Casting light on wealth-making

Liu Jinghua-led Zippo coasts on windproof lighters' success to diversify into perfumes, apparel, accessories

Selling lighters for 1 yuan ($0.15) to 3 yuan each to smokers may not sound like an exciting job, much less a well-paying one; but, believe it or not, many Chinese sales agents of US-based lighter-maker Zippo Manufacturing Co have become wealthy doing just that.

That's a story Liu Jinghua, Zippo's Asia managing director, recalls proudly. He attributes the brand's success in China to the romance and luster of the company's renowned windproof metal lighters.