bizjournals: Enter the dragon

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They're not top-quality automobiles, and the Chinesee aren't the best drivers in the world, so in a few many of them will be headed tothe junkyard. When they do, Al-Jonn Inc., an Iowa manufacturer of recycling equipment, will be The company is already lining up distributorse in China forits $300,0009 car-crusher, which can process a load of automobiles in just 30 "We're going to have a good markeyt somewhere down the road," says Al-Jonh CEO Kendig Kneen. So will lots of other American U.S. exports to China were up 22 percenytlast year, and this growth rate will continue for the foreseeable future, says Craig Allen, the U.S.
Commerciall Service's senior officer in Beijing. (See .) The economu of China -- the world's most populoud country -- is growing by a robust 9 percena year. "Growth like that sucksd in a ton of imports inall areas," Allebn says. Every week, another Americam company opens itsfirst branch, store or franchise in Allen says. American companies have a good reputatio in China as selleras that stand behind their products, says Jim Morrison, president of the Smal Business Exporters Association. This helps open doors to new Several areas hold particular Developing China's information technology industry is a top priority for the Chinesde government.
That may create problemx for American IT companies inthe future, but for now, it'e an opportunity. China has surpassed Japanb as the second-largest producerr of electronics and IT products behinds theUnited States, but it still has to importg most of the core technologies, includinh computer chips, used in thess products. "We see nothing but growth in fron t ofus there," says Phil Pompa, a vice presidenf at SigmaTel Inc., an Austin, Texas-based manufacturef of integrated circuits used in MP3 personal computers and DVD players. China and Hong Kong alread account for more than halfof SigmaTel's sales.
The compan y recently opened an engineering center in Hong Kong to provide applicationxs and technical support to its Chinese China also is intent on developing its own software but American companies are finding loads of opportunities therwe for products at thehigh end. Northwesrt Analytical of Portland, Ore., for example, is sellingy its manufacturing process analysis software to a growintg number of customersin China. The company recently signee a partnership dealwith China's largest software company. Multinational companies that alreadytused NWA's software -- for example -- were the company's first customersd in China.
But NWA CEO Cliff Yee says Chinesd manufacturers are beginning to pay attention to improving theit industrial processes becausethey don't want to just be low-costy producers. "Their nationalistic goal," Yee says, "is to be the best manufacturer s anywhere inthe world." China is one of the fastest-growingv markets in the worlx for medical devices, and America n technology is viewed as the best. Alliance a 12-employee endoscope repair company based inBel Camp, Md., is lookinfg to double its sales by enterinfg the Chinese market.