A Decade of Preparation: Setting Out to Start a Business

The founders of our company, Wang Cunyin and Wang Yijuan, graduated from Hefei University of Technology in 1987 and were assigned to the Grinding Department of Zhengzhou Mechanical College (where Wang Yijuan was transferred to the Chemical Plant affiliated with the Second Grinding Wheel Factory a year later) and the Second Grinding Wheel Factory, respectively.

Upon joining the Second Grinding Wheel Factory, Ms. Wang Yijuan chose to work at the newly established sandbelt company, which had been set up to introduce a German wide sandbelt production line. Although employee salaries were low at the time, she valued the high-tech nature of the work. Consequently, immediately after completing her internship, she participated in the full-scale trial run of the high-end coated abrasive wide sandbelt production line alongside German experts.

In October 1988, she and Mr. Wang Cunyin jointly participated in the entire process—from trial production to mass production and routine operations—of the domestically produced phenolic resin bonding agent for wide sand belts, which had been developed by the Henan Provincial Institute of Chemistry and was being adopted by the Affiliated Chemical Plant. Later, Ms. Wang Yijuan continued to work in technical management at the Sand Belt Company’s manufacturing workshop. Mr. Wang Cunyin remained in technical management of resin-bonded abrasives at the Affiliated Chemical Plant. Each worked diligently and quietly in their respective fields to advance the early production of high-end coated abrasives in China. In 1997, as anticipated, the Sand Belt Company ushered in a new era for high-end coated abrasives in China, and the domestic market was booming and thriving. By this time, Wang Cunyin and Wang Yijuan had each worked in their respective positions for nearly a decade. On one hand, they faced the constraints on knowledge and technology imposed by the state-owned enterprise system; on the other, they were inspired by the market economy brought about by reform and opening-up. Driven by strong self-confidence and the courage to explore, they resigned from their secure positions to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

A Year of Exploration, a Successful Launch

In March 1997, they leased 1.1 mu (700 m²) of land in Wolonggang and completed a 150 m² asbestos-cement sheet factory building in April. In May, they began building their own equipment, and by September, they had completed Wangpai Company’s first sandpaper production line. The line was 20 meters long and consisted of a single 11-meter-long drying chamber, a gravity-fed sanding system, a high-powered winding system, a curing oven, and a 90° bending machine—the equipment was quite rudimentary. On October 8 of the same year, we successfully produced our first batch of products on our own production line. On January 8, 1998, we successfully sold our first roll of sandpaper, measuring 34 square meters and valued at 800 yuan. From January to May of that year, we engaged in in-depth technical collaboration with several clients in Zhengzhou, gradually fine-tuning the equipment, optimizing processes, stabilizing operations, and achieving mass production.

On May 28, 1998, Zhengzhou Sanrui Sandpaper Factory was officially established, and this date became the anniversary of our company, Wangpai. Looking back on this journey, Li Yanxian, the mentor of the two founders, summarized it by saying, “You marched toward success with ignorance and fearlessness.” His assessment largely captures the essence of our entrepreneurial journey. However, replacing “ignorance” with “half-knowledge” might be a more fitting description. From leasing land, constructing buildings, and manufacturing equipment to successfully completing trial production and product testing, we invested a total of 150,000 yuan over a period of more than one year. Wangpai’s success was achieved precisely because the two founders relied equally on knowledge and courage—neither could have been dispensed with.

Distinctive Characteristics, Steady Growth

1998: Half-year output value of 500,000 yuan

1999: Output value of 2 million yuan

2000: Output value of 10 million yuan; first expansion and relocation to Liu Hudong Village, Mazhai Town, Zhengzhou City.

2004: Second expansion and relocation to the National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone in Luohe City, Henan Province.

The company was renamed Henan Wangpai Sandpaper Manufacturing Co., Ltd., with Mr. Wang Cunyin serving as Chairman and Ms. Wang Yijuan as Vice President of Sales. The company’s external affairs, reception, and sales services are based in Zhengzhou, while the registered address of the production base is in Luohe.

2005: Output value of 40 million yuan

2006: Output value of 50 million yuan

2010: Output value exceeded 100 million yuan.

Today, the company occupies a site of 100 mu (approximately 6.7 hectares), employs 180 staff members, and operates three raw fabric processing lines and three sandpaper manufacturing lines, with an annual production capacity of 20 million square meters. The product range includes over 20 varieties, such as GXK51-ZQ, GXK56, GPK71, GPC71, GPM71, XA, GXZ81, and GYZ81. Sales outlets include six branch offices in Zhengzhou, Luohe, Dongguan, Shanghai, Yongkang, and Linyi. Products are sold throughout 33 provinces and municipalities across China and exported to 16 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, South Africa, India, Thailand, and Vietnam. From its humble beginnings, the company has grown to become a mid-to-large-scale enterprise among the dozens of sandpaper manufacturers in China.

The company’s growth has been accompanied by a continuous expansion of its workforce. Ms. Wang Lanying, former General Manager of the Procurement Company at Shuanghui Group, joined the company in 2005 and currently serves as the company’s Head of Procurement.