American companies can prevail by exporting to China even if the products they sell include chopsticks. A company based in the southern U.S. state of Georgia has been exporting millions of pairs of wooden chopsticks to China annually. The factory has boosted the local economy hard-hit by the recession.

Georgia Chopsticks, based in Americus, Georgia, was founded by Korean-American businessman Jae Lee. He is not only living proof of the American dream but doing his part to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China.

The factory operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the company employs 60 full-time workers. Before the factory's grand opening, this Georgia town struggled with an unemployment rate of 12 percent. About 450 people applied for 60 jobs. More jobs and cash have flown into the regional economy as well the state's timber industry which has suffered a steep decline in recent years.

The United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Southern Research Station in Asheville, North Carolina, issued a report earlier this year written by Tony G. Johnson, Nathan McClure and Richard A. Willard, which provided an assessment of Georgia's timber industry in 2009. It said:

"In 2009, industrial roundwood output from Georgia forests totaled 1.05 billion cubic feet, 13 percent less than in 2007. Mill byproducts generated from primary manufacturers declined 29 percent to 292.4 million cubic feet. Almost all plant residues were used primarily for fuel and fiber products. Pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 597.4 million cubic feet. The number of primary processing plants was down from 168 in 2007 to 152 in 2009. Total receipts dropped from 1.22 billion cubic feet in 2007 to 1.05 in 2009."

Could Mr. Lee's strategy to export chopsticks to China bring an economic recovery to Georgia's timber industry? That may seem farfetched, but at least the Korean-American businessman is helping to sustain economic development for polar and gum trees grown in Georgia.

He noted these trees are "ideal" since they can produce wood for chopsticks that are "straight, pliable and light-colored," while costing less than a penny to manufacture a single pair. Mr. Lee envisioned a grand plan, because China contends with a shortage of timber. He's saving wooden chopsticks from potential extinction.

But not everyone supported his strategy at the beginning. He told Nick Allen of the Daily Telegraph in London, England, about how his friends, family and business associates were highly skeptical about his plan.

He said, "When I opened this business, the reaction from my friends and family was 'Are you crazy? Making chopsticks here?' But we've shown you can make something happen."

Mr. Lee is living proof that the American "can-do" spirit can still make one's dreams come true, even though many expected his project was doomed to failure, while economic conditions appeared dismal. But because of his persistence, he's become a successful businessman and leading member of the local community.

His exports come at an opportune time since the Chinese government is encouraging more imports into the country and seeking to pump up domestic consumer spending. Mr. Lee's chopsticks are sold in Chinese supermarkets. His goal now is to manufacture 10 million pairs of chopsticks a day by the end of the year.

His forecast for the company's future seems bold and brash, but it may likely come to fruition. Mr. Lee may reap even greater profits and a bigger share of China's chopsticks market in the years ahead. David Garriga of the Americus economic development council told the "Telegraph" that "the Pacific Rim, especially areas of China and Japan, they've run out of wood, but we have an abundance of it." According to Chinese statistics, the country's manufacturers produce 63 billion sets of chopsticks each year.

Susan White, an employee of Georgia Chopsticks, alludes to the most ironic aspect of her job duties which is to put "Made in U.S.A" labels on the utensils. She said, "I thought what everyone else thinks. Everywhere you see in America, it says, 'Made in China,' and you wonder if in China they ever see 'Made in America' labels."

This relates to a similar scenario when citizens of the United States purchase American flags and they see 'Made in China' labels marked on them.

Next time you're in China, visit a Chinese restaurant and take a look at the manufacturer's label on the chopsticks you're using. Who knows? You may likely stumble across "Made in U.S.A." chopsticks that could induce patriotic sentiments if you're an American in China.

Related

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• US export control disappoints China

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