Grow amidst Challenges: A Never-ending Path Uphill

Some people say 3 years are long, 5 years are long and 10 years are long… but I have been with the Hengdian Group for 25 years, or one quarter of a century! Sticking to an industry, growing with the company, keeping learning and making adjustments, adapting to changes and challenges, and remaining true to the heart. It is common to a Japanese enterprise. But many of my coworkers and I have made it too at Hengdian Group Tospo Lighting Co., Ltd.

My "Lighting Experience"

I graduated as a major in aeronautics and entered the lighting industry in 1997 when I was lucky enough to become an employee of Tospo Lighting. I started my career as a apprentice and learned from my master and my clients. Then I gradually grew and said goodbye to my days as a newbie. More than twenty years of lighting experience have illuminated my "lighting life" all the way when I personally witnessed the introduction of electronic ballast product in the early days of the company, fast development of electronic energy-saving lamps, exponential growth of LED lighting products and transformation of lighting fixtures.

As a technician, I must possess a solid technical base. As a manager, I must have a reliable team. In line with the continuous development of company, I have gradually changed from technical positions to technical management positions and finally operational management positions over the past two decades. I must keep updated with company development and learn and grow amidst challenges. The experiences with multiple positions have enriched my "lighting life".

In the crisis of September 11, 2001, we survived when other companies were on the verge of closedown. In the financial crisis of 2008, we founded a joint venture with one of our big clients and turned the crisis into an opportunity. In 2020 when COVID-19 almost stopped the operations of the society, our company developed further in light of the Group's initiative of "shared staffing". These challenges and experiences have added an additional luster to my "lighting life".

Hengdian is my home where I have worked for over twenty years and always feel at easy. But I used to leave it and worked in South Jiangxi for over 2 years to develop the Company's second manufacturing base. To cope with increasing tariffs to the US market, the Company developed a manufacturing base in Southeast Asia where the products of my division were at the forefront, and our outdoor lighting fixtures were successfully produced at the overseas base. In 2020, our new 5-year strategy was implemented. Our automotive lighting business was developed as a new strategic division and I was on a new journey again to address new challenges. Starting new work in a new place will make my "lighting life" more colorful and diversified.

Sports keeps my morale boosted

I am a sports lover. Basketball and football were my favorites when I was a student. I used to be the main left forward of our college football team.

After I joined the the company, I started a 6-year-long trekking career and conquered most of the mountains in Zhejiang and surrounding provinces. The flag of "Chaoyang Travelers' Club" was flying on Huangmaojian Mountain, Wugong Mountain, Dongbai Mountain, Tianmu Mountain and other major mountains. Next to trekking, I started cycling as well. Tospo T-Axle Cycling Team had nearly 80 members during its peak days.

In 2009, I was lucky enough to be dispatched for EMBA education by the company. During the systematic training, I attended the seventh "Xuanzang’s Road" Gobi Challenge on behalf of Zhejiang University and engaged in a 13-day trekking. Singing the "Blue Lotus" (a song by a famous Chinese singer of Xu Wei) all the way along, I could feel the experiences of Monk Xuanzang in his hardest journey across the "Mo He Yan Qi" Gobi Desert and thus had myself elevated physically and spiritually.

Following the Gobi Challenge, jogging became my favorite, including full marathon, half marathon, 50km trail, 100km trail and 168km trail. Nearly 8 years of jogging has benefited me a lot although I have never won any award.

As a manager, I need to remain fully energetic and vibrant and have the right way to discharge negative feelings and pressures. My motto is: no problem can't be settled after a thrilling running trip. Sports always keeps my morale maintained and boosted.

Thank you!

I owe a great deal to Tospo for the chances of learning and growth in the past 25 years. I owe my clients for their inclusiveness and understanding and my coworkers and pals for their consistent supports and helps. I will continue to work harder and grow further, and embrace the challenges along a never-ending path uphill.