Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1989. január-június (43. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)

1989-01-05 / 1. szám

Thursday, Jan. 5. 1989.

AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ

11.

The fashion parade going on...

One of the USA's big names in jeans, Levi Strauss, founded a joint venture in Budapest early in 1988. The news aroused interest not only in Hungary but also in business circles around the world. In fact, this is the first time for the San Francisco-based firm to launch a venture with joint capital interests in Europe, with all the manufacturing bases of the network being fully Strauss-owned interests. The American company holds a 50.6 per cent share of the start-up capital of 72 million forints, and the remaining part is divided among several Hungarian enerprises, including the Centrum department store chain, Skálatex, a subsidiary of the Skála department store concern, and two trading enterprises for clothing articles, Tritex and Meteor.

many are exported to the United States.

The gray goslings are prized as sources of foie gras. This means confining the bird to less room then it requires to spread its wings, and to cram food down its throat wether the goose is hungry or not. This produces enlarged livers.

Neither purpose gives joy to associations dedicated to prevent cruelty to animals. Fortunately, said Kalman Szabó, who runs the poultry end of the Hungarian- Soviet Friendship farming conglomerate, no such groups exist in Hungary. Such criticism as reaches his ears, he said disparagingly, comes "from some old lady who has too much idle time."

The geese that are raised to contribute their feathers for human comfort lead particularly uncomfortable lives. Four or five times during the short span allotted to them, they are plucked. Mr. Szabó conceded that even the Western European countries that allow force feeding draw the line at plucking the birds alive.

"It’s like milking cows or shearing sheep", said László Toth, deputy chairman of the 1,600-member cooperative, which farms 17,500 acres outside this provincial town 50 miles south of Budapest. "Our specialists know how to pluck them painlessly."

THE WOMEN WHO PLUCK

The specialists are women, Mr. Szabó said, who on a good day can pluck 100 geese of about five ounces of their softest feathers each in three or four minutes a squirming bird.

"The geese are not happy about it and keep trying to jump out of their laps," Mr. Szabó said. "But if it is done carefully and at the right time, it’s only a bit of stress for the geese, not harmful."

After the last plucking, when winter approaches and cost accountants say it is more expensive to heat the goose sheds than their feathers are worth, the geese are given a reprieve of five weeks before being slaughtered. This is merely to allow their feathers to grow back, Mr. Szabó said. The machines that pluck the geese before sending them to the butcher stores can cope only with long feathers.

The down is graded by whiteness, softness and water content. The price that the cooperatives in this region obtain for a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of down ranges from 200 forint ($4.35) to 1,000 forint ($21.75). About half a kilogram stuffs one pillow.

Business is good, Mr. Szabó said.

Levi Strauss has had business relations with Hungarian enterprises for a decade. The Elegant May 1st Garment Factory and Hungarotex Hungarian Trading Company concluded in 1977 a cooperation contract under which the manufacture of jeans was begun in Hungary using the knowhow of the Levi Strauss firm. The greater part of the amount manufactured was sold in the domestic market while the rest was bought back by the American partner for own distribution. The agreement expired in 1987, and it was then that the idea was raised of establishing a joint venture based in Budapest for the manufacture of the whole Levi Clothing range. According to plans, an independent shop chain is to established partly for mar- 1 ting in Hungary and shop in s.iop will be created in the big d partment stores.

Arrangements are being made at full speed for the establishment of a new manufacturing plant. From the Knitwear Factory of

Kiskunhalas, Central Hungary, a manufacturing hall with a floor- space of 5000 square metres has been taken on lease by the joint venture, where the modern manufacturing lines and equipment to be supplied by the American partner will be located. The machines are worth some 1 million dollars. The whole of the plant will be an American-style enterprise where ideal workplace conditions will be created. With the new workers numbering some 200, a one-year contract will be concluded, and an extension will only be negotiated if the labour force have proved their skills. American organizers will direct the installation of the machinery, so that the arrangement of the places of work will comply with the requirements of the technology. The joint venture will receive finished products not only from the Kiskunhalas plant, but is has also concluded contracts with the Knitwear Factory of Mosonmagyaróvár, Western Hungary, and the Vác Knitwear Factory on

the manufacture of shirts, pullovers, leisure clothing items and accessories. Levi Strauss — Budapest Ltd. will also endeavour to buy the basic materials — as far as possible — from Hungarian suppliers.

The Hungarian denim will be sold not only in the Hungarian market. As previously the European network of the Levi Strauss firm will buy back a large amount of jeans. And it also intends to take over significant amounts of articles made from Hungarian basic materials. But apart from clothing items, the Levi Strauss firm wants to increase its purchases of other manufactures in Hungary. Thus, for example, it has placed orders with several Hungarian firms for bags and various packaging materials. It is planned to have the 1989 Levi calendars designed by Hungarian graphic artists and there are also ideas get it printed in Hungary too.

Zsuzsa Bán

No Bed of Feathers for a Goose in Hungary

RIPORT FROM HUNGARY

Kecskemét, Hungary. - The geese of the Hungarian-Soviet Friendship Cooperative Farm live short and unhappy lives.

They are hatched without benefit of Mother Goose, in ovenlike breeders, from eggs, that have been coddled for four weeks. One day old, the goslings are farmed out to private small-scale farmers, together with a couple of months’ worth of fodder that is specially prepared to make them excel at their two possible vocations.

One diet is good for their livers, the

other for their feathers. Neither is good for the bird's happiness.

Still the first eight or nine weeks of life are the only pleasant chapter. The gesse are fed and left alone to attain their full size. The fun stops when they have reached full goosehood. Their useful life begins then.

If they are white, their purpose is to provide the down for pillows and comforters, ski parkas or other clothes. Generally these are manufactured in Western Europe;

I am just back from a delightful holiday in Hungary where the American tourists get a real welcome. As Western Europe is very expensive, beautiful Budapest with its museums, attractive and interesting architecture, exciting excursions and its lovely opera house is a revelation.

One can have an excellent dinner with wine for $ 5. to $ 6., the eight-mile ride from the airport to your hotel in a taxi costs $ 4.50. There are thermal baths with radium content and you can have a massage for $ 4.

To my mind the best buy for accomodations is the Gellert Hotel overlooking the Danube. One hates to leave this attractive

country. Letter from the N.Y. Times

BUSINESS