CIIP: Welcome and thank you Mr. Grinfeld. would you please give us a basic overall introduction of your company in Changzhou? We’d like to know the over goals and motivating factors of Propel Design.

Mr. Grinfeld: Propel is a design and engineering company created out of pure passion for the aesthetics and functions of the products that each of us is using in his daily life.
We have the knowledge and experience to bring true innovation to every aspect of a product's life: design, functions, quality, materials, production and end-of-use. We work on a wide variety of products from home and industrial appliances, transportation and agriculture machinery, sport items and more. working hand in hand with our clients insure easy communication, efficient work flow and optimal results. those are the key features for creating a successful product that is appreciated and achieve the expectations of both the manufacturer and consumer.
Our main goal in Propel is to offer local Chinese companies the opportunity to develop high end products inline with the latest designs and technologies that comply with international market.     

CIIP: What were the contributing reasons for you to choose Changzhou as your site for operation?

Mr. Grinfeld: Due to the nature of our work, it requires us to follow the development of projects, closely with our clients, often in their own offices and factories. After operating in different areas in China, we find Changzhou to be in a strategic location, only a few train hours away from Ningbo, Shanghai, Hangzhou or Tianjin, where most of our clients are located.
Beside the relative comfort of it's location, Changzhou offer low operating costs compare to other big cities, while still being a comfortable and highly developed city to work and live in.
Above all, the comfort of having an office inside the China-Israel Park, allow us to concentrate on our main business enjoying the support and services of the CIP.      

CIIP: Would you be willing to site specific advantages that Changzhou offered compared to other Chinese cities for your company?

Mr. Grinfeld: From the professional point of view, the fact that Changzhou is not yet a major destination for foreigners leaves it more intimate in a way and allow us as a foreign design studio to offer a truly unique design experience for our clients.

CIIP: Do the support services provided by our city satisfy your needs successfully – is there any area we are falling short that you’d like to see remedied?

Mr. Grinfeld: We find our operation here in Changzhou pretty smooth. any question or request is usually answered quickly by the Park's administration team. as residents in the park we already enjoy some exposure and we would love to see this matter evolved even more. we find that there are not enough local exhibitions, events or other opportunities for us to "fish" for local clients, which forces us to travel to other areas in china and eventually work with clients from other cities.      

CIIP: Can you provide some examples of your worldwide customer base, and are there Chinese customers now at your access? How do you provide for them both? Is there a difference in customer service issues?

Mr. Grinfeld: from the beginning our scope as a company is to provide high quality design services to local Chinese costumers. we have clients from different areas in China from Ningbo to Tianjin and we are working to enlarge the number of our local clients from Jiangsu. in addition, we have international clients that find our location in the heart of the Chinese industry as an advantage.
we have clients from Israel, Korea and Europe.

CIIP: Can you describe what your company brings to the China Israel CZ Cooperation Park which is unique? How does this scientific cooperative alliance roll out for each country?

Mr. Grinfeld: as for now, we are the only R&D company in the CZ cooperation park. we provide a full product development solution from market research to design and engineering all in our office. our services can offer other companies in the park the opportunity to improve their products or come out with new innovative ones.   

CIIP: How long have you stay in Changzhou and what is your impression of the city so far?
Is living here easy for you? What do you miss about living in your own country?

Mr. Grinfeld: It's been almost 3 years now that I live in Changzhou and it feels more and more like home. the impressive city's infrastructure seem to evolve and improve constantly for the better, making for a comfortable living and working environment. I would though, love to see Changzhou, and Wujin in particular, develop their recreational and leisure options more. those are among the things that I find missing the most here in the city. I'm talking about bars and coffee places other than Starbucks, museums, exhibitions, live performance and cultural events.
looking forward to see how the opening of the coming metro is going to effect our lives turning all areas of the city to be within reach.   

CIIP: Is your plan to stay here on a long term basis, or will you only spend a short time and return to your homeland?

Mr. Grinfeld: as it is, I'm basing my entire personal and professional life here in the city. Changzhou is the place where I come home to and the center of my company's operation. I feel like I have the obligation to contribute to the development of the city and the local economy as someone that plan to stay here for many years to come.