[70 Years of Dream Pursuit • 70 Flags] Baofang Printing and Dyeing: Staying True to Our Original Intent and Persisting in Green Development

In 1949, the People's Republic of China was founded. The country was in a state of rebuilding, with everything in ruins waiting to be restored. The Chinese people, emerging from the smoke of war, were devastated but full of hope for the future. Seventy years have flown by, and in the blink of an eye, the world has undergone tremendous changes. Today, seventy years later, China's textile industry stands confidently at the center of the world stage.

Who created all this?

They are the outstanding enterprises, full of vitality and strength, that have grown through perseverance and determination in the development of China's textile industry.

They are the strength of China's textile industry towards becoming a powerful nation!

They are the backbone for China's textile industry to become a powerful nation!

They are the backbone of China's textile industry, keeping it strong and powerful!

Amidst turbulent winds and waves, we must never forget our original aspiration, and the years leave their marks, making memories unforgettable. The "China Textile" magazine, founded in 1951, stands as the oldest industry media in China's textile industry, witnessing their rise. On this significant historical moment as the whole nation celebrates the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, our editorial department has specially planned a series of reports titled "A Parade of Influential Enterprises in China's Textile Industry" to pay tribute to each and every one of them. Thank them for not giving up, not retreating, and not admitting defeat for 70 years... They are the precious wealth of China's textile industry and the undisputed flag of the industry!

70 years of pursuing dreams, 70 flags, we expect them to lead China's textile industry to maintain its leading position in the new round of international industrial competition and realize the dream of becoming a textile powerhouse.

For nearly 20 years, Zhejiang Baofang Printing and Dyeing Co., Ltd. has remained true to its original aspiration, consistently adhering to green, high-end, innovative, and upgraded practices, and its performance has always been at the forefront of the industry. In 2018, the company achieved record-high operating indicators, with sales exceeding 1 billion yuan and annual profits exceeding 100 million yuan. Each month, thousands of patterns are developed to grasp and lead the fashion trends in the African market. Today, the "BAOFANG" trademark is not only a well-known trademark in China and a famous export brand in Zhejiang, but also a world-renowned brand trademark popular in the African market. Customers are proud to sell products with the "BAOFANG" trademark, and users are proud to wear "BAOFANG" printed fabrics. With the new policies and requirements of the country for the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and environmental protection rectification, Baofang Printing and Dyeing has continuously carried out technological transformation and research and development on the traditional cotton real wax printing process, gradually eliminating high-energy consumption, high-pollution raw materials, and high-energy consumption, low-efficiency backward production lines, and producing new wax printing fabrics with brighter colors, better hand feel, and higher cost performance, which are favored by a wider range of African customers, achieving revolutionary innovation in the wax printing industry.

Witness to the market of product innovation

The batik printed fabric produced by Baofang Printing and Dyeing has quickly gained popularity in the African market, thanks to the company's innovative research into batik craftsmanship and deep exploration of the African market. Over the years, Baofang has always focused on the African market and established a relatively mature sales network in Africa. In the past three years, Baofang's continuously innovative batik printed fabrics have disrupted the traditional African batik market. High-quality, cost-effective products have become the active choice of the market, and Baofang's foreign trade sales have grown at an annual rate of nearly 30%.

Chairman Yu Baomu stated, "Quality establishes Baofang, and quality leads the world." Products are the business's calling card, and the market is the litmus test for products. The growth of Baofang Printing and Dyeing over the past three years proves that only by focusing relentlessly on quality and cost, and continuously researching and innovating, can we gain a foothold in international competition and achieve sustainable development. General Manager Yu Shaobo explained that as traditional batik fabric faces increasingly fierce competition in the African market, brand premium and profit margins are gradually shrinking. Only by continuously developing differentiated new products that meet customers' demands for high quality while maintaining price competitiveness can we ensure market share. Baofang's design center has a team of over 50 designers who, based on market feedback each month, develop thousands of new patterns, each meticulously crafted, offering customers new choices and transforming from a market follower to a trendsetter.

"Green, high-end, world-leading"

In response to the development requirements of the printing and dyeing industry in Keqiao District, which aim for "green and high-end, world-leading" development, "Baofang Printing and Dyeing" has invested nearly 100 million yuan in recent years to carry out intelligent transformation of the existing production lines for steaming, printing and dyeing, washing, and setting, and to improve the traditional batik craft. They have eliminated high-pollution and high-energy-consumption raw materials and ultimately developed a new batik craft with independent intellectual property rights. This has expanded the market, increased brand added value, and promoted the development of the traditional printing and dyeing industry towards green and high-end. Currently, the production output is almost 1 million meters per day, with water consumption of only over 4,300 tons. In the past, with a production output of 300,000 meters per day, nearly 10,000 tons of water were used.

