BAODA GROUP

Ingenuity Nirvana · Accumulating Momentum for Long-Term Vision

The 2019 Annual Press Conference and Strategic Summit was successfully held.

On April 3rd, Fujian Nan'an Baoda Building Materials Co., Ltd. witnessed a grand event as the 2019 Annual Conference and Strategic Summit of Baoda Group, themed "Ingenuity Nirvana · Accumulating Momentum for Long-Term Development," was solemnly held. Nearly a thousand attendees, including Miao Bin, Executive Vice President of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association; Li Shaomin, Vice Mayor of Nan'an City; Liu Shuqing, Chairman of Baoda Group; Zhang Gang, Executive President of Baoda Group; Gong Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association; Yin Hong, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association and Secretary-General of the Foshan Ceramic Association; Zhang Shicha, Executive Secretary-General of the Mechanical Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Branch of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association; Liu Yong of the Circulation Branch of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association; Ye Shaofen, Secretary-General of the Fujian Ceramic Industry Association; and global ceramic industry elites, participated in the summit.

Liu Shuqing, Chairman of Baoda Group, extended a warm welcome and gratitude to the on-site guests and briefly introduced the development history of Baoda Group. Liu Shuqing stated that since 2016, Baoda Group has introduced a professional management team and invested in importing equipment, taking products as the foundation to improve product R&D capabilities, strengthen team management, promote a group-based model, adhere to an international route, and strive to serve global customers. Facing new situations and opportunities, Baoda Group will unite as one to embrace newer challenges, create more high-quality works that stand the test of the market, and march forward courageously to scale new heights!

Liu Shuqing, Chairman of Baoda Group

Miao Bin, Executive Vice President of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association, praised the fighting spirit of Fujian ceramic professionals. Miao Bin stated that according to the Association's forecast, the ceramic industry will eliminate one-third of backward production capacity during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, with 10% eliminated in the past year alone. He also predicted that in the Fujian production area, some enterprises will be eliminated in the next few years, which is the current development law of the domestic ceramic industry.

Miao Bin, Executive Vice President of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association

Miao Bin, Executive Vice President of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association, expressed shock at the significant sales growth of Baoda Group in the previous year. He believed that despite the shrinking market, Baoda's remarkable growth stemmed from its deep understanding of market demand, consumers, and distribution channels. He also acknowledged that Baoda Group not only focuses on product development but also explores innovations in raw materials, improving and making full use of ordinary or even inferior materials, thus setting a good example for the industry.  

Li Shaomin, Vice Mayor of Nan'an City, stated that Nan'an ceramics had long lacked market competitiveness, but in recent years, under the active guidance of the municipal party committee and government, Nan'an ceramics had begun to transform and upgrade, bringing historical opportunities to the Fujian production area. Li introduced that Nan'an ceramics had actively changed concepts in recent years, adapted to trends, faced challenges head-on, and achieved initial results. Baoda Group is an outstanding representative of the transformation and upgrading of Nan'an ceramic enterprises. In the face of the challenges and opportunities of industry reshuffling, Baoda Group has emerged as a major manufacturer of mid-to-high-end ceramic tiles in China.

南安市副市长李少敏

Yin Hong, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association and Secretary-General of the Foshan Ceramic Industry Association, shared in-depth insights on ceramic tile brands. He elaborated on the characteristics of tile brands and introduced three crises faced by regional distributors and agents of tiles. Yin Hong argued that it is impossible for ceramic enterprises to completely "eliminate the distributor model."

Yin Hong, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Building Sanitary Ceramics Association and Secretary-General of the Foshan Ceramic Industry Association

         
Regarding whether the ceramic tile industry can be replaced or will form an oligopoly, Yin Hong also provided answers. He stated that while the tile industry is traditional and undergoing significant changes, no material can replace ceramic tiles. "The tile industry is highly fragmented and highly individualized. It is impossible for an oligopoly to form in China within the next 20 years—everyone has opportunities," Yin Hong said, adding that the industry is dominated by market forces with few state-owned enterprises, meaning competitiveness relies on strength, branding, and innovation, which will always be the core themes of its development.  

At the event, senior leaders from two key international suppliers of Baoda Group—Torrecid and Kerajet—also attended in person.  

Gustavo, a representative of Torrecid, introduced several products currently under cooperation with Baoda, including relief inks, Sunken inks, white inks, candy inks, and large-grain products. He also shared upcoming collaborative products, such as "full-body tiles + large-grain effects" and effect inks. It is understood that the trend toward larger-grain effects will make the thick, natural contrast of tiles a future popular direction. Gustavo noted that current Italian trends favor the authentic stone colors of marble, as well as wood-grain mosaics, terrazzo, and handcrafted tiles. In new projects, he highlighted dry granule polishing, glue dry granules, digital molds, and digital glazing.

Gustavo, General Manager of Greater China Region, Torrecid (Suzhou) Glazes and Colors Co., Ltd.

  In addition, Miguel Fibla, the person in charge of Kerajet, stated that as the world's first company to provide ceramic inkjet printers, Kerajet has been committed to continuously improving its pioneering inkjet printers in the field of ceramic decoration. Miguel Fibla introduced the future development trend of the ceramic industry: fully digital ceramic production lines will become more digital and integrated, endowing products with higher added value.

Miguel Fibla, Global Operations Director of Kerajet

The key theme of the event—*"Ingenuity · Nirvana, Accumulating Momentum · Strategizing for the Long Term"*—was shared on-site by Zhang Gang, Executive President of Baoda Group. Zhang Gang first provided a brief introduction to Baoda Group. It is understood that the group originated from Jinjiang Baoda, established in 2000, which primarily produced exterior wall tiles. In 2010, it upgraded to Nan'an Baoda, manufacturing ordinary antique tiles. The real transformation began in 2016 with the introduction of a professional operations team and the production of high-end double-zero water absorption glazed tiles. After three years of transformation, Baoda Group currently owns three modern production bases and eight world-leading ceramic production lines. It plans to add eight more kilns in the future, with products covering large-format panels, quartz thick plates, thin ceramic plates, modern antique tiles, and original-edge porcelain wood tiles, among others.

Zhang Gang, Executive President of Baoda Group

         
Zhang Gang, Executive President of Baoda Group, analyzed the SWOT of Fujian production area on site, listing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. He believed that to win the competition, it was necessary to strengthen internal advantages.  

At present, Baoda Group has been continuously improving in raw material procurement, new product development, product quality control, order guidance and customer problem-solving efficiency, winning the trust and welcome of customers.  

Looking back on 2018, Baoda Group achieved an 85% sales growth, which Zhang Gang attributed to the comprehensive improvement in products, marketing and services. He stated that Baoda's ceramic products are benchmarked against Italy, positioning as "Italian direction + Italian standard presentation", and focusing on differentiated, high-difficulty and forward-looking market demands. In the future, Baoda Group will create a one-stop procurement platform for high-quality and differentiated products in Fujian. All employees of Baoda will strengthen internal capabilities, successfully complete transformation, and get fully prepared for development!  

At this event, heads of major departments of Baoda Group, including Sales Department, Quality Management, Totobenni and Shenke brands, also took the stage to introduce the current development status of Baoda Group and jointly welcome new challenges!

The 2019 Annual Conference and Strategic Summit concluded successfully.