Zheng Xiukang, Founder Of Kangnai, Talks About The Transformation From Being A Shoemaker To Going Abroad

He was born in 1947 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Founder of Kangnai Enterprise, with senior managers and senior managers Shoemaking The title of craftsman is vice president of China Light Industry Federation, executive director of China Quality Association, vice president of China Leather Industry Association, and director of China Leather Shoes and Tourism Shoes Professional Committee. He has won the honors of the fourth session of China's Outstanding Entrepreneur, Outstanding Management Representative of Chinese Enterprises, Top Ten Zhejiang Merchants in 2004, etc.

1962-1979, worked in Wenzhou General Machinery Factory.

In 1980, he founded the Red Elephant Shoes Workshop.

In 1985, the enterprise was renamed Hongsheng Leather Shoes and Leather Goods Factory.

In 1989, the enterprise was renamed Great Wall Shoes Co., Ltd.

In 1992, Zheng Xiukang registered the Chinese trademark of "Kangnai" and the human head trademark of holding up his chest and head.

In 2001, Kangnai Group was established.

In 2006, Kangnai Group also set foot in leather goods, clothing, underwear, shoe mold and other industries in addition to its main shoemaking business.

At present, Kangnai has more than 100 franchised stores (counters) overseas, and the 11th Five Year Plan of Kangnai will open more than 1000 stores overseas. Who would have thought that today's shoe king of China, more than 20 years ago, Zheng Xiukang started his own shoe making career in the rented 8 square meter house because of the simple reason of supporting his family.

33 year old apprentice quietly learned to make shoes. The first pair of shoes sold for 2 yuan more than the master

"In the 1970s, the national economy was quite difficult, and my family was also full of difficulties. My wife was not in good health, and there were two children at home." When talking about the original intention of making shoes, Zheng Xiukang told reporters that the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1978 awakened Wenzhou people, and also made him re-examine life and consider how to change the status quo of poverty.

"At that time, I decided to make consumer goods, either sofas or shoes, and finally chose to make shoes because the house at home was too small, and the whole family was crowded in a small room with only 8 square meters, so they couldn't even put a sofa down." Recalling the experience of learning from a teacher when I was 33 years old, Zheng Xiukang said that the teacher who was six years younger than himself shook his head and said, "Don't learn.", I only recruit apprentices aged 15 or 16. It's hard to learn, and it will take at least three years to graduate.

"I have to support my family. Teach me, I can do it!" Zheng Xiukang's sincerity finally moved his master. Because he was still working in the factory at that time, Zheng Xiukang could only learn shoemaking technology secretly, often staying up until dawn. With more than ten years of experience as a mechanic, Zheng Xiukang made his first pair of leather shoes in only 40 days.

In the following days, Zheng Xiukang hurried to make several pairs of shoes overnight. They were sent to the shoe store for sale on the National Day that year. The owner of the shoe store saw the shoes and told Zheng Xiukang: If someone else's shoes cost 14 yuan, you should pay 16 yuan.

The shoes made by a new comer were more expensive than those of the master. Zheng Xiukang explained that: I was a mechanical student, and the most important thing was to value technical standards, such as the thickness of leather, nails nailed in each part, and the distance between stitches. Other shoemakers relied on visual inspection, but I took calipers to measure them one by one. They were also 39 size shoes, Although they are handmade, they are absolutely the same. More importantly, the shoes made in this way look comfortable and are more comfortable to wear.

　　 The daughter-in-law sells his dowry goods and the deputy factory director goes to work as a shoemaker

The news that "Zheng Xiukang can make shoes" soon spread to the ears of the factory leaders, who were worried about the brain drain. They asked Zheng Xiukang, who was already a deputy factory director, and promised him various generous conditions such as housing distribution. Zheng Xiukang dared not admit it, but said, "My old lady did it at home, not me."

That is to say, but Zheng Xiukang has calculated a sum of money. Now he can do it secretly. He can also do three pairs every day. After one month, he can earn at least three times more than his salary. If he quit and concentrate on doing it, he will earn more, and the life of his wife and children will be better. If you are poor, you will think about change. Zheng Xiukang still formally submitted his resignation to the unit and went to work as a shoemaker.

"The most difficult thing is that there is no place and no fund." Recalling the difficulties of the past, Zheng Xiukang said today: "I am very grateful to my wife. The 8 square meter house in my family has become a workshop, and my wife has taken out all the things she married with. The five most rare pieces of wool and watches in that era were sold at half price.

"At that time, she was also under great pressure, and her mother's family could not understand her. Her daughter was only four years old, and her youngest son was still in infancy." Zheng Xiukang said that her daughter-in-law had suffered a lot. She made shoes wholeheartedly, and her children were all given to her. At that time, there was no running water, so she went to the river to carry water for washing and cooking. She was afraid that leaving her child at home would affect my work. At one end of the pole was a child, One end is a bucket full of water, without complaint.

