荷兰“中国迷”的事业：帮助外企在重庆落地生根

□ 文/本刊记者 胡睿

荷兰“中国迷”的事业：帮助外企在重庆落地生根

□ 文/本刊记者 胡睿

近年来，正值重庆对外开放、招商引资的快速发展时期，不论是商业巨头还是职场精英都希望在这个潜力之都大展拳脚。融入重庆，携手发展，外国驻渝领事机构、涉外商业人士来到重庆都大有可为。

Peter Kuppens（皮特·库朋斯）是来自荷兰的资深“中国迷”，从1998年第一次来到中国，就对这片发展中的土地抱有极大的期望和热爱。2008年，皮特开设了他的公司，专为外籍来华人员和外资企业提供从最基本的生活服务和解决方案，到商务咨询的全方位服务。同时，他的网站和公司也时常分享、推广在重庆等中国城市的生活和最新的资讯，吸引更多对重庆感兴趣的外资企业来渝，进行文化、投资方面的交流与合作。

在众多外资企业瞄准中国市场的今天，皮特作为早期来到中国西部地区发展事业的“老外”，对于重庆未来的商业发展有着乐观的期盼，也非常乐于成为搭建西方国家与重庆深入对接的桥梁。

重庆印象：中国最有潜力的内陆城市

皮特在上世纪90年代曾用10年时间环游世界，从欧洲出发，经俄罗斯、蒙古，一路来到中国。他不仅热爱中国，也洞察到中国的巨大市场，这也是后来他留在了这片土地上的重要原因。因为设想到会有大量的外资企业对中国市场感兴趣，但文化和语言的障碍和对中国城市的不了解可能会给外企来华的发展造成困难，所以皮特在成都和重庆开设了麦克斯林公司，由涉外房产中介开始，发展到为来自世界各国的外籍人员和外资企业提供商务咨询和住房服务。就这样，他在中国西部为这份事业打拼了十多年。

当问及皮特对重庆的印象时，他对重庆连年增长的GDP表示肯定，对重庆的经济发展非常看好。他认为重庆是中国最有潜力的内陆城市，“许多欧洲的品牌商都盯准了重庆的中高薪阶层的消费能力。比起成都，重庆的开放程度还有更多空间，正是因为这样，给了中外企业更多的投资、发展的机会，重庆未来的对外开放一定会做得更好。”

为苹果、福特等外企来渝提供全方面服务

起初，因为皮特服务的一家外资企业要建化工厂 ，他随团来渝考察。当他发现了重庆的潜力和市场后，就分别在成都和重庆设立了办公室。他的个人网站上显示，他是17个项目的主要创始人和负责人。如今，他自豪地分享自己在重庆主要的客户，是美国的福特汽车和苹果公司，公司主要为这两家外企提供信息及咨询服务。

皮特很了解，外企来渝，一开始都不熟悉山城的节奏和风格。苹果公司是他最大的客户，要在中国各大城市开设门店，公司作为苹果在中国的咨询顾问伙伴，为他们提供中国市场商业和生活调查报告，主要为苹果在中国国内零售的发展作出重要参考。基于每个城市的不同特点，皮特和团队会建议客户在符合当地消费者习惯的区域开设零售店和办公地址的选址建议。另外一项重要的服务，就是为客户的外籍员工安排符合他们生活习惯的住宿。

另一个让皮特引以为傲的客户是美国汽车大腕福特公司。自2001年，福特就与长安汽车合作在重庆设立工厂 ，2014年长安福特第三工厂建成，长安福特成为其在美国本土以外最大的工厂 ，重庆也跻身中国最大的汽车产业基地。据了解，扩大重庆生产基地的产能，是福特在中国和亚洲市场推进激进发展计划的关键一步。所以，帮助外企了解重庆当地市场的情况，为外籍员工提供最基本的生活服务成为麦克斯林业务的重要一环。类似这样的国际大品牌，皮特服务过不少，重庆的凯悦酒店和兰博基尼品牌酒店入驻时，都曾找到公司进行选址及市场信息的商业咨询。

帮助外籍员工找到称心如意的住房就是第一步。多数外籍人员需要房间内有洗碗机、洗衣机，现代摩登又实用的装潢。这些要求看似简单，但很多本地房东的房产都不能满足，于是需要经由他的公司改造装修。

对于企业而言，初次来渝对新新市场及当地政策的陌生会带来不少麻烦，皮特迅速意识到这一点，便在公司加入了资讯板块，帮助客户从申请营业执照到银行开户、纳税，再到提供熟悉当地的市场营销方案，提供一站式服务。另一方面，咨询服务的商业报告会按照客户需求罗列出一系列透明化的信息，为客户作出客观评估。他们还出版了一本中国的城市报告，内容着重于中国内陆城市的各项信息统计：包含每个城市的国际航班线路，国际学校的数量与分布，国际化的医疗设施，以及城市商圈的情况等各方面信息。报告展示了每个城市对外开放程度的对比和综合情况，让想来中国发展的外资企业透过数据直观了解各个城市的总体概况。

皮特认为，他的事业就是帮助外企在中国的城市落地生根。其实欧洲很多地方的商业人士都对投资中国十分感兴趣，但他们需要一个正确的渠道来了解今天的中国。皮特和他的团队希望通过努力让更多外国人了解中国市场，推动外资企业来渝投资，帮助重庆与外资企业友好地进行经贸往来。

（图片由受访者提供）

In recent years, it is the rapid development period for Chongqing to open to the outside world and attract investments. Whether the business giants or the professionals are hoping to make themselves a big name in this potential city. Co-developing and integrating into Chongqing, foreign consulates in Chongqing and foreign business people come to Chongqing for bright prospects.

