Kangnai Shoe Industry: Let France Exclaim "Chinese Wolves".

If he had been at the Wenzhou General Electric Appliance Factory as a deputy factory director, perhaps today's Zheng Xiukang is retiring at home to enjoy the enjoyment of his children and grandchildren, and the Chinese shoe industry will also regret that it has lost a famous brand named Kangnai.

The fate of the hand is so unexpected that the 500 yuan borrowed from a neighbor's mother-in-law has made Zheng Xiukang's first enterprise in the first year of her life unacceptable.

In the interview, Zheng Xiukang, chairman of Kangnai group, seemed persistent and firm. Besides talking about her past events, she always conveyed a heavy sense of responsibility and mission. From the moment of creating Kangnai brand, I took "creating a world famous brand" as my lifelong dream.

For so many years, no matter what kind of sufferings I have experienced, I am glad that I have never given up the dream in my mind.

More than 30 years ago, I was only the workshop director of Wenzhou General Electric Appliance Factory.

Although it is a director, many years of family life is difficult: the wife is weak and ill, the children are very young, and the family is crowded in the small rented house. All the expenses depend on my monthly salary of more than 50 yuan, and I often live beyond my means.

After some ideological struggle, I made a very important decision which was later regarded as the most important decision in my life -- learning to make leather shoes.

In 1979, Wenzhou's commodity economy boom began. Hand-made shoes were popular at that time.

My idea at that time was very simple. I worked during the day and made shoes in the evening. After that, I could subsidize my family.

So I began to learn from my master. It took me 45 days to master the whole set of shoemaking skills that most people need to learn in three years.

When I was 16 years old, I began to learn mold manufacturing. I always had a so-called "standard" string in my brain. I used my experience of standardized production for more than ten years to make shoes, and even made some standardized shoe making parts.

So I made shoes quickly and well, and sold them on the market. The price was higher than some of the masters did.

I was very proud.

In 1980, I made another important decision in my life: leaving the Wenzhou general machinery factory, which I fought for 20 years, registered my first company, "Hongxiang leather shoes workshop".

At that time, the "red elephant" was not big enough to be called an enterprise. The early factories in Wenzhou were basically family workshops, and needed only a small sum of money to operate.

But it was this money that made me taste the first bitter experience in my life. I sold the sewing machines, bicycles, watches and even clothes in the family, and sold them all, but the money was still mixed up.

The experience of borrowing money later on is still deeply engraved on my mind, and I can not help but sigh when I think about it.

For the first time in my life, I borrowed money and borrowed 500 yuan from my neighbor's mother in law.

The mother-in-law was very nice, but the mother-in-law's daughter was afraid that I would lose money and I would argue with my mother.

I remember her mother-in-law said to her daughter at the time, "I grew up watching Xiu Kang and knew that he was a man and believed he would succeed."

Listening to the dialogue between mother and daughter, my eyes were moist, and I secretly promised that I would succeed in the future.

In 1985, I remember that the documents issued by the Wenzhou trade and Industry Bureau that allowed the establishment of self-employed factories were just reached in the morning. I went there in the afternoon to register the "Hongsheng" leather shoes factory and registered the Hongsheng brand in that year. At that time, I already had more than 50 employees, and reached the medium scale of Wenzhou's private shoe enterprises.

It was not long before a bad luck hit the whole shoe industry in Wenzhou.

In 1987, due to disorderly competition, Hangzhou's Wulin gate burned Wenzhou's inferior shoes.

Although our shoes were not burned, they were also implicated and rejected by the national market.

A shopping mall manager said to me directly, "not your shoes are bad, but your shoes are not good."

At that time, a lot of manufacturers in Shanghai came to inspect and think that the quality of my shoes was very good. But if you want to sell in Shanghai, you must hit Shanghai brand.

I asked myself, "is there really no other way out for Wenzhou shoes to stick to other brands?"

After that, it took me 18 months to go down north and to learn everywhere.

Finally, in Italy, the world shoe industry, I saw the world's most advanced production lines, the most exquisite manufacturing processes and the most fashionable leather shoes.

I suddenly became clear and thought I had found the goal of the future.

I made a decision secretly - I must create a "world brand" belonging to China.

After returning from Italy, I changed my name to "the Great Wall".

In 1991, I registered the "Kangnai" trademark and the earliest Chinese head portrait trademark, meaning "healthy development, where I am," and let Wenzhou shoes look up.

