From 1992 to today, Zoomlion has grown from a toddler taking its first steps into an industry giant. Through 20 years of dramatic change, the one thing that has remained unchanged and steadfast is quality. We firmly believe that "high quality" will inevitably dominate the next 10 years of development in China's construction machinery industry, and that only through quality can an enterprise win the future.

These remarks were made by Zoomlion Chairman Zhan Chunxin in the second half of 2013. They may sound plain and unadorned, but in fact they carry extraordinary significance. After savoring them, a reporter from China Deep Foundation Engineering felt they were deeply meaningful and truly hit the mark. From his subsequent series of statements, the reporter believes that Zhan Chunxin was at least sincerely conveying to the industry the following profound views and insights of his own.

First, Zhan Chunxin's statement that high quality will dominate the future points out that high quality is a sharp weapon for enterprises to cope with business crises. To this end, he said that although China's construction machinery industry is still in an "L"-shaped trough, after bottoming out in the first half of the year, it will enter a slow recovery in the second half. In this critical period of industry transformation and upgrading, the entire construction machinery market has also raised newer and higher requirements for product quality. For enterprises, only by continuously pursuing "high-quality" development can they meet challenges amid fierce competition, seize market opportunities, and achieve long-term development.

And that is exactly what Zoomlion has done. Not only is it currently responding to the sluggish environment with high quality, but as early as 2012, when the industry was generally in a downturn, Zoomlion achieved revenue of 48.071 billion yuan and net profit of 7.330 billion yuan. The reason Zoomlion has been able to maintain consecutive "counter-market" growth in both revenue and net profit is its continuously strengthened corporate quality management.

Second, Zhan Chunxin's statement that high quality will dominate the future summarizes that high quality is the magic weapon that has enabled Zoomlion to keep developing. Zhan Chunxin emphasized that whether an enterprise can become a century-old firm depends on whether the people running it have a sense of responsibility. To make money continuously, one cannot engage in one-off deals. In this regard, he gave an example: shortly after the New Year in 1994, Zoomlion's first-generation concrete pump truck flashed a "red light." Facing huge economic losses, we made the decision to "halt production entirely." During six months of losses, everyone gritted their teeth and developed and produced the second-generation product. That year, sales revenue reached 40 million yuan and profit reached 12 million yuan, making the company a major taxpayer in Changsha. Looking back now, it is both frightening and gratifying. You have to know that if the decision had failed, it would have destroyed the livelihoods of more than a hundred people. But if we had not halted production back then, how could there be today's Zoomlion? Just as, if Zhang Ruimin had not smashed the substandard refrigerators, there probably would be no Haier today.

Third, Zhan Chunxin's statement that high quality will dominate the future emphasizes that high quality is the guarantee for enterprises to achieve internationalization. He pointed out that Chinese enterprises going global have long faced the awkward situation of "Made in China" being associated with cheap but good products. Only by adhering to quality first and enhancing quality competitiveness can China reach international advanced levels in quality, brand, technology, management, and other aspects. For the construction machinery industry, likewise, only through the continuous tempering of one's own quality can brand competitiveness be enhanced, moving from "going out" to "going in," and enabling Chinese construction machinery brands to stand proudly on the world stage.

That is indeed how Zoomlion's internationalization path has been. In this regard, Zhan Chunxin recalled that when the company was first founded, it had only 500,000 yuan in borrowed funds, and at that time he never imagined becoming the world's sixth-ranked construction machinery brand. Someone once asked him: today, when diverse cultures collide and cultural differences create obstacles to communication and integration, what secret does Zoomlion hold that has enabled foreigners to understand Chinese people? In fact, we did not know how to deal with foreigners at first and paid a lot of tuition. Facing the global market, especially the demanding European market and the Japanese market of a manufacturing powerhouse, we have always held one belief: to do our utmost to produce the highest quality in China's construction machinery. With outstanding quality and excellent performance, Zoomlion has eliminated prejudices about pedigree, won the trust of the international market on behalf of "Made in China," and laid a cornerstone for Chinese construction machinery to expand into overseas markets.

High quality is the lifeline of an enterprise. Under the broader climate in which the industry has continued to cool, Zoomlion Chairman Zhan Chunxin used his own company's experience and insights to issue to the industry such a sincere statement that "high quality will dominate the future." This was clearly done with great thought. It demonstrates the demeanor expected of the head of a leading enterprise in the industry. It not only puts into practice his statement that people running enterprises must have a sense of responsibility, but also reflects his high sense of industry responsibility with the big picture in mind. It is worth the heads of construction machinery enterprises, especially some who are in difficult circumstances and impetuous, to summarize and reflect on deeply, so as to plan and formulate more reasonable development strategies.

Editor in charge: Wu Yue