China is taking a larger and larger share of the toy manufacturing business. Yet, in this exclusive interview, the CEO of the largest multinational toy distributor says his world famous workshop will never outsource a single job. Leaders of other multinational corporations would do well to take the advice of this visionary executive. The American Jobs Alliance asked Mr. Claus why he doesn't outsource.
"I didn't get to be Santa by chance. I had a vision and I stuck to it. People keep asking me 'Will Santa Claus ever shut down his North Pole Workshop and outsource his toys?' I say 'Ho, Ho Ho, the answer is No!' I'll tell you why, and whether you're naughty or nice, if you have a heart you'll agree with me.
"First, Santa's Workshop is a family business. I started it with Mrs. Claus. We decided to share ownership with our elves to reward their loyalty, dedication and hard work. Would you outsource your family? Furthermore, as a privately held operation, we don't have to answer to the gnomes of Zurich, the trolls of Wall Street or anyone else who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing! The only people Santa has to please are the children. That's who we all really work for at the North Pole, and that's the way it will be as long as I'm driving this sleigh.
"Second, Santa knows parents have to feel good about every toy we put in a child's hand. Santa likes to laugh but he takes his responsibility for quality control at every step of the toy-making process very seriously.
"Each toy from Santa's Workshop is made by artisan elves who have been with the company for years, sometimes even centuries. Why, in many cases, they actually invented the toys they're making today. Sure, the idea came from the imagination of some little girl or boy, but it took an elf to make it a reality. My elves are proud of the toys they make and they care about the smallest detail on each and every one. It's not the same with a toy made by an eleven or twelve year old child slaving in some factory in China. Santa believes children should be playing with toys or dreaming of them, not spending their childhood hours working their tiny hands manufacturing them on an assembly line.
"It's important to Santa that his Workshop is a happy place. Our elves are curious, playful and have a smile on their face and a twinkle in their eye when they work. The elves actually build their smiles and excitement into the toys, and that's why the toys give smiles and wonder to the children who play with them -- and to parents and grandparents who watch their children play.
"You might say Santa has a trade secret that makes the toys from his Workshop different from just any doll, train or bicycle. We put it into everything we make. We guard it carefully -- after all, it's the most precious thing in the universe, though the more of it you give away, the more you have.
"The secret ingredient that goes into each gift from Santa's Workshop can't be outsourced or counterfeited. It's called love. Without it, a toy is just a scrap of cloth or a lump of plastic that a child quickly forgets. But its magic will transform a block of wood or a bundle of string into joy and laughter and memories that last a lifetime.
"Here's a secret my competitors don't want you to know. It doesn't matter how much a gift costs, how big it is, or whether it's made of straw or gold. Because the real gift you're giving is love. You don't need money to buy it, but without it all the gifts in every store in the world won't make you happy.
"I don't look for a place to make things cheaper because at the end of the day, Santa has to answer the tough questions. When a wee toddler sits on my lap and asks 'Santa, where do toys come from?' I can say with pride, joy and Christmas cheer, 'Why, they come from the hearts and hands of our happy elves who turn love into magic. My elves put love into everything they do, and that's why everything they touch makes children everywhere happy.'
"Santa has some advice for anyone with any kind of workshop anywhere: You better watch out. It doesn't matter what you make -- what's important is how you make it. There's no substitute for the love you put into your work, and that's something you don't outsource."
With that, Mr. Claus then ended the interview with "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."