To this day, this highly confident and confident trademark has entered Kangnai's 3000 global stores.

In January 18, 2001, this is the most memorable day of my life. Kangnai's first overseas store was opened in the bustling downtown area of the world's fashion capital, nineteenth District of Paris, France. This is also the first exclusive store opened by Chinese leather shoes abroad.

A time to disturb the local media: China wolf, be alert!

This shop is small in size, but one thing is very striking: it is the Kangnai logo with a high head and chest.

The high-end leather shoes sold in the shop are all marked with "Kangnai" brand, and the origin is marked Wenzhou, China.

Remember that day, the shop was bustling, and many French locals and overseas Chinese came to buy it.

At present, the proportion of consumers in this store is 40% of Chinese and 60% of local people.

5 months later, I drove Kangnai to the United States, and second overseas stores opened in Fala, Queens, New York. The retail price of each pair of leather shoes exceeded 60 dollars, and changed the "made in China" low-priced and low-grade "ugly duckling" image.

I am also surprised that the number of foreigners buying shoes in Kangnai store in New York is 80 to 20.

Finally, I brought Kangnai to Italy.

When the third overseas stores in Italy opened in Rome, the world shoe market in September 19, 2001, I stood back at the beginning of the famous brand dream of China more than ten years ago. I secretly said to myself, "Italy, I came, one day, I will surpass you." in September 19, 2001,

We have encountered many obstacles to realize the dream of "world brand".

For example, Kangnai's popularity and reputation are not enough, which will affect Kangnai's rapid expansion overseas.

I remember that in 1999 and 2000, when we went abroad to conduct market research to prepare for internationalization, we brought many shoes into the shopping mall, but we were always rejected by others. First, China made a bad reputation. Secondly, the shoes we designed at that time did not suit the local consumption habits.

Therefore, we need to further investigate and grasp the consumption habits and ethnic and cultural differences among countries and regional markets.

The biggest difficulty we face now is the rapid development of overseas markets, and the lack of a group of professionals who are familiar with international rules and are familiar with the operation of overseas markets.

Later, we opened stores in Wenzhou with overseas Chinese, especially overseas Chinese, and gradually expanded in Europe and the United States to form a certain scale.

Consumers gradually understand and accept our products, and shopping malls naturally allow us to enter the market. Our market share and brand influence have also been improved.

Similarly, in the face of trade barriers, I always believe that turning passivity into initiative is the only way to survive.

On the one hand, Kangnai is steadfastly taking the brand strategy line, winning more support from overseas customers with good products and images. On the other hand, we have always attached importance to strengthening independent technology research and development, and joined the SATRA international footwear research organization, standing at the height of "game rulers" and naturally surpassing technical barriers.

In 2006, with the approval of the Ministry of Commerce, Kangnai led the formation of the Russian usurusk economic and trade cooperation zone.

This cooperation area covers an area of 2 square kilometers with a total investment of RMB 2 billion yuan. Starting with this project, I hope that we will not only enable us to achieve the leap from "made in China" to "world manufacture", from "product output" to "capital output", but also to a group of Chinese enterprises that want to go out.

I hope that by 2010, Kangnai will be able to open 1000 stores overseas.

At the same time, we can consider buying one or several shoe factories in Europe so as to integrate their networks quickly and truly become the mainstream consumption circles abroad.

I know that the dream of "creating a world famous brand" may take decades or even hundreds of years.

However, we have already set up the vision of "becoming a world-famous brand and achieving Kangnai's Centennial foundation".

In the right direction, we are not afraid of going far.

I think the generation of Kangnai people will continue to fight for this dream.

What kind of book are you reading now?

It's "evergreen", "Blue Ocean Strategy" and "long tail theory".

What do you think is the opportunity and predicament of China's rising?

Global economic integration will bring great opportunities to China.

China is a big manufacturing country, but not a strong brand country. This is the most difficult predicament China should overcome.

Who do you admire most among domestic entrepreneurs?

Li Jiacheng.

Mr. Li is also a poor family. Through his own hard work and wisdom, he has made remarkable achievements.

Moreover, he is very active at eighty and has a strong sense of social responsibility.

Compared with him, I am still very young.

Do you have any belief or motto that you always support yourself?

We are ahead of everything. We dare to take the lead. We must be steady and pragmatic.

Now, these sixteen words have become Kangnai's spirit of enterprise.