Since its inception, the Yingliu Group has firmly believed that talent is the key to any future development and hence attached great importance to its human resources.

The group currently has more than 3,000 employees. Among them, more than 360 are high and medium-level technicians and 33 percent are college graduates.

To cultivate greater professional skills among its workers, the group regularly sends its employees overseas to further their studies and acquire the latest technologies. It also invites experts and professors from domestic and international research institutes to conduct training courses for personnel.

Facing a lack of talent in the industry, the group set up a Workers College in cooperation with the Hefei University of Technology in 2002.

More than 160 students have either graduated from or are currently studying in the college.

As a member of the China Foundry Association (CFA) and the Castings Technology International (CTI), the group boasts a provincial-level research and development center and a cooperative relationship in personnel training and technology with CTI.

"Our group has a very devoted and talented team of workers, who are our most valuable asset," said Du Yingliu, president of the group. "The group cannot achieve any development without each employee's contribution."

"It's our responsibility that every staff member with ability and entrepreneurship can achieve their career goals in our company," Du said.

Prospects

Today, the group exports 80 percent of its products to about 50 customers in 24 countries and regions in Europe, America, Asia and the Pacific area.

The group has also maintained long-term and stable business partnerships with major multinationals.

But the president and the group's staff are not resting on their laurels. They have a more ambitious plan for future development.

"As a major enterprise in China's machinery industry, the group will be more active in developing new products," Du said.

He said the group will give priority to the development of automobile and train parts and seek cooperation with the world's major multinationals in products, technology, management, marketing and human resources, with the aim of building a big name in the international market.

"In business operations, we will continue to be enterprising and explorative and provide our customers with high-quality products and services," Du pledged.

"We bear in mind that quality, reputation and wholehearted service to customers are the most important things for us and we will make greater efforts to meet tomorrow's challenges."

On June 29, Tang Linxiang, mayor of Lu'an City, inspected the group and encouraged it to work toward bigger achievements in the future.

"The municipal government will continue to provide the best service possible to support the Yingliu Group's development during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-10)," Tang said.

He pointed out it was a "remarkable" achievement for the group to grow from a small workshop-style foundry into a large modern enterprise.

"We hope the enterprise will grow into a pillar hi-tech enterprise in the near future and make a greater contribution to the local economy," the mayor added.

(China Daily 10/09/2007 page7)