After working in a family workshop for five years, one morning in 1985, Zheng Xiukang learned that the national policy allowed self-employed workers to set up factories. That afternoon, he went to register Hongsheng Leather Shoes Factory and registered Hongsheng trademark. Hongsheng Leather Shoes soon entered Hangzhou, Shanghai and other big cities.

The landlord borrowed 500 yuan without IOUs

The second year after he became a self-employed man, Zheng Xiukang took his apprentice with him. The market demand was great, but there was no capital to expand the scale. His relatives were also very poor, and they were willing but unable to help. So Zheng Xiukang decided to borrow money from the landlord. After seeing Zheng Xiukang's shoes, the old landlady in bed gave him 500 yuan. Zheng Xiukang, who immediately went to buy raw materials after getting the money, passed the landlord's door and heard the landlord's daughter and her mother quarreling: "How can you lend him the money? Don't borrow the note. This money is left to you by your father for retirement. His two children and his wife are in poor health. He can't make leather shoes. What can we get back?"

"I watched Xiukang grow up. He is honest and honest. The child is promising, and he will make it." The words of the old woman made a man shed tears on the spot. Later, Zheng Xiukang quickly returned 500 yuan to the old woman, and at the same time, he made up his mind that he must do his job well and lend money to his wife.

After the Wulin burned Wenzhou shoes, Zheng Xiukang began to brew mechanized production of leather shoes, but one assembly line costs more than 1 million yuan, and the original funds accumulated by manual workshops are very limited. At this time, relatives and friends all extended a helping hand to Zheng Xiukang. They had no cash, but they handed over their house property and land deeds to Zheng Xiukang. "It's a foot thick on top of each other", Zheng Xiukang told the reporter while gesturing with his hands. Finally, he successfully borrowed 500000 yuan from the bank, becoming the first successful mechanized production company in Wenzhou footwear industry. Zheng Xiukang told the reporter that with the help of this fund, Kangnai Shoes began to step out of the reputation obsession of Wenzhou shoes, which have always been cheap. {page_break}

The premier praised his children in front of him, and the shoe king of China is willing to train successors

"From childhood, my father gave me the impression that he was busy. It's a common thing to see him only once a week," Zheng Laili, the daughter of Zheng Xiukang and now the vice president in charge of marketing of Kangnai Group, told reporters, "But my father still attached great importance to our education. My mother said that when I first learned to walk, my father taught me to dance. My father sang and danced, and I opened my eyes and babbled along. Later I learned that I loved Tiananmen in Beijing."

After the children grew up, Zheng Xiukang still did not relax about their education. After graduating from Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, her daughter continued to study EMBA at Changjiang Business School. After his son Zheng Laiyi graduated from high school, Zheng Xiukang sent him to the University of Leicester in England to study leather design, production and business management. After three years of pioneering in the UK, Zheng Laiyi, who can speak pure and fluent English now, is also employed as the vice president of Kangnai Group, responsible for enterprise system construction.

Premier Wen Jiabao of the State Council, accompanied by Xi Jinping, Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, came to Kangnai Industrial Park. When Zheng Laiyi was interviewed by reporters, he always said "exciting" when he recalled the events a few years ago, "When Premier Wen found several pictures of Kangnai participating in the Olympic Games on the propaganda window at the door of a workshop, he was pleased to ask," When you went to Athens to cheer for Chinese athletes, you saw Samaranch? After reporting to the Premier, Premier Wen patted me on the shoulder and said, 'You did well!' "

Premier Wen is about to leave Kangnai Group and shake hands with group leaders one by one to say goodbye. When he shook hands with Zheng Laiyi, Deputy General Manager Zhou Jinmiao standing beside him told Premier Wen that Zheng Laiyi is Zheng Xiukang's son and graduated from Leicester University. Zheng Xiukang then proudly introduced to the Prime Minister that his sons and daughters are now his right-hand men. In Kangnai, the issue of training successors has been put on the agenda. Zheng Xiukang told reporters that the group's requirement for successors is to develop Kangnai, a national enterprise, with the spirit of Zhejiang merchants, and make Kangnai's brand known in the international market.

"Work is a pleasure. Li Ka shing is still working at the age of 80. Zheng Xiukang said with a smile," I am very young compared with him, and more people will help me ". "China Wolf" sailed on an aircraft carrier, and the Wulin fire affected "Hongsheng". "It's not your shoes that are bad, but your Wenzhou origin that is bad. As long as you change to Shanghai brand, you can be re listed."

