The Growth and Development Journey of Chinese Stone Companies

At the turn of the century, many stone companies shifted from construction projects to distribution channels, vigorously developing the downstream stone industry. They actively invested in domestic and international stone mines, expanding their international stone business. Many companies also built modern stone production lines and high-end stone showrooms. They began promoting their brand, meeting the demands for quality and service from domestic and international clients, and effectively exploring business models. In less than a decade, stone companies have moved beyond regional boundaries, establishing a strong presence globally, and have become a vital force in the world stone industry.

I. Through the Stone Platform, Realize Life's Dreams

By leveraging the company as a platform, we are attracting high-level talents from home and abroad through our business development and corporate promotion, such as focusing on importing large slabs. Alternatively, we are fostering collaborations through innovative models, gathering international quality stone products, channel resources, and distinctive entities in various ways. Some qualified companies are now refining their internal profit accounting systems and establishing simple departmental and individual performance assessment mechanisms. For those with moderate scale or financial strength, the market and business directors are uncovering the platform charm of the company from a management perspective. In the north and south, we have established numerous stone markets, developed a multitude of residential properties around these markets, which can be said to have ignited a local economy, or conversely, local policies have driven the development of the stone industry. For instance, in Shuitou, it is truly a world of stone.

Focus on pathways, each demonstrating their own approach.

In Xiamen, Yunfu, or even Beijing, those in the stone business that are profitable generally follow a focused approach. For instance, some stone enterprises concentrate on importing large slabs of marble (including blocks), and for supply, they target countries like Spain, Turkey, Italy, Egypt, and Iran. Through various connections, they have established strategic alliances with numerous international mines to jointly explore the market. Stone enterprises will leverage their domestic channel advantages and precise grasp of the consumer market, focusing their efforts on controlling the quality of stone from the source. For example, brands like Jinbi and Jinxian, which are conventional varieties, rely solely on the procurement, processing, and sales by individuals to achieve growth and strength. The industry may be interconnected, but to make the most of limited resources, focusing is the only way.

Three: High-end Path, Highlighting the High-end Brand

Many stone companies specialize in a high-end approach centered around quartz, or they explore innovative products, establishing relationships with design institutes, real estate developers, and decoration companies. Serving as a platform, they source various stone origins, intermediaries, technologies, and trends, providing a wealth of information for businesses. They actively participate in international exhibitions and exchanges, keeping the company's products and concepts at the forefront of the industry, including the Beijing (Shanghai) International Stone Exhibition, which has also joined the ranks of international stone exhibitions. They actively explore in-depth cooperation in e-commerce, achieving good results in the initial phase. Some companies have begun to explore online order systems for stone companies, leveraging e-commerce functions, and driving the rapid development of the industry.

Four: Focusing on quality is equivalent to focusing on customers.

The processing quality of stone directly impacts the decorative effect of stone finishes and is also a primary criterion for stone grading. Natural marble building slabs often suffer from color variation issues in their decorative results, which, colloquially known as "color difference," is referred to as "color pattern harmony" in stone standards and is a component of the appearance quality indicators. Appearance quality also includes surface defects, such as chipped edges, missing corners, cracks, color spots, streaks, and pits, as well as warping, concave indentations, and stains in marble slabs. Generally, stone companies are acutely aware from the outset that quality should be addressed at the source, emphasizing the production process, and refining the production flow. Since most marble for stone companies is imported, the quality of international raw material procurement is particularly crucial; accordingly, many companies have established dedicated international procurement staff, responsible for on-site procurement in countries like Spain, Turkey, and Iran, ensuring the quality of raw stone at the source. In the production process, including large saws, glue repairs, grinding machines, and bridge cuts, stone companies implement strict quality control at each stage, ensuring quality throughout all processes.

Establish Standards to Promote the Sound Development of the Stone Industry

For a long time, there has been a discrepancy in the way manufacturers and customers have measured stone, leading to conflicts in the stone trading process. In response, some stone companies have organized staff to conduct research on technical personnel from well-known domestic stone enterprises. By combining the overall condition of stone, they have established a stone measurement standard. This standard takes into account the national situation and the relatively low overall quality of personnel in the stone industry, using illustrations and text that are easy to understand by those with an elementary school education.

Six: Actively Explore Innovation in Stone Business Models

To facilitate customers and avoid the inconvenience of carrying large amounts of cash, some stone companies have launched UnionPay transaction systems. Customers with UnionPay-branded bank cards can now conduct transactions and settlements at the company's POS terminals. Some stone companies have effectively explored their business models, including the establishment of stone company, stone company brokers, and strategic alliances of stone companies. The stone company refers to the application of the concept of chain operation to stone, utilizing the company's exhibition hall to achieve high-end stone varieties with exquisite craftsmanship; a complete range of mid-range stone varieties; and ensuring the supply of low-end stone varieties. The stone company expands and attracts customers by leveraging the advantages of "a wide variety, quality assurance, and excellent service." The stone company broker refers to a group of experienced stone sales personnel who are active in the stone market, factories, design institutes, and various social venues, with extensive networks and valuable connections. The strategic alliance of stone companies aims to maintain the position of stone companies in the international stone industry. The companies will seek a group of strategic alliance partners to jointly manage mineral rights investment, mining, wholesale trade, and distribution, and collectively strive to transform from a stone-producing country to a stone-powerhouse.

Section 7: Pioneering Management and Operations, Achieving Success in the Stone Industry

Several stone enterprises, from their inception, have keenly recognized the importance of management and have established long-term strategic partnerships with management consulting firms. They have built management decision-making platforms, established corporate training systems, and implemented stone coding, among other initiatives, becoming pioneers in the management and operation of stone enterprises. This was the very reason I encountered stone enterprises back then. By establishing a management decision-making platform, they leverage the rich experience and strong intellectual support of consulting firms in the enterprise's rapid growth, setting business development goals, improving operational management systems, and exploring business models. They have also established an employee training system, ensuring that whether you are a worker, a business representative facing clients, a general staff member, or a manager, you can enjoy various training programs organized by the company. The company organizes training sessions regularly, either with department managers or by inviting external experts.