Emigre Launches
Large Dental Lab
ADRIEN CHANDLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
B
oris Kaufman seemed to
work, besides pride in achieve-
growing a business are two dif-
have it all in Russia.
ment. It's the lure of opportu-
ferent things, Mr. Kaufman
He was a dentist in. - nity. Mr. Kaufman thinks that
says. "Even if your business is
Moscow, one pf the few
most emigres come here with
100 years old, it still doesn't
with a private prac#ceon the
the ide,aof being their own,looss-
mean anything. Success is an
side—a big house, fa&-y car,
es.
everyday procedure. It's an on-
a good income.
"The reality of capitaWn is
going effort. It takes a lot of
But something was missing:
much more attractive to immi-
hard work."
security. He realized there was
grants versus native Ameri-
Mr. Kaufman says his busi-
no future there.
cans. If I was never able to run,
ness is growing and transition-
"The rules were
ing. He's in the
changing all the
process of looking for
time," he says.
a larger site for the
"You never knew
main plant. He feels
when the govern-
they have now
ment would step in
crossed a barrier —
and take it away."
shifting from a
In 1978, at age
"Mom and Pop" op-
30, Mr. Kaufman
eration to a more
and his family em-
standard business
igrated to Detroit
operation.
with the help of an
He also has to
uncle. „.--------
stay on top of the lat-
Likr...-niany. emi
est trends in his
gres, despite-his ed-
field. His company
ucation and
supplies an exacting,
training, he had to
technical service and
start all over
product to demand-
again—arriving in
ing, highly educated
the United States
professionals. That
with ambition, but
requires a particular
little else.
approach—a varia-
"It was very
tion on the theme:
scary to come
the customer is al-
here," Mr. Kauf-
ways right.
man says. "It was
"He (the doctor)
like I'd never had a
will tell me how
career."That was
something is sup-
the first major step
posed to look. We
in his conversion
have to satisfy their
from communism
demands and work
to capitalism. Mr.
to their standards,"
Kaufman didn't
Mr. Kaufman says.
know any English.
"Lots of different doc-
But he had drive
tors means lots of dif-
and a vision—to
ferences of opinion."
build his own com-
But, Mr. Kauf-
Photo by Daniel Lippitt
pany. His first job Boris Kaufman runs a successful dental lab.
man adds, the keys
was cleaning a den-
are still customer
tal office in Pontiac.
for me, walking is great
service, consistency, quality and
In 1980, he started a dental
achievement," Mr. Kaufman
marketing. He's determined to
lab with one room and a part-
says.
build strong client relations, in-
ner. Shulman and Kaufman,
"You guys were born with
cluding offering continuing ed-
Inc. is now one of the largest
`quick legs' and you were always
ucation classes twice a year for
dental labs In Michigan, em-
able to run. To you it doesn't
the dentists who use his ser-
ploying 53 people at five sites
present any outstanding op-
vices.
across metro Detroit, with an-
Mr. Kaufman warns not to
nual sales of $2 million. Shul-
go into business for the wrong
man and Kaufman produces
reasons. In his opinion, being
bridges, crowns and other den-
unemployed isn't a reason to
tal fixtures.
take the plunge.
"It was my dream to grow a
"People who start a business
big, successful business," Mr.
with that kind of attitude rarely
Kaufman says. "I have a drive
survive. That's like jumping
to do something, be something
off a cliff."
in life, to prove to myself that
A jumping-off point, howev-
I am capable of doing it. Basi-
er, is knowledge, he says. Know-
cally for me, it was never a
ing the situation, knowing the
question, 'Can I or can't I?' It's
portunity," he adds. "For us, we
market and your niche, know-
part of me. If I wouldn't go out
traveled knowing we would be
ing demand for the product, and
on my own and build my own
able to do something like that.
you have the feeling that en-
business, I would miss some-
I find that a lot of immigrants
tering a certain field can offer
thing in my life. It's not even
really go after it. Among my
something extraordinary, new,
about the money. It's some
friends, almost every family I
and outstanding.
kind of achievement to have so
know owns something."Being a
"If people sincerely believe
we can look at it and say, Who°
successful entrepreneur also
that they are capable of doing
boy, it's great!' "
takes determination."
this, then they have a chance of
There's another element at
Starting a business and
surviving." ❑
a
"The reality of
capitalism is much
more attractive to
immigrants versus
native Americans."
