IWG Yongtenai | [Adhesive Point Interview] "Craftsman" Zhu Jinshui: Use Good Adhesive • Make with He

Introduction:

The craftsman spirit is the continuous refinement of one's products through meticulous sculpting and striving for perfection; it is technological innovation through down-to-earth work and pioneering effort; it is a boundless service spirit that is meticulous and puts customers first. This is the core ethos of IWG Yongtenai and the life creed of its helmsman, Mr. Zhu Jinshui.

And "Use Good Glue, Make with Heart" is the best annotation of IWG Yongtenai's craftsman spirit.

In 1997, the spring breeze of reform gradually swept across the land of China, and a large number of private enterprises sprung up like mushrooms after rain. With all industries waiting to be revitalized and a wave of mass entrepreneurship, it was the best of times. After experience in furniture manufacturing and adhesive manufacturing services, Mr. Zhu Jinshui targeted the woodworking adhesive industry and embarked on his entrepreneurial path.

Zhu Jinshui named the company Yongtenai, which contains two profound meanings: First, the products must be forever especially durable, so that even if the furniture breaks, the bonded areas remain extremely firm. Second, IWG Yongtenai can serve not only customers in China but also customers globally, ubiquitous like the internet.

During the brand promotion process, Zhu Jinshui led his team to always emphasize winning through service. IWG Yongtenai's high-quality products were indeed recognized by many customers. Some products on the market during the same period suffered repeated setbacks due to low manufacturing technology levels and unstable product quality. Seeing such experiences of peers, Zhu Jinshui became even more convinced that "stable quality is the foundation for winning customer trust."

In that era of booming wood products, it was most common for furniture to be pulled away and sold while the paint was still wet. But Zhu Jinshui believed that for long-term development, one must calm down and focus on quality. He never positioned himself merely as a supplier, but always thought about how to delve into research together with customers, continuously improving product quality while reducing overall manufacturing costs. It was not just about letting customers use good adhesive products, but also about enabling customers to maximize product performance, making the adhesive and bonded materials a perfect match, complementing each other, and becoming unbreakable.

"At that time, we spent three hours every day, changing buses three times to travel from our factory to Shunde, working with customers on panel laminating and assembly.The most memorable was a customer developing rubberwood finger-jointed veneer products, progressing step-by-step from project initiation to implementation, material selection, finger-jointing, panel laminating, steaming, boiling, and slicing." Zhu Jinshui said: "Woodworking adhesives are more about application technology and research and development closely following customer needs; they are not water without a source. So I am very grateful that my customers have provided me with the soil for survival and the space for development all these years.Therefore, service is not just verbal, but must be done hands-on, step-by-step."

The efforts of the Yongtenai team did not go in vain. A dedicated, meticulous, and responsible work style gradually expanded the Yongtenai brand's visibility in the Chinese market.

"We used twenty years to close a fifty-year gap with foreign products."

Starting in 2000, China's furniture manufacturing industry entered a fast growth lane, with production capacity accounting for over 30% of global furniture production capacity, which also drove an unprecedented demand for adhesives. The original model could no longer meet the needs of the rapidly developing Chinese market. Zhu Jinshui reacted swiftly, began to increase investment, and expanded the development map.

In 2000, the Guangzhou R&D center was established, and close technical cooperation and exchanges with some international brands commenced, gaining market traction;

In 2008, a second R&D center was established in Qingdao. With the completion of the Qingdao Laixi production base, Yongtenai completed its dual-engine strategic layout with the South as the sales headquarters and the North as the production base;

In 2010, Yongtenai improved company mechanisms and strengthened brand building. Global product positioning and marketing planning were implemented, and it was awarded the title of "Famous Trademark of Guangdong Province";

In 2013, the Chengdu production base was completed and put into operation, improving the layout in Southwest China and forming a golden triangle of production, supply, and sales, greatly enhancing Yongtenai's comprehensive competitive strength;

In 2017, the Singapore R&D center was established to vigorously develop the international market;

In 2020, a significant investment was made to build an intelligent model factory for adhesives in Huangdao, Qingdao, providing systematic application solutions for multiple categories of adhesives to the market.