So far, when Zheng Xiukang was interviewed by reporters, he could clearly recall the words thrown to him by a person in charge of Shanghai Hualian Shopping Mall. The source of all this came from the event of "Hangzhou Wulinmen Burning Wenzhou's Inferior Shoes" in 1987. Just after completing the original accumulation, Zheng Xiukang was about to lead Hongsheng Leather Shoes Factory (the predecessor of Kangnai) to make a great achievement.

At that time, Wuhan, Dalian and other places also followed the fire of burning Wenzhou shoes. Large and medium-sized cities across the country refused to sell Wenzhou shoes. Major shopping malls swept Wenzhou shoes out of the door one after another. Wenzhou shoe merchants began to hide their names. No one dared to mark Wenzhou shoes with the words "Made in Wenzhou".

The fire at the city gate brought disaster to the fish in the pond. Many customers picked up the well made "Hongsheng" shoes and put them down after seeing the "origin Wenzhou". Zheng Xiukang told the reporter that the manufacturers and businesses in Shanghai had inspected and praised that the quality of shoes was better than theirs, but to sell shoes in Shanghai, they had to bear the Shanghai brand. At that time, Kangnai's main market was in Shanghai, so it had no choice but to cooperate with Shanghai.

"In those years, what I thought most was how to make Wenzhou brand famous again". Reluctantly, Zheng Xiukang started a long way to solve the problem and set foot on Italy, which is known as the world shoe capital. Italy opened Zheng Xiukang's eyes to the fact that shoe making could reach such a high level of industrialization. In contrast, even Shanghai, which was the most industrialized at that time, seemed to lag behind in shoe making. The trip to Italy also made Zheng Xiukang see the great potential and hope of the development of China's shoe industry. With a strong impulse to start again, Zheng Xiukang embarked on the road of returning home.

　 Re create the brand for the second time

After returning to China, Zheng Xiukang first changed the name of the former Hongsheng Leather Shoes and Leather Goods Factory to "Great Wall Shoes Company", which means that he treats product quality as meticulously as building the Great Wall with bricks and stones.

In the process of selecting the borrowed brand and the created brand, Zheng Xiukang chose the created brand and asked someone to design a middle-aged man's head as a trademark logo. Then Zheng Xiukang went to Beijing to find the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to register the head trademark. There was no precedent in the trademark field at that time, At that time, the leaders of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, who were responsible for rectifying the Wenzhou shoddy shoes incident, supported Zheng Xiukang's brand creativity, and the portrait was soon approved for registration. However, for the trademark of "Great Wall", because someone had registered earlier, the trademark of "Kangnai" was finally chosen. The relevant leader of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce said that the logo of the human head was well designed, which implied confidence and high spirit. It is named "Kangnai", which means "healthy development is the best way for us"!

Zheng Xiukang started a long journey to rebuild Wenzhou shoes brand:

In the first step, Zheng Xiukang invested 1.2 million yuan in technological transformation and successively introduced shoemaking equipment from Taiwan, China and Italy, which became an epoch-making act in the history of Wenzhou shoemaking, marking that Wenzhou shoemaking industry began to bid farewell to the era of handicraft industry and stride forward to the era of modern mechanized industry.

Having acquired international advanced equipment and technology and achieved initial success, Zheng Xiukang began to adjust the product positioning and decided to produce European high-end leather shoes. The grade and price of leather shoes were improved simultaneously. When the retail price of leather shoes in Shanghai was less than 100 yuan per pair, the retail price of Kangnai high-end leather shoes was more than 400 yuan, and the supply was short of demand, This also contributed to a crucial measure to enhance the reputation of Wenzhou shoes.

In 1993, Kangnai won the title of "China's Top Ten Footwear Kings" and successively entered the national department stores, and leather shoes made on behalf of Wenzhou re entered the major shopping malls across the country. In 1994, Kangnai participated in the preparatory meeting for wearing leather signs held by the China Leather Industry Association. At that time, people's impression was that Kangnai, a Wenzhou enterprise that was almost as famous as "fake", did not attract any attention from peers. However, Kangnai shoes won the silver medal for quality and gold medal for design after experts evaluated all the leather shoes under the condition of concealing the brand. At this meeting, Kangnai changed people's preconceptions about Wenzhou shoes.

　　 Go abroad with all one's might

The various honors he won made Zheng Xiukang feel proud to be a master. Some store managers approached him actively, invited him to dinner and asked him to sell his products; Many manufacturers are willing to pay for the OEM of "Kangnai", and some even want to buy the "Kangnai" brand for 10 million yuan. What Zheng Xiukang didn't want to see was that in the mid-1990s, a large number of counterfeit Kangnai shoes appeared on the market. In 1996, Zheng Xiukang resolutely decided to withdraw from the wholesale market and implement chain monopoly. After steadily occupying the leading position in the domestic industry, Zheng Xiukang began to explore the international market. He told reporters that no matter how successful it is in China, Kangnai cannot be called an international brand. Kangnai must go out to the international market and create a world famous brand.

