Exclusive Interview by Sanming Daily | Zheng Zunrong: Running on the Path of Textiles

Zheng Zunrong is inspecting the operation of the machinery in the workshop.

Wang Kun, reporter for this newspaper’s Youxi bureau / Photos and text

“Always on the road”—that’s the unanimous assessment of Zheng Zunrong among employees of Fujian Shunyuan Textile Co., Ltd. Over the course of a year—365 days—he spends nearly 260 days traveling across China’s provinces and around the world. Since joining Shunyuan Textile in 2012, he has immersed himself in textile production, worked directly on the shop floor, and actively explored markets, steadily building his way up step by step and transforming Shunyuan Textile into today’s provincial-level leading enterprise in Fujian Province’s industrial and information technology sectors.

The young generation will achieve great things.
Zheng Zunrong was born in 1991 into a small-business family in Changle, Fuzhou. In 2012, Fujian Shunyuan Textile Co., Ltd. began operations in Youxi; the company’s founder was Zheng Zunrong’s father. Before entering the textile industry, Zheng Zunrong’s father had embarked on numerous entrepreneurial ventures, dipping his toes into a wide variety of sectors—from noodle shops and general stores to livestock farms. The father’s relentless work ethic, rising early and working late into the night, deeply moved Zheng Zunrong. Growing up immersed in his father’s example, Zheng Zunrong developed a strong spirit of hard work and perseverance.
In 2012, after graduating from school at the age of 21, Zheng Zunrong began learning how to run Shunyuan Textile from his father. Although he had just graduated and his major wasn't directly related to the business, he didn't let this deter him. Determined to start from scratch, he immersed himself in every production workshop, sought advice from his seniors, and gained a deep understanding of each and every step involved in spinning. Beyond the production workshops, he was also actively involved in other departments within the company—recruiting employees, managing finances, overseeing product manufacturing, and handling procurement and sales. He thoroughly studied the work of every single department.
In addition to gaining a comprehensive understanding of Shunyuan’s internal operations and learning from its management experience, he specifically attended training courses organized by textile associations in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Ningxia, and other regions. During these courses, he met many experienced engineers and developed a clearer grasp of the textile market. This not only enhanced his own professional skills but also helped the company attract numerous talented individuals.
Subsequently, product procurement and sales became the primary responsibilities of Zheng Zunrong. At first, he had little understanding of market trends and was still in the learning and摸索 stage regarding the company’s main products. Lacking experience in commercial negotiations, he found it difficult to make accurate market assessments. Since the company’s product output depended on the sales department’s judgment of market conditions, each product modification involved substantial human and material resource costs. Once a misjudgment was made, the company could face losses amounting to millions of yuan—putting him under tremendous pressure.
To make the most accurate judgments, he began traveling extensively to textile enterprises across the country, spending at least 20 days each month on business trips. Every month and every quarter, he maintained close contact with downstream customers, keeping abreast of the latest fashion trends and market demands in real time to ensure his decisions were spot-on. Gradually, Zheng Zunrong found his true calling. He devoted all his passion and energy to the textile industry, staying in it for a full nine years.

People-oriented
Today, in addition to Shunyuan Textile, Zheng Zunrong and his family have founded several textile enterprises, including Fujian Longyuan Textile Co., Ltd. and Fujian Xuyuan Textile Co., Ltd. Their products are exported to countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Currently, the companies employ over 2,500 people, significantly boosting the economic development of Youxi County and creating numerous job opportunities for local residents.
“Putting people first and genuinely caring for our employees” is the cultural philosophy that Zheng Zunrong has always upheld. He spearheaded the union’s efforts to provide employees with well-equipped staff apartments featuring kitchens, private bathrooms, and broadband internet access. Additionally, the complex includes a supermarket, recreation room, KTV, basketball court, and other leisure facilities, creating a warm “home-like culture” for our employees.
Compared to traditional textile enterprises, Shunyuan Textile’s production processes in the workshop are more environmentally friendly, safeguarding the health of its employees. In summer, when workshop temperatures can soar to 40–50°C, Zheng Zunrong made sure to install air conditioning units in every workshop. At the same time, Shunyuan Textile has stepped up its automation efforts and equipped its facilities with comprehensive fire safety systems, thereby minimizing the occurrence of workplace accidents to the greatest extent possible. In addition to providing regular safety training for employees, Shunyuan Textile organizes a fire safety drill once per quarter. During each monthly staff meeting, Zheng Zunrong once again emphasizes to his employees the critical importance of workplace safety.
After businesses resumed operations in 2020, some employees of Shunyuan Textile were unable to return to Youxi due to the pandemic. After consulting with company executives, Zheng Zunrong decided to arrange special vehicles to pick up employees one by one from places such as Guizhou, Sichuan, and Yunnan. This Spring Festival, in response to the call to celebrate the New Year where they are, the company specially provided employees with Spring Festival bonuses for staying on duty, additional work allowances, and festive gift packages, making every effort to ensure that each employee has a warm and comforting Lunar New Year.

Give back to society
Since 2016, Zheng Zunrong, a deputy to the People’s Congress of Sanming City, has actively offered suggestions and advice each year based on the actual conditions of Youxi County. Located in a mountainous region, Youxi County faces the challenge that many highly educated professionals choose to stay and find employment in cities such as Xiamen. How to retain talent has become a common issue confronting businesses in Youxi. Drawing on the recruitment situation at Shunyuan Textile in Youxi County, Zheng Zunrong proactively proposed to the Standing Committee of the Sanming Municipal People’s Congress the implementation of preferential policies for talented individuals, striving to encourage more highly educated professionals to come and work in Youxi through measures such as talent subsidies.
As a private entrepreneur, Zheng Zunrong has consistently repaid society through acts of kindness. “We acquire wealth from society, and therefore we should give back to it. Without the support of all sectors of society and the hard work of our employees, there would be no enterprise development.” Over the past nine years, Shunyuan Textile has set aside special funds each year to participate in targeted poverty alleviation efforts and projects aimed at assisting people with disabilities and supporting education. The company has also actively donated to the Fujian Provincial Federation for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities. As a result, Shunyuan Textile has been honored as a “Unit Promoting Humanity and Caring for and Assisting Persons with Disabilities” in Fujian Province, and Zheng Zunrong himself has received the title of “Outstanding Individual in Fujian’s Textile and Apparel Industry Cluster.”
Currently, Zheng Zunrong is preparing to establish the Shunyuan Textile Charitable Foundation.