Remi Basior, President at Tempus Development Solutions (USA) & Sphera International (Taiwan)

What I love about running a online business is the global scale and influence you can quickly achieve, what I find inspiring is that Remi is in the process of doing the same in the physical world with Tempus Development Solutions based out of the USA and Sphera International out of Taiwan. Just an awesome interview – so much insight in global business!

• Manufacturers who successfully presented their capabilities and flourished are the ones who stepped outside their initial comfort zones.
• Any real business is always an ever evolving and breathing entity, which needs to adjust, adapt, grow and flourish with the right people leading it to success.
• Around 80% calcium carbonate and 20% HDPE, although this does range slightly between the few differing Stone Paper types – yes, Stone Paper is made with real stone!
• Prove yourself in a market you dominate then grow globally while keeping a keen eye on opportunities and proper investments.

You can get a hold of Remi by visiting his company Sphera International at http://Spherai.com.

Before we begin with the interview, we had a quick chat about countless manufacturers and designers having no idea about marketing their products in a presentable fashion. Why do you think this is the case and do you have any insight as to simple steps that can be done to increase the awareness of a company with little budget on a global playing field?

This has certainly been the case for many Asian manufacturers who, for the most part, have grown their respective companies based on specific client needs. While the core of their expertise has been manufacturing, they have not devoted adequate resources to market-targeted strategies, in order to account for any potential turmoil, and of course to accommodate ongoing sustainable growth through innovation.

There is no universal formula to marketing products in a presentable fashion, as there are many variables involved for each unique case. However, there are basic fundamentals, which hold true across the board; these include communication, understanding, shared vision and responsibility. Manufacturers who successfully presented their capabilities and flourished are the ones who stepped outside their initial comfort zones. They have consistently invested into product innovation and relentlessly sought out clients in diversified world markets, based on the aforementioned marketing prerequisites. Effective and presentable marketing is the culmination of all of these factors.

Designers and inventors are really an amazing breed of passionate and innovative individuals; they can unilaterally conceptualize an idea and bring the project to creation through their own and/or collaborative efforts. While some may be market savvy and well networked, the reality is that most aren’t. There are always unique and innovative ways to market a business or product globally, and we have been empowered with numerous technological tools, which can be utilized to do exactly that. While these tools can aid in increasing company or product awareness, the core of most businesses is still synonymous with trust, commitment and the ability to interpersonally connect and professionally deliver a product or service. Companies and individuals ought to invest in themselves, while allocating meaningful budgets, to connect with like-minded individuals and companies, in order to realize their respective initiatives and projects.

Depending on the product, audience and location, there is a great number of ways to effectively and inexpensively get relevant information out. This can range anywhere from setting up a simple website with little to no budget, to getting carefully targeted individuals on a Skype call, followed up with e-mails complete with presentable information on a specific product or service.

It is now easier than ever to connect with key decision makers on platforms like LinkedIn or join relevant discussions on forums in order to get a good level of attention. Asking for introductions from personal or professional contacts is always a sure way to extend one’s reach. One can dare to get even more creative through using social media, going after venture capital from either traditional angel investor platforms or on-line resources, to even reaching out to TV investment reality series. A solid example of attainable national TV exposure can be found here:

The Parax Stone Paper product pitch can be found at the 42:30 mark. Finally, let’s not overlook the value of attending local conferences and expos. Any of these choices can provide a high level of exposure and increase valuable contacts necessary to creatively devise marketing and business growth with minimal budgets.

Those who find premium marketing budgets out of reach may find solace through being consistently innovative, daring, fluid and persistent, while mixing all these – and many more attributes – with immense work ethic and unwavering conviction. Often times this is the exact, worthwhile and enlightening path necessary to bring all pieces of any personal and professional puzzle to light.

Stone Paper factory in Shenyang China: another part the clean and efficient production process

You spent most of your time growing-up and working in the United States, then all of a sudden, in 2003, you jumped straight into doing business development for Rytasia in Taiwan! How did that opportunity present itself and what was it like when you first arrived without being able to speak a word of Mandarin?

I was 10 years old when my family moved to the States. It was quite a personal experience to immigrate – more appropriately “be exiled” – from communist Poland to a completely different world in the US. I feel quite fortunate to have grown up in a courageous household with amazing parents and a sibling who have instilled a strong sense of morals, work ethic, drive and values throughout this life-changing transition.

The complete personal and professional overhaul in 2003 didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it was many years in the making, prior to moving and starting an export company from scratch in Taiwan. My first trip there was in 2000, to visit my sister and nieces. At the time Taiwan was not my personal cup of tea but it did in fact leave a lasting impression for future potential and possibilities; the seed was definitely planted. It took me another three years in the US to clearly understand that my collective corporate experience was not where my professional and personal elements could flourish.