ISRAEL DIGEST'
Specially compiled by The Jerusalem Post
—$1 EQUALS 2.974 NIS (shekels) - Close Price 12/1/93—
Israeli Economy Expands
The Israeli economy contin-
ued expanding in the past two
months, as private wages
dropped and inflation heated
up, according to Central Bu- •
reau of Statistics indicators re-
leased last week.
Exports grew 2.5 percent
during September and Octo-
ber, or 15 percent annually,
while consumer imports fell
8.2 percent. Retail sales rose
1.3 percent, reflecting contin-
ued strong growth in private
consumption.
Imports of industrial pro-
duction inputs and of machines
and equipment — indicators of
future industrial activity —
grew 6.7 percent and 10.7 per-
cent, respectively.
Foreign Investment Remains Low
Foreign capital investments are
budget for next year, noted
not coming, although govern-
that although the economy is
ment-subsidized industrial in-
expding, foreign invest-
vestments in Israel increased
ments are not.
significantly to $1.065 billion in
"I don't see foreign invest-
the last 10 months, according to
ments flowing in," he said.
Industry and Trade Minister
"Funds from abroad are reach-
Micha Harish.
ing the country, but they are not
Mr. Harish, who testified
directed at industry. The mon-
before the Knesset finance
ey is finding its way, for the mo-
committee on his ministry's ment, to the stock market"
`V Indicator Jumps
•
Economic activity expanded
significantly last month, ac-
cording to the Bank of Israel's
"S" indicator.
The "S," or state of the econ-
omy, indicator rose 1.2 percent
in October, following a 0.7 per-
cent increase in September,
according to preliminary fig-
ures released.
Since the end of the second
quarter, when the economy
slowed down as a result of the
closure of the territories, the
index jumped 5.2 percent as
the pace of economic activity
accelerated.
From the beginning of the
year it grew 7 percent, up from
6 percent during the same pe-
riod last year.
Retail sales contracted
slightly by 0.3 percent last
month, while imports fell 6
percent.
Koor Reports Profit Decrease
Koor Industries reported its
net profit for the third quarter
fell 13.8 percent during the
same period last year.
For the nine-month period,
Koor's net profit also fell. How-
ever, company officials point-
ed out that the company had
a large amount of one-time
gains during the first nine
months last year from ex-
penses related to provisions
set aside for Tadiran losses in
1989. This means that before
the one-time lossess, Koor
showed a 13 percent increase
in its operating profit.
For the third quarter, the
concern's operating profit fell
slightly and total revenue for
the nine-month period rose.
Koor's shareholders' equity
was 18.6 percent of the total
balance sheet, compared to 14
percent of the total balance
sheet at the end of 1992.
Refineries Deal With China
China's Jiujiang Petrochemi-
cal Complex may team up
with the Israel Oil Refineries
to develop and build an ethyl-
ene plant at the Jiujiang site,
according to businessman
Shaul Eisenberg and Wu
Guan Zheng, visiting gover-
nor of the Jiangxi Province.
The deal, which would in-
clude an expansion of the Jiu-
jiang plant, is worth
approximately $200 million.
The Oil Refineries would
provide technology and know-
how to the Chinese, said Mr.
Eisenberg.
Mr. Eisenberg is a major
shareholder in the Oil Re-
fineries, through his Israel
Corporation's 26 percent hold-
ing in the concern.
This would be one of the
first projects sponsored by Mr.
Eisenberg in China through
an Israeli firm.