Dear colleagues,
Happy New Year! By the time we paid our farewell to 2018 and usher in 2019, we may have batches of wish and expectations. On the first day of every new year, our hearts are always full of joy, as everything is brand new and waiting for us to create.
In 2018, we successfully completed our goal. In 2019, we will certainly face new challenges. This year marks the first year of full integration of Infore Enviro and Zoomlion Enviro. The overall revenue budget for overall industries will strive to exceed RMB17 billion, which will be the common goal for more than 7,000 employees. Bathed in the sunshine of the first day in the new year, no matter where you are, I do have some feelings to share with you.
We are Engaging in a Great
and Rewarding Cause
Industry data shows that the annual death and injury rate of sanitation workers is about 1‰. Sanitation workers are working on the road, where chances to encounter accidents are extremely high. There are more than 20 million sanitation workers in China. The number 1‰ means that 20,000 sanitation workers will fall under the wheel every year, and more than 2 sanitation workers will be injured or dead every hour on average. Behind every casual worker, there is a torn family. Is there anything more heartbreaking than this?
We ranks the first in China’s and top three around the world’s environmental sanitation equipment industry. Since the development of the first sweeping vehicle in China in the 1990s, our cumulative sales volume of sanitation equipment exceeded 400,000 units as of 2018, with a growth rate of 20% every year. On the one hand, we replace people with machines to improve work efficiency; on the other hand, we help reduce the number of such dangerous jobs and cut casualties. At the same time, we are investing in the R&D of “unmanned sanitation vehicles” and “environmental sanitation robots” to further replace dangerous work categories with machines. Now we are at the front tier around the world.
Buddhism values "Six reincarnations and great mercy"! If we can reduce the occurrence of tragedies by our effort, what a great merit and blessing for us! We are also working hard in environmental governance and monitoring businesses to reduce the harm to people brought by pollution. "Being righteous in mind, thoughts, and actions", I am deeply proud of our cause!
Customers First
We are grateful for this era, as it provides opportunities for everyone and businesses to show their potential. Drucker once said that "the sole purpose of an enterprise is to create customers." Second- and third-tier companies only follow the industry and passively meet customer needs; while first-tier companies are actively analyzing customers’ pains, so as to lead the industry and set standards for providing upgraded products and services.
Ren Zhengfei requires employees to “face toward customers and turn back toward bosses”. This is the most vivid interpretation of “customer-centered” strategy. Everyone must understand that it is not your boss who pays you, it is customers. We must reflect whether our behaviors satisfy customers' needs? What are their new pains? Have we done well in service? We encourage that "service is the best marketing", "let people who hear the gunfire make decisions", and ask "back-up offices to support the front service lines”. For employees of back-up offices, the front desk staff is your customers.
Team, Mechanism and Culture are Keys to Success
“Customer First, Employee Second, Shareholder Third, Community Fourth” is our value. Creating value for customers, making employees live better, paying back to shareholders, and giving back to communities require the joint efforts of all employees. So what kind of employees do we need?
I want to make it clear: we need "entrepreneurs" and the "team players with a shared goal". Zeng Guofan once said, "Ordinary people around the world all failed due to their laziness. While those who are extraordinary around the world are all defeated by their arrogance." Genius is a minority. Most of us are ordinary. Only when we are struggling, down-to-earth, and hard-working, can we make a difference. Those who have achieved some small achievements could possible step up and go further only if they "stop being arrogant" and persist in their struggles. We have to examine our team, on how many of us are still struggling, and how many are not. We only need people who spare no effort, otherwise, those who are not struggling shall be asked to leave our team in time. We agree that "To toast together towards success, and fight together when fail". It is necessary for team members to be both "entrepreneur" and "members with a shared goal", who sincerely agree with our cause and are willing to fight for it. When making decision on promotion of every single employee, we need to consider whether he or she has fundamental and rotation working experience and whether he or she joined us since graduation, so as to confirm the determination to overcome difficulties and grow together with us. We shall minimize to hire external management, and I do not plan to send leaders from the headquarter to Changsha base or other industrial units. I hope in the future, we can select internal leaders from Changsha base and other industry units, from university graduates with fundamental working experience.
Mr. He Xiangjian, Founder of Midea, once said that “I’d rather to tolerate a mistake that cost RMB100 million in decision-making than a weakening mechanism”! We have the same feeling on this. What is mechanism? It is "work harder, gain more", "performance-oriented", "promote the outstanding staff and delay the poor", "reasonable centralization and decentralization, appropriate authorization and empowerment" and "keep up the pace of the times, constantly seek for new changes", etc. Mechanism exists to ensure that an enterprise can soberly face market competition, adjust in time, and never deceive themselves.
We are committed to the mission of “Cleaner World Better Future”. The vision is “to become a respected and reliable world-leading high-end equipment manufacturer + environmental integrated service provider focusing on sanitation robots”. We advocate simplicity: simple transactions, simple management, and simple relationships. We advocate respect: to respect every employee who creates value for the company, even sanitation staff. There’s no high or low in work. We are all equal. This is part of our culture and values, and it requires us to practice and recreate together.
2018 is undoubtedly a bloody year for the environmental protection industry, when more than 20 listed companies in this industry got problems. It is unrealistic for the economic situation rebound as V-shape in short term. It can be predicted that the macroeconomic situation in 2019 will not be optimistic. All of our employees must have a great sense of “crisis and urgency”. Nike’s Founder Phil Knight once said: "The cowards never started, the weak died on the way, only the strong arrived!". There’s always "an opportunity hiding in danger". As long as we follow the simplest business logic, focus on product, quality, service, payment collection, and work hard, even Winter makes us stronger!
The sun shines on us. We are cuddling and warming each other. Even if we have not met before, or you are still on a business trip, I will pass on my deep wish for you.
The sun shines on us. We share the pressure and fight side by side. There is always a force to inspire us. There are always touching moments locked in our memories. Please accept my deep wishes for you.
The sun shines on us. The dream is buried in our heart, whether it is big or small, grand or humble. Infore Enviro has gathered 7,000 dreams. That is the most beautiful scenery! Please allow me to express my deepest wishes for you!
Best wishes to you and your family!
Happy New Year of 2019
Wish you healthy and making progress! Hope all your wishes come true!
Chairman and President of Infore Enviro Ma Gang
January 1st 2019
273
2019.01.11
