Ye Maoxi, a Fearless Trailblazer

By intern reporter ZHU HONG

WENZHOU people are called the "Jews of China," for they can dig out wealth almost anywhere in the world. Ye Maoxi, chairman of the board of Xijing Group, is an example. He sums up the idiosyncrasies of his townspeople thus: "Everyone wants to be boss, so dares to run the risks of being boss."

Ye Maoxi, chairman of the Board of Directors of Xijing Group.

Starting from Scratch

    In the late 1980s Ye Maoxi was demobilized from military service, and assigned to work in a state-owned enterprise. His monthly salary was RMB 29. At that time, Wenzhou was developing rapidly under the policy of reform and opening-up, and many locals prospered from making buttons, slide fasteners and cigarette lighters. Ye Maoxi envied those who thrived.

    One day, he heard about screen-printing from a distant relative who had returned from Europe, and decided to start his career in this field. By 1988, Ye Maoxi had set up in Beijing, printing homochromatic self-adhesive advertisements for buses in a dilapidated workshop with several hand-operated printing presses.

    As an ex-soldier, Ye Maoxi is accustomed to hardship. By day he participated in business negotiations, and by night, he travelled. At one point, for three days and nights he sacrificed sleep. By 1994, Ye Maoxi had established Beijing Xijing Advertising Co., Ltd., a business that had expanded from merely designing and producing advertisements to an agency combining advertising, media releases and project planning services.

    He took various courses in the technology of screen-printing, and was the first in China to use tri-original colors in screen-printed posters. Screen-printing originated in China 2,500 years ago, but modern four-color or multi-color screen-printing was refined in the West. Ye Maoxi introduced this advanced technology and equipment from abroad. "To establish oneself in an unassailable position in a field of fierce competition, one must master high technologies. I would like to do the best, and do what others are unable to do."

    Taking opportunities to visit the United States, Europe, Japan and Hong Kong, he learned from local experts and established various cooperative relations with industry counterparts. In the meantime, he also developed a number of patented products, including ultraviolet color-changing light-box advertisements, which are considered internationally advanced. In 2001, John Crawford, president of Screen Printing and Graphic Imaging Association International (SGIA), issued a certificate of membership to Ye Maoxi. Beijing Xijing Advertising Co., Ltd. also won a silver prize from SGIA.

    The advanced technologies of his company have attracted more and more customers. Some foreign advertising companies who used to make high-quality advertisements in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore have turned to Xijing. Some Hong Kong enterprises also have their posters printed in Xijing now, thanks to its low prices.

    Ye Maoxi said, "We should never say no to our clients." Once, due to a client's proofreading error, several hundred posters printed in Xijing went to waste. According to the contract, it was not Xijing's responsibility. But Ye Maoxi decided to reprint free of charge. "We cannot let our clients suffer any losses. We just use these errors as training for our workers." His sincerity earned more orders from Motorola, Nokia, Coca-Cola and Kodak.

    Another time, a client from Qingdao ordered the printing of erect plate advertisements for leather shoes. When he came to fetch the samples, he found that his designer had made mistakes in labeling the colors, and asked for a reprint. In general, it takes two days for the company to complete the task, but the client had already booked a plane ticket for the next day. Ye Maoxi assured his client: "We regard your demands as our own. The job will be done overnight." The next morning, the client got his samples, and a car to take him to the airport, courtesy of Ye Maoxi. The client was deeply moved, saying, "Your service is excellent. We plan to establish long-term cooperative ties with you, since you've proved such a reliable partner."

    Over a decade, Xijing Group diversified into a conglomerate incorporating real estate, mining, manufacturing, culture and media.