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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2013 version)

  Kunshan, Incorporated: The Making of China's Richest Town

  William C. Kirby, Nora Bynum, Tracy Yuen Manty and Erica M. Zendell

  In 1980, the city of Kunshan was mere countryside, registering neither on the Chinese government's nor the international business community's radar. By 2010, Kunshan had become the richest city per capita in China and a global technology powerhouse, home to companies such as Foxconn, Compal Electronics, and Wistron. Kunshan's entrepreneurial, self-starting development combined with strategic location and high levels of local government support had been responsible for Kunshan's tremendous growth and success. How could it continue to grow at a rate to maintain its leadership among Chinese entrepreneurial cities? And would the founding of an international, joint-venture campus with Duke and Wuhan University keep the city of Kunshan innovative and ahead of the curve?

  Keywords: foreign investment; entrepreneurship; competition; emerging markets; FDI; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Innovation Leadership; Technology Industry; China; Taiwan Strait;

  Citation:

  Kirby, William C., Nora Bynum, Tracy Yuen Manty, and Erica M. Zendell. "Kunshan, Incorporated: The Making of China's Richest Town." Harvard Business School Case 313-103, May 2013. (Revised from original January 2013 version.)

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2013 (Revised from original 2009 version)

  Appellation Shanxi: Grace Vineyard

  William C. Kirby, Michael Shih-ta Chen and Keith Chi-ho Wong

  Grace Vineyard was a rare family-owned, private winery in China that was set on establishing itself as a world-renowned, quality vintner. Judy Leissner, the second-generation company leader, was at a crossroads in how she wanted to grow the business that her father founded in 1997. Their wines were rapidly growing a strong following and had won international awards. How could the company capitalize on this success? Should Grace expand its operations to multiple Chinese provinces? Should Grace continue as a premium boutique winery serving a growing but ultimately limited niche market in China, or should it seek to make a mark internationally? Or should Grace respond to buy-out offers?

  Keywords: Family Business; Growth and Development Strategy; Family Ownership; State Ownership; Expansion; Food and Beverage Industry; China;

  Citation:

  Kirby, William C., Michael Shih-ta Chen, and Keith Chi-ho Wong. "Appellation Shanxi: Grace Vineyard." Harvard Business School Case 309-075, February 2013. (Revised from original January 2009 version.)

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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | 2013

  Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (B)

  William C. Kirby, Nancy Hua Dai and Erica M. Zendell

  Supplements the A Case 308-058. With an almost forty-year history as a business in China, the Wanxiang Group has navigated through the significantly different political and economic changes in China to succeed as a global leader in the auto parts industry, and to develop into a broad business conglomerate. Beginning in 1994, when it first began its operations in the United States, Wanxiang started to expand its role as a parts supplier into a discerning acquirer of distressed companies in the U.S. While it saw acquisition as an exciting means for growth, company strategy at its Hangzhou, China headquarters also included vertical integration with a goal of developing a full-on electric car. Were these two goals divergent or complementary: mutually supportive or exclusive?

  Keywords: Business History; Global Strategy; Business Conglomerates; Vertical Integration; Goals and Objectives; Mergers and Acquisitions; Auto Industry; China; United States;

  Citation:

  Kirby, William C., Nancy Hua Dai, and Erica M. Zendell. "Wanxiang Group: A Chinese Company's Global Strategy (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 313-096, January 2013.

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