserved very hard.

What do you think of the Electronica trade fair and which significance does it have for you?

The Electronica is like a big family, in which you have to appear to be a part of it. Well known companies are invited to the fair and you become acquainted with new companies and people. You get to know new developments, strategies and directions. You socialize with new customers.

How did the fair change during the last years from your point of view?

From my perspective the development decreased a little and became a pure presentation of companies. The acquiring of new customers decreased. It is more likely analyzing, evaluating and positioning oneself and other companies in the market.

Why is it important for you to exhibit at this fair and what did your booth cost?

It is important for us to be a part of this family and to demonstrate presence. Over the years we reduced the cost for our booth as much as possible, so that we can bear the cost.
Who are your competitors and is it important for you to know them?

I claim that we don’t have competitors. There are only a few companies performing in the same league as we do. Through the fact that we are economically and personal well positioned we don’t have to be afraid of anything.
It is important to have a close look at the environment and analyzing it to put oneself on a firm footing.

How important is the technology in our today’s world from your point of view?

Innovation is the driving force of our industry and become more important. The fact that PCBs are in every new electric development secures this branch. Every company wants to launch better technologies. We are in an era in which new technologies enter on the market rapidly.
The more innovative technologies the easier can imagination, desires and needs spread its wings and create new innovation. The reason is that technology doesn’t make steps but leaps. This simplifies our life and improves security and quality at all points.

Which economic development would you desire in the future?

I would desire what every one else would, stability and an optimal solution for every calamity, with less acquisitiveness and more humanity.

How do you appraise the global working across the different countries (vantages / disadvantages)? (China / Germany)?

If a company is well founded, distances are not relevant. We have branches in different countries like Hong Kong, China, USA and India. Our headquarter is located in Germany. Actually the time difference is an advantage for us. We are able to carry out transactions as soon as possible and very efficient, because today there is no lack of communication possibilities.
We are able to arrange customer’s inquiries and requirements with Asia and if necessary confer with the customer about further emerging adjustments on the same day. This way we avoid delays and are able to carry out all transactions as soon as possible.
I will give you an example. Every day we have a time-frame, which ranges from Asia and Germany to the USA. The Americans start to work around 2 p. m. German time. E. g. we receive an inquiry from a customer at 2 p. m. when China leaves of work, then we prepare the requirements for China so that the next day, when China starts to work and we are sleeping, they can work on it and prepare their duties and questions for us or send it directly to the American customer. That means when the customer in the USA are still sleeping, then they already got their required answers and can seamlessly follow up working the next day.

What do you think of the current global crisis?

This global crisis is the outcome of who are gambling and speculate with the economy in a way the majority of humanity is adversely affected by it. Not only the high and mighty are affected by this crisis, but at the expense of the man in the street.
Between the automotive manufacturers the victims are mostly the small suppliers that mean at the end also the employees, who are the ones who suffer.
The markets of the so called (I don’t like this term) Third World are hungry. It is still possible to merchandise different numerous goods. On the one hand the local population could enjoy their life better. On the other hand the industrialized countries could expand their production. But reality teaches us something else. Only a few families are leading the masses, a brutal regime supported by the intelligence services of the industrialized countries.
This kind of crisis respectively economic factor is only useful for the weapon industry and this fact is very painful to me. The weapon lobby is very powerful. Especially the development countries, which have to deal with problems day – to – day, especially there the peace will be disturbed again and again therewith this vicious cycle never ends and the weapon lobby always makes money.
Nobody knows what kind of chain reaction this crisis entails for all of us.

What importance does the item “entrepreneurship” have for you and which attributes characterize a successful entrepreneur in your point of view?

It takes several years of hard work to set up a company but one case only takes a fractional amount. This way fair work has the highest priority for us, because if the customers are satisfied we will grow. We adhere strictly to the plan realizing our customer’s requirements as soon as possible.
Our road to success is confirmed by the forecasts of the last years, in which we double our turnover in almost every further year and in the future we will follow up enlarging our road to success.
A successful entrepreneur regards his employees as family members. He is doing everything for being economically well positioned. At the same time his decisions shall secure the profitable existence of the company to being over success further on.

Is there a person or an entrepreneur by whom you are especially impressed?

I take a complete different line, because I don’t copy any ones life, but live my own life and influence it actively. I don’t want to be put into a frame of thinking or get solutions of other parties drummed into me. I am of the opinion that experiences which have been made by someone else with someone else’s mind can not apply to me. I have to experience with my own mind and time. I make my experiences unprejudiced and don’t want to be influenced by the thoughts of others.

Further information about the company and contact: www.ets-gmbh.com

Thank you very much for the interview.