Zhu Jinshui led Yongtenai to develop step by step, practicing his understanding of adhesive bonding. "We will devote maximum energy and investment to focus on researching this industry. Industry changes have driven the development of the adhesive market, and through our R&D, we have in turn driven industry changes." Speaking about the company's development journey over more than twenty years, Zhu Jinshui appeared confident and said: "Time precipitates quality. Only what withstands the test of time can remain. This is the strength of Yongtenai's manufacturing level."

Zhu Jinshui stated that following the trend is the essence of enterprise development: keeping in step with the times, advancing with the era, while also adhering to the essence of corporate survival, is the way to gain vitality amidst changes. From drops of glue to application solutions, from the domestic market gradually to the international market, every step of IWG Yongtenai has tread on the footprints of the times, writing the genes of the times into the trajectory of its corporate development.

Today, the IWG Group has nearly 40 direct-sales subsidiaries nationwide, three manufacturing bases, and offices in Vietnam (subsidiary) and Malaysia. It boasts highly competitive woodworking glue and paper glue brands in the industry, such as "Yongtenai", "Yonglong", and "I-TECH", covering the pan-home furnishing industry, paper packaging industry, and more, forming systematic solutions for multiple categories of adhesives.

03 Use Good Glue, Make with Heart

"Developing according to one's own rhythm is the absolute principle. While others were selling water, we were digging a well. While others were opening up agents on a large scale, we were refining our service model."

As the helmsman of Yongtenai, Zhu Jinshui deeply understands that only by upholding the craftsman spirit, letting products speak for themselves, working down-to-earth, and operating with integrity, can Yongtenai's "golden brand" be forged. Just like Yongtenai's slogan: "Use Good Glue, Make with Heart", which means making good glue with heart, letting customers use good glue, helping customers use glue well, and bringing a reliable glue experience to global customers.

Zhu Jinshui believes that Yongtenai excels at viewing problems from the user's perspective. For different user pain points, Yongtenai has developed globally leading split-coating automatic paper-laminating products; in terms of wooden doors, Yongtenai's woodworking glue can achieve one door per minute, greatly increasing door pressing efficiency; to address issues like manual glue application pain points and difficulty controlling the amount of glue applied, Yongtenai developed an intelligent glue application system, applying glue according to the material. The intelligent glue application system sets the optimal spread rate based on the substrate, automatically and accurately adding glue, ensuring the stability of bonding quality.

In terms of innovation, Yongtenai invested heavily in building an intelligent model factory for adhesives in Huangdao, Qingdao. This project will follow an innovative model of intelligent manufacturing and platform-based operation, establishing four major centers (including: a technology R&D center, an intelligent manufacturing center, a new technology application and transformation center, and a brand incubation and operation center), one venture capital platform, and one industry think tank workstation. The establishment of the new factory will lead the new intelligent and digital development model for the entire adhesive industry, attract more ambitious individuals to join the innovation and entrepreneurship development platform, and incubate more high-end brands for the industry.

When talking about the industry's competitive environment, Zhu Jinshui frankly stated that IWG Yongtenai has been deeply rooted in the industry for more than 20 years and has accumulated vast amounts of knowledge and case experience. Competition certainly exists; every company has its own strengths and weaknesses. Finding what you excel at, following industry trends, and advancing with the times – this is the correct direction for every enterprise. Competitors only remind you that you cannot slack off, otherwise you will be overtaken!

Amidst the torrent of the times, whether to strive for the top or pursue steady growth, Zhu Jinshui already has a well-thought-out plan. He believes that while the essence remains unchanged amidst myriad changes, the most important thing is to adhere to one's unique style, do the work at hand steadfastly, and move forward with steady steps, avoiding indulgence in fantasy or vanity, and acting with dedication. Then the enterprise will possess the confidence and spirit to "watch the storms with a smile"!

IWG Yongtenai, committed to being a technology brand that creates value through service, and the most stable value provider in the adhesive industry!