yu fangwen: less empty talk and more practical work to provide chinese refrigeration solutions to the world
2024-09-25
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the fighter says:
“less empty talk, more practical work. do it first, and talk later. thinking alone will not solve any problem, nor will it realize any dream.”
"strugglers and doers are those who constantly break through themselves and innovate and forge ahead." yu fangwen, chairman of meibao group, said that as an entrepreneur and the head of a company supporting thousands of employees, he cannot relax and has no time to relax.
since the brand was founded in 2010, under the leadership of yu fangwen, meibo group (hereinafter referred to as "meibo") has grown from an agent for air-conditioning products to a professional refrigeration equipment company integrating production, research and sales. the number of patent applications has exceeded 600, and products are exported to 82 countries and regions around the world. in the first half of 2024, meibo achieved a year-on-year growth of more than 60% in the overseas market, and the overall output value is expected to increase by 10% this year.
from a small warehouse of 400 square meters to three major production bases
meeting with customers, negotiating with suppliers, tracking r&d progress, paying attention to process flow... from getting up at 7 a.m. to getting home at 10 p.m., yu fangwen's work schedule is packed for 15 hours.
"the sales position is very important. it requires communicating with front-line customers and then quickly reflecting first-hand user needs to the backend. we use backend feedback to quickly improve products and enhance product research and development capabilities," yu fangwen analyzed.
this is not unrelated to yu fangwen's own experience. yu fangwen comes from an ordinary rural family in yuexi county, anqing city, anhui province. he left his hometown and came to the pearl river delta in his early years. he initially worked in air conditioning maintenance. during this period, he came into contact with various front-line customers, accumulated experience in the air conditioning industry and first-hand user feedback, and realized the development potential of this field.
in 2010, despite the fierce competition in the industry at that time, yu fangwen saw the huge potential of the air-conditioning market and the driving force of the rapid development of real estate, and officially established the "meibo" brand, dedicated to creating high-quality products and services, and creating a better future through struggle and hard work.
"at that time, the three of us rented a small warehouse of 400 square meters in nanhai, foshan. we didn't have any resources, but we worked hard and united. we moved the goods and loaded the trucks ourselves. we could work until 2 a.m. at the latest." yu fangwen recalled the early days of his business. a small factory was divided into offices, exhibition halls, and warehouses: "we need a platform to showcase ourselves so as to build customers' understanding and trust in us. at the beginning, customers may be skeptical about you and only take a little to try. it doesn't matter if it's a little less, because after the first time, there will be a second and third time. this is how we accumulated step by step."
six years after starting their business, they bought their first factory in lunjiao, shunde. after a year of taking root there, they reached an important turning point. in 2017, meibo launched the world's first shared air conditioner, innovating the business model of the air conditioning market. in the same year, meibo entered the sports marketing and became the title sponsor of the new zealand national men's basketball team in the fiba 2019 basketball world cup, driving meibo into a stage of global development. in addition, the strategic cooperation with panasonic compressor and the acquisition of the national high-tech enterprise qualification certification have further consolidated meibo's position in the industry.
after more than ten years of hard work, yu fangwen witnessed the company's expansion from a small warehouse to three major manufacturing bases. in 2024, meibo not only built a global intelligent manufacturing industrial park in jun'an, foshan, and updated the company's headquarters, but also built production bases in yu fangwen's hometown of wuhu and anqing, anhui.
what to do when you encounter a bottleneck? just do it!
as a latecomer to the refrigeration industry, yu fangwen and meibo are called "the new wave" by many peers and media. however, it is not easy to be a "new wave dark horse". in 2018, the home appliance market fell into a downturn, and the leading brands started a price war. "this had a great impact on us, and the group encountered financial difficulties." yu fangwen said that fortunately, friends helped him in the most difficult time, and the company relied on friends' funds to survive the crisis.
in addition to funding, as a technology company, yu fangwen often encounters technical bottlenecks. "we are a company that focuses on the refrigeration segment. what does this mean? it is both an opportunity and a risk and a challenge." yu fangwen gave an example, saying that traditional air conditioning refrigeration absorbs heat from the air by compressing the refrigerant, and generates heat through electric heating pipes to heat the air for heating, while heat pump air conditioning uses the heat energy in the air for cooling or heating, and exchanges heat between indoor and outdoor through a circulation system to achieve indoor temperature regulation. heat pump air conditioning can overcome the shortcomings of traditional air conditioning that cannot work properly in extreme weather, and achieve stable use in environments of minus 35℃ and high temperature 60℃. "this means that it is necessary to achieve technical crossover and overcome blank areas."
yu fangwen said that overcoming technical difficulties is the difficulty. at the same time, finding talents who can understand and realize this technology is even more difficult. "it can be said that we are looking for suitable talents at every stage."
from simple oem to becoming one of the top ten brands in the air-conditioning industry recognized by the ministry of industry and information technology for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, yu fangwen is working hard towards his dream. what if he encounters difficulties and bottlenecks? yu fangwen smiled heartily and said sincerely: "talk less and do more! if you only think but don't do anything, you can't solve anything and you can't achieve anything."
in addition, as a senior who loves his career and continues to create new horizons on the front line, yu fangwen advises young people to maintain a keen insight into new technologies and be brave to explore and apply the latest scientific and technological achievements: "we are in an era of rapid change, and the advancement of intelligence and technology is constantly reshaping the industry landscape. in this era of intelligence and digitalization, having forward-looking thinking and problem-solving skills will make you stand out in the industry. at the same time, do not ignore the importance of teamwork, and learn to rely on collective wisdom and strength to achieve greater goals."
text and photos by reporter yang yuanying
