ODU Grad Ting Xu, Founder of Evergreen Enterprises, Is Landmark Executive-in-Residence Speaker
April 04, 2012
Ting Xu, an Old Dominion University graduate and founder and president of Evergreen Enterprises, the nation's largest flag designer and wholesaler, will be the next Landmark Executive-in-Residence speaker on the ODU campus.
The free program, sponsored by the College of Business and Public Administration, will be from 12:30-1:20 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, in Room 1005 of Constant Hall. Pizza and beverages will be provided.
Xu, who came to ODU from China as an international student, founded Evergreen Enterprises in her garage. While she worked as a computer programmer for the Virginia State Health Department in the early 1990s, her parents decided to retire early, immigrating to the United States to be closer to their children.
In an effort to launch a second career for her parents, Xu wanted to create a business that they could manage.
When she was introduced to a couple who made decorative flags in their home, that business idea was born. In 1993, Xu started Evergreen Enterprises with her brother James and her parents in the garage of their suburban Virginia home. Today the company is the nation's largest flag designer and wholesaler, producing millions of flags each year along with more than 12,000 other home and garden decor products.
As Evergreen's founder, Xu has experience working in every aspect of the company, including customer service, purchasing, shipping and collections. Primarily, her responsibilities focus today on strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions for Evergreen, which acquired Virginia-based national catalog company Plow & Hearth in 2010.
Xu, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees in computer science from ODU, is also actively involved with the Organization of Chinese Americans, various philanthropic efforts and the Maggie Walker Governors School.
Established in 2001, the Landmark Executive-in-Residence program is funded by an endowment from a group of former Landmark Communications executives in honor of Frank Batten Sr., former chairman of the executive committee of the Landmark board and first rector of the ODU Board of Visitors.
The program is dedicated to bringing accomplished business leaders, many of whom are ODU alumni, to campus to share their history and vision, giving students the opportunity to learn firsthand about the strategies and experiences that forge great ethical global leaders.