Moscow madness : crime, corruption, and one man's pursuit of profit in the new Russia / Timothy Harper.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Harper, Timothy, 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Grajirena, Rick.

Businessmen--United States--Biography.

Businessmen.

Biography.

United States.

Russia (Federation).

Businessmen--Russia (Federation)--Biography.

Business ethics--Russia (Federation).

Business ethics.

Russia (Federation)--Commerce.

Commerce.

Beer industry--Russia (Federation).

Beer industry.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xi, 257 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : McGraw-Hill, [1999]

Summary:

Moscow Madness: A side effect of doing business in the former Soviet Union. Its symptoms include loss of: ambition, ethics, and all business--and common--sense. The affliction sneaks up on Americans who arrive at Moscow's airport with big dreams of getting rich in the exciting and turbulent gold rush of post-Communist Russia.

Take Rick Grajirena. Throughout the 1990s, journalist Tim Harper followed Grajirena, an American entrepreneur pursuing the seemingly straightforward goal of starting and running a business in the New Russia. But, as Harper recounts vividly, what starts off as an ambitious venture quickly turns into "madness."

It's 1992. Grajirena has a plan. He recognizes a lucrative opportunity--a chance to distribute a product that Russians prize like champagne: Miller Beer. To jump-start his dream, he founds First Republic, Inc., a Tampa-based company dedicated to opening new markets in the former Soviet Republic. Grajirena quickly finds out there's no such thing as business as usual in Russia.

His first challenge is to find a staff who would work--and think--like Americans; who, in short, could grasp such basic concepts as floor displays, customer service, and competition. Then comes the market research--not easy in a country where a phone book is a novelty. And the product launch, another first in Russia, hits a snag because the people on the street refuse to believe the samples are really free.

Cash-poor, with a razor-thin margin, and Budweiser nipping at his heels for every customer--Grajirena wonders what else could go wrong. Plenty.

While his staff rapidly adopts the "nyet" attitude of Moscow Madness, and he himself is beset by sinister late-night phone calls, unexplained break-ins, and even a spy in the office, Grajirena ingeniously confronts every problem, determined to do business as honestly as he would in the States. In the long-run, Grajirena survives and carves out his own bumpy road to an unconventional success.

Moscow Madness has a bit of everything--real-life intrigue, crime, cross-cultural confusion, and valuable front-line lessons for anyone interested in opening new territory ... anywhere.

Contents:

Part 1 Russia on Tap

Chapter 1 August 1994 3

Chapter 2 Grajirena 9

Chapter 3 Ludmilla 19

Chapter 4 Autumn 1991 27

Chapter 5 "A Little War" 34

Chapter 6 Souvenirs 42

Chapter 7 Spring 1992 50

Chapter 8 A Plan 57

Chapter 9 Groundwork 67

Chapter 10 1993 73

Chapter 11 Mitchell 81

Chapter 12 Zeiger 88

Chapter 13 Moscow Madness 98

Chapter 14 Underground Work 106

Chapter 15 Old Beer 113

Chapter 16 Winter 1993-94 120

Chapter 17 Customs 124

Chapter 18 Summer 1994 133

Chapter 19 Roofs 143

Chapter 20 Greco 152

Chapter 21 Winter 1994-95 161

Chapter 22 Out of Business 170

Chapter 23 Postmortem 175

Part 2 Hangover Helpers

Chapter 24 ORCA 183

Chapter 25 Rexall 190

Chapter 26 The Slav 198

Chapter 27 January 1998 208

Chapter 28 Mouthwash 215

Chapter 29 First Federation 222

Chapter 30 Greco-Russian 228

Chapter 31 Fizz and Fizzles 238

Chapter 32 At Home 246

Epilogue 251.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0070267006

OCLC:

40645685