SupplySide Global Experience China: Rochem

by Jon Benninger, Vice President, VIRGOs Health & Nutrition Network

Today began with a short walk to the offices of our documentary project underwriter, Rochem International, in the thriving port city of Qingdao. Their 27th floor office has a great view of the bay, including the starting point used for sailing events in the 2008 Olympics. In addition to funding our project, Rochem has connected us with companies and people that will be key sources for the story.

After introductions to their team by COO Matt Thiel and Vice General Manager Steven Gao, our video team captures interviews and B-roll. We wrap this up quickly because we have some stops to make before our afternoon flight to Beijing and Yinchuan.

First we walk to the bay for some great video and still shots so we can be sure to weave the story of our trip into the documentary. It's a great location, and one we would like to spend some more time at, but our schedule is tight. As the team gets the last shots, our vans pull up and we are off to the Qingdao Free Trade Port, the fourth  largest shipping port in China.

Upon arrival at the port, we stop at a logistics and consolidation company that Rochem uses. We learn about the systems that keep things organized, while a non-stop stream of trucks carrying shipping containers roll past. The containers rolling past are en route to the giant ships that will take them to destinations around the world.

We change vehicles because our vans won't be allowed to go any closer to the ships, but the shipping company has agreed to help us out. We roll past seemingly endless rows and stacks of 20-foot and 40-foot containers until we turn and see a line of massive ships being loaded and unloaded. They dwarf everything around them, and we are told we should stay close to the van. With the incredible traffic of trucks, containers and massive systems moving it all around and above us, we have no problem with that. We are told that each ship can hold 8,000 containers and they can be unloaded or loaded in just five to six hours. As we think about the global supply chain we are documenting, this spot really brings it home.

Scott, Pierce and Allen get what will surely be some cool video, including what will be a time lapse shot that I can't wait to see. As we wrap the film shoot, I can't resist the urge to look into Scott's camera and say "we're gonna need a bigger boat."

After thanking the contacts for hooking us up and loading our equipment back into our vans, we set off for the Qingdao Airport to catch our flight to Beijing and then connect to Yin Chuan in the Ningxia Province where we will tour Tairui Pharmaceutical  tomorrow.

The team has time to grab some beers and food before our flight, and everyone takes a deep breath and shares some laughs about our journey so far. We won't get to our hotel in Yin Chuan until about 11 p.m., and the next day starts early, so this bit of downtime is clearly enjoyed by everyone. After two flights and another drive in a packed van, we finally get to our hotel. Everyone is drained, and we call it a night.