Starting
from Scrap
An Entrepreneurial Success Story
by
Stephen H. Greer
BUSINESS / MEMOIR
How a young American became
a leading businessman in Asia
Stephen Greer arrived in Hong
Kong in 1993, a recent college grad with no financing, scant experience,
and only a notion of starting some kind of business. Fourteen years later,
his company Hartwell Pacific was a $250-million enterprise and a player in
the global scrap-metal recycling trade. Along the way he encountered
cultural roadblocks, ruthless and sometimes unscrupulous competitors, and
learned critical lessons in what makes a young business thrive. This
remarkable rags-to-riches story is chronicled here with humor, suspense,
and keen insights into Asian business and the strategies that made Greer a
highly successful entrepreneur.
Available
in all good bookshops. Or order online securely with any credit or debit card,
or with Paypal, by
clicking the button on the left. For other methods of
payment, see here.
MEDIA ATTENTION
"If you're lazy by
nature, then Hong Kong isn't your city. It's New York plus London plus
Tokyo with a double-shot of caffeine, a kind of dealmakers' paradise where
the overriding goal of practically everyone you meet is to make money, and
the principal subject of most conversations is how to wheel and deal and
make some more. No one comes to Hong Kong to improve his "work-life
balance," unless that means tilting the balance more toward work. For
Stephen Greer, Hong Kong proved to be the right place for his restless
spirit and untapped entrepreneurial energies." —
Wall Street Journal
An interview with
Stephen Greer at
Blog Business World
"I don't usually bother
with entrepreneur's stories, unless they happen to include the creation of
a major company. But Stephen Greer's Starting from Scrap: An
Entrepreneurial Success Story proved to be a compulsive read."
—
Reading, Writing re: Management
"Eventually, his
business was a big success and he sold the company for millions, but the
real excitement of the story was watching him try to figure everything out
along the way. If you enjoy the kinds of stories we post here, you’ll
enjoy the book." —
Business Opportunities
"This book is a wonderful read and a
must for young entrepreneurs who will relish this first-rate story telling
first hand of the trials and tribulations creating and building a scrap
metal business in the rough and tumble world of Asia. Stephen has earned
his mark as a true entrepreneur as well as a witty and talented writer.“ —
Robert Miller, founder of DFS / Duty Free Shoppers
“Stephen Greer proves with a fascinating
account of his business life that there are even more opportunities in
Asia as countries such as China, India and Vietnam opened up and
liberalize." — Marc Faber, world-famous economist; author of The
Gloom, Doom and Boom Report
"An encouraging story of success against
the odds which should be inspiring to young people around the world. This
is a book I highly recommend!" — Allan Zeman, leading Hong Kong
entrepreneur
"Every wannabe entrepreneur should read
this book. This is really starting from scratch and climbing the mountain
the hard way... But he gets there with sheer dogged determination, guts
and plenty plenty savvy. The story pulls you along over the hurdles and
bumps with some romance and touching moments too. The scrap metal business
is for the very tough and Mexico is for the suicidal... Greer tells his
story well in a matter-of-fact way with a becoming humility for one who
has achieved so much against all the odds at a very young age... A great
read and so good to see we are still breeding 'em!” — Simon Murray
CBE, former Managing Director of Hutchison Whampoa, former Chairman of
Deutsche Bank Asia; author of Legionnaire: Five Years in the French
Foreign Legion
"If you are an aspiring entrepreneur and
want to read a book about the raw and nerve wracking experiences of a
start up from scratch, this is a must read." — Po Chung, co-founder
of DHL International; co-author of The First 10 Yards:
The 5 Dynamics of Entrepreneurship
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