Jianwen Industrial (HK) Co., Ltd

Crafting ceramic decors by a perfect blending of classic works and modern trends

Ceramics has been a form of fine art for appreciation ever since the beginning of history. In recent years, Asian manufacturers are putting up great ceramics and polyresin products in global markets with ingenuity, superior craftsmanship, creativity and trend-consciousness. With more than a decade of experience in the industry, Jianwen Industrial (HK) Co., Ltd. is surely one of the leading veterans in the trade.

Established in 1987, Jianwen Industrial is now a 4,500-people strong company, with its 200,000 sq.m. production base located in ShuangYang Industrial Park in Quanzhou of Fujian Province of China. The Fujian plant is the heart of Jianwen's manufacturing operations, handling all production procedures from design, casting, painting, glazing, firing to final packaging for shipment.

Speaking of the company's export markets and the scope of clients, Mr. Autumn Yeung, Managing Director of Jianwen Industrial (HK) Co., Ltd., says the company is a typical Hong Kong export business with its dominant focus on the Euro-American markets.

Ceramic and polyresin decors may look simple enough to produce without involving much of the very sophisticated technologies. Yet making a fine piece of ceramic decor still requires both teamwork and the aid of modern machinery. Autumn Yeung explained the process, "After we have received the confirmed designs and the production specifications, we will have them transferred to the production staff for making the moulds. The cast pieces, after trimming, will go for painting and firing (i.e. reheating in the oven to consolidate the paint). Upon completing these steps, we shall apply glaze on the semi-finished items for a second firing procedure. Final touch-up will be done after the second firing and now the items are almost ready to go."

Even if this is a standard workflow and the items are produced under a stringent QC system, Autumn Yeung conceded that the sales performance of ceramic d?or is largely determined by the popular trends. The best conceived idea may not be able to get on to the bandwagon at all times. "Sometimes we do mis-calculate the market. For example, we have some of the items that were intended for the European market originally. However, they turned out a big hit in the American market instead. Nevertheless, we see that the western customers are still remained with crazed interest in the so-called Oriental style, no matter it is about the Qing Dynasty or anything in the East."

Autumn Yeung further pointed out that one must first have a good understanding of the western life-style in order to capture the customers' taste. He elaborated, "To the Europeans or the Americans, ceramic decors are part of their lives and a form of enjoyment. They like to decorate their homes and even the office space with small ceramic frames or items for showing family pictures, to give out a warm feeling when complementing each other. This is the kind of cultural difference that we as Asians need to understand."

Due to a diverse spectrum of customers' interest and taste, certain artistic sense is required for picking the niche designs in the ceramic decor market. Autumn Yeung revealed many of their designs came about through personal observations, or by having foreign design talents in the target markets to give inputs for tailor-making the appropriate items. Autumn Yeung said, "As mentioned, you may really need to live 'there' in order to fully appreciate the tastes and interests of the locals. For that reason, we hire freelance designers in the US to help in the product design process. Our production staff in mainland China will handle most of the crafting, painting, patching and other finalizing procedures."

"To keep abreast of the popular trends, we regularly visit the major gift shows in Europe and the US. We learn the latest market trends and gain design inspirations from these fairs and apply them to the creative work. For example, I had been to Italy in person to look for new trends."

In the meantime, Jianwen deals mainly with major importers and wholesalers in the US and European countries. Among them, the big names like JC Penny or Wal-Mart constitute the majority of Jianwen's business. Autumn Yeung said, "We also have quite a good share of sales with some clients in the mail-order business. In certain instances, they may resell some of their stocks to JC Penny or Wal-Mart. Until now, we focus mainly on the mid-range markets."

Other than the design and outlook, the size of the products does matter in the trade. Autumn Yeung explained, "The Americans and the Europeans demand different sizes for the same item or model. The Americans always prefer large items, while the Europeans favor a more compact size. Such difference matters even in the seemingly most ordinary items, such as paper rolls."

Besides the company's own designs, Jianwen also produces for customers' made-to-order designs, the kind of cooperation that is otherwise termed as "OEM" in the electronics industry. "We have been working on a lot of licensing items, like the Disneyland in the US and Japan."

Building on its commitment to supreme quality and design innovations, Jianwen has achieved a solid reputation and strong sales in the market. Autumn Yeung described, "I am always working on new ideas. Recently, we are looking at tabletop d?or markets. We stick mostly to the classic design lines, such as European classical styles."

"We can turn out 50 to 60 containers' load of ceramic decors every month. In 2002, our company had been able to achieve all-time-high revenue of more than US$38million. Our performance was not bad last year either, with a record of US$36million in total sales."

Autumn Yeung expected that the sales level for the year 2004 would be affected by the high cost in material due to increased oil price. He held a more conservative view over the year's result.

In today's highly globalised market arena, sensitivity to consumer trends and swift use of production technology are key to a manufacturer's business success. Jianwen Industrial will insist on putting its market-oriented strategy in the first priorty, while constantly sharpening its production skills and design edge to meet the ever-challenging needs of their customers.

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