Sleepless in Shanghai: Prelam’s Luc Jalbert Drums Up Business on China Trade Mission
SHANGHAI, CHINA – Prelam Enterprises co-founder Luc Jalbert may not be getting too much sleep on his trade mission with Opportunities New Brunswick this week. But he’s having fun seeing the positive reaction to his company’s air bathroom fresheners.
“I’m actually surprised and impressed by the reaction I’m getting. It’s very positive and motivating for me,” said Jalbert in a phone interview with Huddle late at night after another long day of meetings.
“I was worried at first that I wouldn’t be able to convert Chinese consumers to adopt a new way of going to the bathroom. And the reaction we’re getting from young and old is very positive, so it’s fun for me actually. But I’m getting chuckles no matter where I go because you talk about poop.”
Moncton-based Prelam makes Just’s Drop and Just’a Spray, odour eliminators used before one goes to the bathroom. It’s one of the 17 New Brunswick companies joining the University of New Brunswick and Opportunities NB in the province’s largest multi-sector trade mission.
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For Jalbert, this is the 30th trip to China. He’s been trying to break that market for the past two years.
“That’s a big challenge to understand what they might want from Canada. The good news for us, the middle class is growing like crazy here, so they’re enjoying more the foreign products I guess,” he said.
Prelam’s products are now being sold at major Chinese retailers. But Jalbert’s schedule is no less gruelling. He said he had two-to-three hours of sleep a night since he left Canada on Saturday.
The days were spent in meetings with distributors, customers and retailers in Beijing, Shenzen, Hong Kong and Shanghai. He’s also working on creating social media content to reach consumers directly.
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Jalbert says it’s worth the effort. He recommends small and medium-sized businesses to take advantage of China’s growing population.
If you’re willing to open those markets, that’s part of the sacrifice, but it’s an ok sacrifice. For me, I’m used to it now. If you’re here, you’re here for business,” he said. “They’re looking for new products, new forms of products, and I want to make sure I get my feet on the ground for the next two years to take advantage of it.”
Over the past two years, Jalbert’s had a chance to see a little bit more of China each time he visited. He always tries to enjoy the sights and culture of the land.
“In Shanghai it’s beautiful. You should see the people in the street, it’s amazing. I do personally like the cultural side of things. Like, I just finished going to a hotpot restaurant, it’s a traditional hotpot from Beijing in Shanghai, so you can do a little bit of cultural side as you visit, for sure. You gotta mix fun into the business. That’s my philosophy anyways.”
But there are many things to adapt to. The Chinese, Jalbert said, are very business-oriented.
“They work very hard. If you came here in Shanghai or anywhere in China, you’ll notice that the people that do business [are] all business. Like us, I’m looking forward to go four-wheeling, go fishing or whatever, go to the beach in the summer in Shediac. But here, they’re all business,” he said.
“Normally, I would want to go to my hotel at five, but they would want to keep going until eight, nine, 10 at night to work. So I did have to adapt to the work ethic. The work ethic is very high. It’s a good example for us,” he said.
Jalbert said he’s taking notes.
“I enjoy learning from their work ethic and their passion for growing their business. I feel fortunate that I get to participate and personally, I feel fortunate that I’m able to be in China with ONB and to learn how to do business in China so we can export from Canada.”
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