In 2024, Weihua Group, a "single-item champion" in the crane industry, launched its "third entrepreneurship" initiative, with internationalization as a key strategic direction. That same year, the group achieved a 100%-plus growth in overseas orders.
Weihua International Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Weihua) started as a 3-mu (roughly 2,000 squaremeters) handmade workshop in Changyuan City and thrived during the boom of domestic infrastructure development. Weihua's hoisting equipment has been used in major national projects such as the West-East Gas Transmission and South-to-North Water Diversion.
The experience gained in the domestic market has accumulated technology and expanded channels for Weihua Manufacturing. Before it proactively deployed in overseas markets, its products and reputation had already spread across the oceans.
In 1999, Weihua Group secured its first overseas order — a 32-ton overhead crane sold to Sudan, thus opening the door to the international market. In 2002, the then Henan Provincial Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation awarded Weihua the "National Import and Export Enterprise Qualification Certificate," and the slogan "Weihua Hoisting, Making the World Lighter" was proposed accordingly.
Over the following 20 years, Weihua's participation in international exchanges and trade became increasingly frequent. In 2008, it sold products to a developed country for the first time, and by 2011, its products had been exported to 54 countries. In 2023, Weihua Group registered and established Weihua International in Hong Kong, for specifically planning and promoting a more comprehensive and systematic internationalization strategy.
"We refer to 2024 as the first year of Weihua's internationalization. This is because previously our focus was primarily on domestic business, but starting from 2024, we have begun to independently expand overseas markets on a large scale," said Group President Wang Xi. "We have divided the world into 6 regions, and none of them is the key market — in other words, all 6 regions are key markets. This layout is global."
Stepping into Weihua Group's factory area, the most intuitive impressionis its scale — large factory area, large equipment, and large products.
Weihua currently has 4 major production bases, including the Changyuan base covering approximately 4,000 mu (almost 2.67 million square meters). In October of this year, a loading/unloading portal cranecompleted acceptance inspection and embarked on a long journey overseas to a steel plant in Mexico. Standing 30 meters tall with a main girder boom of 85 meters and a span of 50 meters, its huge size allows it to easily cover a wide operating area.
How is it transported overseas? Wang Xi explained that some components can be transported by railway, but the main parts of the product cannot fit into containers and are mainly transported via road and sea. Some beams and columns need to be disassembled first and then assembled and welded upon arrival at the destination. "Depending on the location and transportation practices of the export country, our products are shipped from ports in Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo and other regions. In Qidong, Jiangsu, we have built and put into operation a base covering about 1,000 mu (almost 0.67 million square meters), which includes a wharf with three 50,000-ton berths. Currently, this base is overwhelmed with orders."
Since its establishment, Weihua Group has undergone "three entrepreneurial phases": The first phase saw founder Han Xianbao start from a handmade workshop and develop it into a leading enterprise in China's hoisting equipment manufacturing. The second phase began in 2018, when under the full promotion of Han Hong'an, the current group chairman, the company gradually expanded from its core business of industrial hoisting equipment to fields such as port and marine engineering equipment, new energy equipment, intelligent automated parking systems, steel structure prefabricated buildings, and modern agriculture, and gradually entered the international market. The third phase started in 2024, with Weihua proposing the strategic development direction of "Internationalization, Digitalization, Intelligence, and Greenization," where internationalization is placed in a more prominent position.
Today, Weihua Group's products are sold to more than 170 countries and regions, with its export order volume more than doubling year-on-year. Wang Xi stated that the export scale is expected to double again year-on-year this year. The company has set a longer-term goal — by 2030, the exports will account for 50% of its total business scale.
Wang Xi believes that Weihua Group's greatest advantages in entering the international market are not transportation, but policies and industrial chains.
Firstly, as the "Crane Capital of China," Changyuan in Xinxiang possesses the most complete crane industrial chains. Any brand can find offices or agents here, and there are specialized enterprises for upstream and downstream supply. In addition, with the improvement of mechanization, Changyuan has nurtured a group of skilled industrial workers.
Secondly, there are policy advantages. "Henan Province has made significant efforts to support our overseas expansion. For example, the government provides substantial subsidies for our participation in certain exhibitions," said Wang Xi. "Moreover, I am from Hangzhou and have worked in other provinces for a long time. In my view, the efficiency of Henan's relevant departmentsis quite high."
The day after this interview, Wang Xi was set to head for a country in Central Asia, continuing his efforts at exploring overseas markets. Employees of Weihua International, along with many others dedicated to "Henan Enterprises' Overseas Expansion," are also tirelessly working towards this goal on their journeys. (Chinese soure: Henan Daily Reporter: Cheng Shuaixing Translator: Hong Jianyuan)