I was fortunate to work with amazing individuals on various projects in a few companies since my University years. Throughout my corporate work experience, it has always been obvious that anything dealing with business development provided me with sense of purpose and fulfillment. During those years, I also took the time to write a number of business plans – none of them translated into viable companies but the motivation and ongoing effort to create “something” was always there. In addition, I chose some corporate positions, which were outside my personal and professional domain; however, these experiences, too, happened for a reason. They were necessary to realize where I truly needed to be in life. Lastly, prior to the move to Taiwan, I partook in a small business venture involving satellite TV sales and installations, which was new to the markets at that time. That was truly the first taste of working for myself.

Breaking away from the corporate world gave me a push I needed to further pursue business within the international playing field. I am very happy to have experienced professional peaks, as well as downfalls, as they have ultimately provided me with a solid foundation of crucial personal, professional and core business elements in order to run a future successful business.

These collective experiences ultimately resulted in the decision to follow my inner calling to pursue international business. Following, were a number of very in-depth conversations with my sister – who also now happens to be an amazing Business Partner. I decided to make the move to Taiwan and invest into building an export company. This was not an easy task and it demanded many personal and professional sacrifices along the way. Nonetheless, this journey has been empowering and worth every moment.

The language aspect has been a whole other adventure. Fortunately for me, Taiwan is an amazing place, where not only do so many people speak English but are also warm, friendly and very welcoming. I have learned enough Mandarin over the years to make people chuckle but for the most part I have concentrated on professional relationships, as opposed to the language itself. While language limitations are not a major barrier between the right people, it undeniably helps to have a Business Partner who is fluent in Mandarin.

After working at Rytasia, you got the entrepreneurial bug and began a new business in Taiwan distributing Stone Paper among a few other products and a few months later, another in Dallas Texas, across a variety of fields with Tempus Development Solutions. How did that all come about and what was it about Stone Paper that got you so excited to leave a job to start two businesses?

In all reality, I have had the entrepreneurial bug since probably the age of 12. I can distinctly recall transforming my room into an office and inviting my parents in for a meeting. This was a very short-lived business venture, as right after this first “client” meeting, the bed had to come back and the desk was a sore sight in the middle of my bedroom. Surely my disgruntled “clients” didn’t appreciate it but at least they had a good laugh at my name tag, strategically placed in the middle of the desk.

The first business I built with my sister in Taiwan was an export company, an off-shoot of an existing family business, which previously aimed at importing. During these years, we learned that this infrastructure was not allowing our business to grow to its full potential, thus we decided to establish a solid, non-limiting, real business platform in order to properly handle international projects, expansion and partnerships. Thus, Sphera International was born. Any real business is always an ever evolving and breathing entity, which needs to adjust, adapt, grow and flourish with the right people leading it to success.

We built our business through carving out supply channels in multiple countries, by developing and manufacturing various product groups over the years. Through these trying efforts we devised our international niche in multi-family building development product supply. Tempus Development Solutions was a natural step to further scale our business. This new local US presence accounted for supplying our brands to building development projects, which require local sourcing and incremental shipping, as opposed to direct product supply solutions from Asia. We are currently working on further expanding our Tempus brands to offer them directly to residential customers. Our product ranges are unique and beautifully designed, making them amazing enhancements to any home or establishment.

As far as Stone Paper goes, it came into the picture about six years ago. One afternoon, my sister put a Stone Paper sheet on my desk, telling me it was made of stone! Consumed with my work, I simply shrugged it off and continued late into the night. While watching the sunrise, which was a very common occurrence for me when working, I finally glanced at the stone paper sheet. I couldn’t help but notice being surrounded by various paper items all over my desk. Struck by an epiphany, I suddenly couldn’t wait to find out more about this Stone Paper. A few phone calls and two days later, we were on our way to the Stone Paper factory in Southern Taiwan to discuss business possibilities. The Stone Paper journey really started with my Business Partner running into an unstaffed stand at an environmental expo in Taipei, and visualizing possibilities for an addition and diversification of our business.

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I have to be honest, I never heard of Stone Paper before we started corresponding. I realize that it’s paper actually made out of stone that’s waterproof, uses no chemicals or trees and is photo-degradable. Can you give me a few case studies as to why people use it over traditional paper (or a laptop) and what demand has been like since you started your distribution of this product?

There is a first time for everything; I’m extremely happy you’ve finally heard about it! Stone Paper in its raw form is intended for the professional print and conversion markets; think converting Stone Paper into stationery, secondary packaging, bags, thermoformed containers, labels and many other applications we use on a daily basis.