In recent years, environmental protection issues in printing and dyeing enterprises have always been the most sensitive topic at the forefront of traditional industries. In order to achieve sustainable development, the company's chairman, Yu Baomu, took the initiative to benchmark and actively invested manpower and resources to enhance the company's environmental governance. Various governance indicators are regarded as advanced models and examples by the local environmental protection bureau. In the printing and dyeing workshop of Baofang, we see vines winding under the roof, water flowing between the rockeries, and as we go deeper, landscape lights flickering between the tree trunks. Under the shade of the trees, there are three-seater benches for people to rest everywhere... Stepping into the production workshop of "Baofang Printing and Dyeing" is like stepping into a "big garden". This not only allows employees to experience the joy of working in a beautiful environment but also constantly reminds every employee that green environmental protection is the lifeblood of the printing and dyeing industry. This move has been recognized by the local Economic and Information Technology Bureau and Development Committee as a demonstration of clean work.

In recent years, Baofang Printing and Dyeing Company has invested nearly 100 million yuan to carry out drastic upgrades to its production workshops. In addition to improving the production environment, the company has also undergone green and intelligent transformation of all production lines, including steaming, printing and dyeing, setting, and washing. After the technological transformation, the unit energy consumption has been reduced by about 50%, and the overall benefit has increased by 30%.

Five-star Party Building for Happy Development

Under the leadership of Secretary Li Ruizong, the general Party branch of Zhejiang Baofang has effectively integrated Party building work into enterprise management. More than 50 Party members in the company have each assigned their own contact machine areas, assisting production management personnel in cleaning and sanitation, safety education, and monitoring the ideological trends of employees. Each Party member is subject to a strict assessment and reward system, which has made the "two new" Party building work a good example and leading role at the grassroots level of the enterprise. The cohesion and centripetal force of employees have reached an unprecedented level, and innovation has become a common practice in the enterprise.

In the corporate batik workshop, a pioneering team led by party members and cadres is particularly active. They work side by side with frontline employees, carefully organize, and conscientiously ensure safety, quality, and progress in every production link. Fang Sheng, the supervisor of pre-treatment, said that among the party members of Baofang, there is a sense of cohesion, a spirit of rushing forward and bearing hardships. Every employee in the company closely follows each other and works hard in their own duties. Ying Baoxiang, the head of the enterprise management department, said that after the pioneering and exemplary role was played, our entire company has shown many excellent deeds. Every week, we commend the excellent deeds on our employee platform, so that every good shining point can influence and motivate our employees.

The innovation of "Baofang Printing and Dyeing" is also reflected in its corporate culture. The company has invested tens of millions of yuan to transform its production workshops and employee dormitories into garden-style settings, and has built new kindergartens, supermarkets, and more. Every year, it also provides a welfare tour for its employees, allowing everyone to enjoy the dividends of corporate development together. Zhang Hongling, a quality inspector at Zhejiang Baofang Printing and Dyeing Co., Ltd., said, "In this factory, we can bring our elderly and children here, and we can live a good life and feel at ease. Everyone in the family is here, it feels like a home."

Love is the foundation of a family. In order to provide employees with a "warm home" outside of work, Yu Baomu invested heavily in renovating and transforming five dormitory buildings, adding family suites and couple rooms, and building an amusement park, basketball court, supermarket, library, kindergarten, and open-air cinema. He also implemented community-style management for the employee dormitories, allowing employees to work with peace of mind and live comfortably. They don't want to leave once they come, and they want to come back again once they leave.

With the further deepening of China-Africa cooperation and exchanges, as well as the construction of the Belt and Road, the batik fabric of "Baofang Printing and Dyeing" has been exported to more than 30 countries and regions in Africa, gaining a wide reputation. Last year, the foreign trade exports of Baofang Printing and Dyeing Company exceeded 85 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 30%. Just one product alone accounted for 20% to 30% of the African market. The excellent performance has been recognized by the China Textile Industry Federation. Not long ago, Yu Baomu, the head of "Baofang Printing and Dyeing", was awarded the honorary title of "2018 China Textile Industry Annual Innovative Person" by the China Textile Industry Federation. In the first half of this year, "Baofang Printing and Dyeing" delivered a beautiful performance report, with an output value of 517 million yuan from January to June, a year-on-year increase of 30%; of which nearly 50 million US dollars were exported, a year-on-year increase of 30%.

I am with the Chinese textile industry

Success knows no bounds, and innovation strives for ever-higher heights. Baofang Printing and Dyeing has demonstrated through practical actions the importance of innovation in the transformation of a traditional industry. As a private enterprise in a traditional sector, product innovation requires substantial investment. It requires the willingness to eliminate outdated production lines, invest real money in updating equipment, hire high-end talent to improve processes and build a brand, and introduce intelligent information systems to achieve transformation and upgrading through machine substitution. We aim to build Baofang Printing and Dyeing into a sustainable, century-old green enterprise.

Yu Baomu, Chairman of Zhejiang Baofang Printing and Dyeing Co., Ltd