When Peter Kuppens, a veteran “Chinese fan” from the Netherlands, came to China for the fi rst time in 1998, he already had great expectations and love for this growing land. In 2008, Peter found his Maxxelli company which aims to provide a full service from the basic life services and solutions to the business consulting for the foreign personnel and foreign-funded enterprises. Meanwhile, his website and company also share and popularize the life in Chongqing and other cities in China as well as the latest information to attract more foreign-funded enterprises, which are interested in Chongqing and other cities in China, to come to Chongqing and make the communication and cooperation in culture and investments.

Today, with more foreign-funded companies aiming at the Chinese market, Peter, as a “foreigner” who came to the western China in an early time, holds a optimistic expectation for the future commercial development in Chongqing and is willing to build a bridge for the further connection between the western countries and Chongqing.

Impression of Chongqing: The Most Potential Inland City in China

In the 1990s, Peter spent 10 years to travel around the world, starting from the Europe and going through the Russia and Mongolia, all the way to China. Due to the affection for China and the perception of the huge market in China, he stayed. He believed that although there would be a large number of foreignfunded enterprises becoming interested in the Chinese market, their unfamiliar with culture, language and the Chinese citieswould become an barrier for the their developments. That’s why Peter sets up Maxxelli companies in Chengdu and Chongqing, which fi rst involves the foreign real estate intermediary, and then the business consulting and housing services are provided to the foreign personnel and the foreign-funded enterprises from all over the world. In such a way, he has worked hard for this career in the western China for more than a decade.

When the journalist asked Peter about his impression on Chongqing, he showed a positive attitude towards Chongqing’s increasing GDP in successive years and its economic development. He regarded Chongqing as the most potential inland city in China,“Many European brands are targeting at the consumption ability of the middle-and-high-salaried stratum in Chongqing. Compared with Chengdu, there is more room for Chongqing’s openness. For that reason, more opportunities for the investment and development are given to both the domestic and foreign companies. Chongqing will surely make an even better job in opening to the outside world. ”

Full Service is Provided to Apple, Ford and Other Foreign Enterprises Coming into Chongqing

At first, because a foreign-funded enterprise Peter served at, was going to build a factory, he accompanied the delegation to visit Chongqing. When he discovered the potential and market of Chongqing, he set up Maxxelli of fi ces in Chengdu and Chongqing respectively. According to the personal website named by “Mr. Peter”, he is the main founder and person in charge for 17 events. Nowadays, he is proud to share his primary customers (i.e. the Ford and Apple) in Chongqing. The company mainly provides information and consulting services for this two foreign-funded enterprises.

Peter said that when those foreign companies first came to Chongqing, without exception they were not familiar with the rhythm and style of Chongqing as a mountain city. Apple, his largest customer, is going to open stores in the major cities in China. As Apple’s consultant in China, Maxxelli provides them with the business and life report of the Chinese market and makes important references for the development of the domestic retail stores. Based on the different characteristics of each city, Peter and his team will recommend the customers about how to set up the retail store to meet the local customers’ consuming habits and where to locate the of fi ce. Another important service is to arrange accommodations for the foreign customers in line with their living habits.

Peter is also proud of another customer, Ford, which is the biggest car-maker in America. Since 2001, Ford has set up factories in Chongqing together with Changan Automobile. And the third one was completed in 2014, which has made the Changan Ford the largest factory outside the U.S. and Chongqing one of the largest automobile industrial bases in China. It is understood that the expansion of the production capacity in Chongqing’s production base is a key step for Ford to promote the development plan in the Chinese and Asian market. Therefore, it is an important part of Maxxelli business to help foreign companies understand the local market situation in Chongqing and provide the most basic life service for foreign employees.

The fi rst step is to help the foreign employees fi nd a well-content shelter. The dishwasher, washing machine, modern and functional decoration are required by most foreign employees. As most local landlords’ houses can not meet the seemingly simple requirements, the decorations need to be transformed by Maxxelli. Now Maxxelli has its own brand of real estate, which focuses on this kind of house. Peter had served a lot of similar international brands. For example, when the Hyatt Hotel and Lamborghini were planning to settle in Chongqing, they had consulted Maxxelli about the information on the site selection and market.

For enterprises’ first visit to Chongqing, their unfamiliar with Chongqing’s supernew market and the local policy will bring a lot of trouble. So after his awareness of this, information sector is added, which provides the one-stop service to help customers from the application for a business license, the bank account, tax to the marketing program helping the customers be familiar with the local. On the other hand, the business report of the consulting service will list a series of transparent information according to the customer’s needs and make an objective assessment for the customers. Maxxelli published a book of Chinese cities’ reports, which focuses on the various information of the inland cities in China, including international flights in each city, the number and distribution of international schools, international medical facilities, and the city’s business districts and etc. The report shows the comparison and integration situations of the degree of opening up of each city, so that the foreign companies who want to come to China can have an overall pro fi le of the various cities through the data intuitively.

Peter believes that his career is to help foreign enterprises in Chinese cities to settle down. In fact, business people in many parts of Europe are very interested in investing in China, but what they need is a correct channel to understand the contemporary China. Peter and his team hope that through their efforts, more foreigners will get to know about Chinese market so as to promote the foreign investments in Chongqing and help Chongqing carry out economic and trade exchanges with foreign-funded companies in a friendly way.

(Pictures were provided by interviewees)

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