It’s really true, and likewise astonishing, that in fact no trees, no water and no harmful chemicals are used in the manufacturing of Stone Paper. Its production also requires less than half the energy as compared to virgin pulp paper, and there is absolutely no waste in the production process. The technology and manufacturing behind this environmentally remarkable product are seriously fascinating. When we first introduced Stone Paper, under our Kampier brand, at the Paperworld Expo in Frankfurt, we had no qualms telling people it was made by dragons and fairies. It made for a good laugh as countless people had to ask a few times if it’s really made out of stone. Stone Paper is indeed an incredible invention.

There are several larger scale examples why Stone Paper is favored: from all 7-11 convenience stores in Taiwan using Stone Paper labels for refrigeration shelving (because of Stone Paper’s inherent durable and waterproof attributes) to Burt’s Bees in the United States, having utilized Stone Paper for their respective hand bar soaps under the TerraSkin brand. Furthermore, it’s an excellent ecological alternative for wine bottle or other glass bottle labeling, based not only on the waterproof and durability aspects, but also on its luxurious feel. Same goes for replacing pulp paper and plastic retail bags, as the ecological and tear-resistance aspects of Stone Paper really come into play here. We are also currently working on very large-scale and high profile projects, which have been a long time in the making and these, too, will provide more practical and innovative applications in the near future.

Of course we cannot leave out daily-use stationery applications, as these are always the best personal case studies. Our current assortment of various Parax Stone Paper products, available in Europe, can be found on www.paraxpaper.co.uk . We find that once people try Stone Paper, they usually don’t go back to using regular paper. It’s incredible to write on, feels luxurious, is extremely durable – especially for bags – and provides a purely ecological peace of mind, which just happens to be Cradle to Cradle Silver certified. You can’t go wrong in this case!

Demand has been picking up significantly. One of the biggest challenges in the beginning were supply constrictions, which have been resolved through mass factory scaling, resulting in much needed additional capacity. This has allowed us, and others, to concentrate on projects of significant magnitude. Whether it’s small, medium or very large projects and product concepts, more professionals and companies are paying closer attention to the potential this revolutionary and proven product offers.

Where does the product come from and how is it made? Is it just stones crushed to a fine powder then compressed into a sheet or is something more extensive and complex?

It’s exactly that: calcium carbonate crushed to a fine powder, about ten times finer than our hair, further bound by High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). There is clearly a bit more detail to the actual manufacturing process but it is these two major components, which are literally blown up into the air and compressed into sheets. The final breakdown is right around 80% calcium carbonate and 20% HDPE, although this does range slightly between the few differing Stone Paper types.

The Stone Paper concept was invented in Taiwan about 20 years ago but perfected for mass manufacturing roughly 6 years ago. Late last year, the first mass scale factory was opened outside of Shenyang, China and it is truly an awe-inspiring operation. Further expansion throughout China is in current planning and execution stages, thus further scaling much needed demand for additional supply in world markets. With time, it will certainly be feasible to bring more localized manufacturing in various world regions, which will streamline supply and make local recycling and full resource re-usability a complete ecological reality.

The calcium carbonate comes from commonplace stone quarries located quite close to the Stone Paper factory. As calcium carbonate is one of the most abundant resources – and it is naturally white, thus bypassing the need for any bleaching – it is the ideal substance to incorporate into a new paper concept. In addition to all of the Stone Paper attributes and energy savings, a significant bonus for me is that there is absolutely no waste in the production process. All the paper trimmings are recycled back – rather effortlessly – within the facilities, and plugged right back into the mass production.

As Stone Paper demand grows, this simple yet compelling concept is exactly what can be applied in the form of regional collection, or recycling centers, in order to provide an endless re-generation of the two main ingredients. At that point, not much additional calcium carbonate mining will be necessary. I always do say all great things come with time, even though it may take a while, all the right pieces are evidently coming together.

Stone Paper factory in Shenyang, China: clean production line process saving 50% energy when compared to virgin pulp paper manufacturing

I saw your comparison chart (http://www.kampier.com/en/comparison.php) and it seems to have incredible potential. How competitive is the price compared to pulp or synthetic paper and what is it about Stone Paper that doesn’t make it work with office printers – that seems like the best place to use it in!

It does have incredible potential indeed and it is getting there one project at a time to completely redefine the Paper Industry as we know it. It won’t completely replace pulp paper simply because of its sheer global demand, but with some time, it will cover anywhere from 5% – 10% of the world Paper usage.

On average, raw Stone Paper is roughly up to 20% more expensive than regular paper. This of course is very relative, as there are so many paper types, that sometimes it can actually be lower in cost than pulp paper. Of course with the cheapest grade recycled papers the cost difference is much higher, but then again this would be like comparing a space ship to a tricycle in look, feel, function and all other pertinent aspects.

As far as synthetic papers are concerned, Stone Paper is more viable from a cost perspective; its costs are significantly lower. Another notable benefit of Stone Paper is that it is extremely versatile; with four core paper types it becomes a substitute for regular papers, boards, thermoform plastics, film, as well as other applications. Additional innovative applications were made possible through Sphera International’s considerable R&D efforts.