On January 18, 2001, Kangnai opened its first overseas store in Paris, the world's fashion capital, which is also the first overseas store of Chinese footwear brands. The store is not big, but the high head Kangnai trademark is eye-catching.

Five months later, Kangnai opened a second franchise store in New York. The price of each pair of leather shoes exceeded $60, changing the image of the ugly duckling with low price and low-grade Chinese shoes. Among the customers of Kangnai franchise store, the proportion of "foreigners" and Chinese is 8 ∶ 2. On September 19, 2001, the third Kangnai overseas franchise store opened in Italy, the world shoe capital.

In the following two years, Kangnai opened more than 100 overseas stores in more than 10 countries, including the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Greece, and each store made a profit that year.

　　 Kangnai breaks trade barriers

Just as Kangnai strode to display China's own brand image in the international market, another Wenzhou shoe burning incident stabbed Zheng Xiukang's heart.

On September 17, 2004, about 400 Spaniards gathered in the streets of the Chinese Shoes City in Elche, a small city in eastern Spain, and burned down a truck carrying Wenzhou shoes containers and a warehouse of Wenzhou shoes dealers. In fact, before the Spanish shoe burning incident, Wenzhou shoes also suffered several overseas "disasters": the Russian shoe buckle incident from August 2001 to January 2002, the Rome shoe burning incident in the winter of 2003, and the seizure of Wenzhou shoes in Moscow's "Amira" market in February 2004.

In 2005, the EU began an anti-dumping investigation on Chinese leather shoes exported to Europe, and imposed temporary anti-dumping duties from April this year. This case has become the largest anti-dumping case against China by the EU so far.

"In the international economic system, our labor costs are low, which is both an advantage and a misfortune." Repeated trade frictions, Zheng Xiukang began to reflect: "If the fire of Hangzhou Wulinmen in 1987 woke up the quality concept of Wenzhou people, then the fire of Spain made us understand that China's shoe industry must stand at the forefront of the world's shoe industry, and the brands of Chinese local enterprises must be internationalized."

In order to break the barriers to international trade, Zheng Xiukang spent 10 million yuan in 2004 to sign a cooperation agreement with the British global footwear certification agency SATRA to establish a world-class footwear design and R&D center that meets the SATRA certification in China. Kangnai also began to transform from a standard executor to a technology maker for international trade. As the first crystallization of the cooperation between the two sides, on August 28, 2006, Kangnai's high-end "business Shushi" shoes with international leading core technology and independent intellectual property rights were launched globally simultaneously.

After the shoe burning incident in Spain, the Wenzhou shoe leather delegation headed by Zheng Xiukang went to Spain to communicate with the shoe material and shoe machine industry association in that country; In December last year, on the 25th anniversary of Kangnai Group, Zheng Xiukang specially invited Antonio, President of the shoes industry in Elche, Spain, to participate in the forum of "Looking at the internationalization of China's shoes industry from the Kangnai road". During the visit and exchange, Antonio said with emotion: "I came late, but I didn't expect Wenzhou shoe industry to be so developed and Kangnai leather shoes to be so well made." Taking this opportunity, Zheng Xiukang, on behalf of Wenzhou shoe industry and Spanish Elche shoe industry, jointly issued the "Wenzhou Declaration" with the theme of "harmonious trade, mutual benefit and win-win".

Zheng Xiukang told the reporter that Kangnai is not satisfied with being an international brand shoe dealer. Chinese enterprises want to create a world brand. It is difficult to rely on one industry and one enterprise alone. Kangnai is willing to be a pathfinder, hoping that more elites from all walks of life will follow up at the same time, form a joint fleet, and set sail.

　 Zheng Xiukang Talks about Brand

Brand is composed of "product" and "brand". Product is the product and the personality of employees, and the sum of the two is "product"; Brand is to "rank" your products in the industry and keep moving to the front row, which together is "brand".

In the process of creating the brand, Zheng Xiukang took the lead in advertising "wearing Kangnai and being aggressive" on TV in 1993, which was widely spread among consumers because of its popularity.

In 1993, Kangnai's deputy general manager led a team to participate in a national exhibition in Tianjin. At that time, it was calculated that about 200000 yuan would be invested. However, the exhibition was only for exhibition, without ordering, and without direct economic benefits. The deputy general manager was indecisive and asked Zheng Xiukang. Zheng Xiukang immediately decided: Go! Today we have invested more than 200000 yuan, which is equivalent to a Santana. Even if we put it into the sea, it may be a large ship floating in the future. Today, Kangnai, the aircraft carrier of China's shoe industry, not only appears in major domestic media, but also has many advertisements abroad, and Kangnai leather shoes have also been advertised on American buns.