In terms of office printers and copy machines, these are out of the Stone Paper scope, as they use a large amount of heat for printing. Since Stone Paper’s composition includes a low percentage of HDPE, it would melt if used in most laser printers or copy machines. The world volumes for printer and copy machine papers are simply staggering and Stone Paper is currently not competitively priced for this market segment. This, as well as the current lack of interest from printing machine manufacturers to come up with low heat printers or copy machines, keeps this possibility off the table. Of course with ongoing technological progression, this print segment will thankfully become even smaller in the not so far off future, thus saving more trees and protecting their respective ecosystems.

Joanna Yeh – President of Sphera International with Remi Basior at Shanyang, China Stone Paper factory grand opening

What is it like running a business with your sister compared to running it alone or a large corporation? What are some of the challenges you have and how do you keep family and business separate?

I couldn’t imagine running our business, or any business for that matter, alone. There are countless personal and professional facets to any venture, which any single individual would have a very difficult time applying effectively. It’s really been an amazing experience from the start and this working relationship and our business have not only persevered but flourished throughout the last decade. We ought to surround ourselves with the best and trustworthy individuals in order to succeed. I have been fortunate to collaborate with such a Business Partner who just happened to be a sibling. It’s been a very complementary work dynamic between the two of us, further enhanced by a remarkable group of truly unique, inspiring and dedicated team members.

While there are often various challenges in business, we never lacked utmost trust, respect and the ability to separate the family dynamic from the business aspects. After all, business is business and we both realize what needs to be done in order to move ahead effectively and professionally at all times.

Even though there are times when we do run our business like a large corporation, namely from a process and accountability perspective, there is definitely a great sense of camaraderie, respecting individualism and giving ample room to create one’s vision and bring amazing projects to fruition. Initiating new projects or direction can happen very quickly, whereas this would not be possible in a very large corporation. A perfect example of this at work was my personal shrug dismissing Stone Paper. However, it only took a couple of days to discuss and envision direction and be well on our way to talk terms with the manufacturer. Something exciting is always happening and I couldn’t imagine better individuals at my side to ride with through this journey; I look forward to bringing more special people along for this fascinating ride.

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Are you looking for distributors and partnerships for Stone Paper? I’m pretty sure I saw paper being sold while I was scuba diving 20 years ago which could also be used underwater. What are some of the major barriers to entry or challenges you experience trying to sell your product?

We are currently working on launching a few strategic markets and partnerships for converted product distribution in Europe, as well as in the Americas. While there are several distributors of Stone Paper in various countries, our core concentration at this point – after having launched raw Stone Paper distribution in a number of markets in the past – is Central and Eastern Europe. This includes raw Stone Paper distribution along with further reaching out into selective markets through solid partnerships, concentrating on a wide range of converted Stone Paper products. This model has been working quite well and it allows us to use sophisticated conversions in Taiwan and Europe. We are open to additional partnerships in select markets; however, there is a rather stringent criteria in terms of existing business structure and investment allocation for a proper market launch and continuous growth.

Certainly there have been other papers, which can be utilized under water, but the biggest distinguishing factor is what these papers actually are. Some are made of mostly harmful plastic while others are just expensively coated pulp paper. Neither of these “solutions” is ecological nor economical. There is only one real and ecological Stone Paper, which is patented in over 40 countries and Cradle to Cradle Silver certified. Stone Paper performs ideally under water and I can personally vouch for that after having used our I AM WATERPROOF notebook with extraordinary results.

One of the biggest challenges of bringing raw Stone Paper distribution into a new market is getting printers and converters to not only try a new product, but also to pitch it to their clients. This hasn’t always been easy, hence a bigger push is necessary in marketing and directly targeting strategic end-clients. It’s always helpful when a client requests a possible alternative at which point printers and converters are more responsive to client-communicated needs. Luckily, there are quite a few visionary printers and converters who have been advocating this ecological change themselves. Likewise, it’s been beneficial to support and sponsor a number of forums, including TEDx events in Poland, to further pass worthwhile information out to the masses. All the collective efforts, mutual support and vision are coming together in a number of markets.

Manufacturing, supply and distribution are really working and manifesting very satisfactory results. Any time a strategy comes to life, breathes and truly functions, it creates feelings of accomplishment and fulfillment.

Anny Ma – Executive Creative Director and Remi Basior finalizing Tempus 3D innovative wall tile manufacturing details in Chaozhou, China

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you again Jon for reaching out with this interview, it’s always a great pleasure to share knowledge and experiences with others. Likewise, it’s great to see professionals like yourself honing in on their respective elements and providing others with insightful and very worthwhile information. Wishing you much success with your personal and professional passions and looking forward to staying in contact. My very best to you.