Jin Wei (third from right), CEO of JHX Group, poses with local quality supervision officials during their inspection of his company. Photos provided to China Daily

Jin shows his care for a girl in a kindergarten for hearing-impaired children during his visit before this year's Children's Day.

The CEO is among his colleagues in a team-building activity.

Charitable entrepreneur keeps traditional foods on the table, Huang Liying reports.

Wearing a jacket and a pair of sport shoes, CEO of JHX Group Jin Wei represents the typical image of the new generation of Chinese entrepreneurs - optimistic, relaxed and full of confidence.

"I am not good at words, but I am an expert in the fields I do business in," Jin said laughingly.

Jin, who entered the business world in the 1990s, was among the first group of people in China to quit their jobs in State-owned enterprises and set up their own companies.

After he graduated from college, Jin joined the Nanjing Automobile Cooperation, one of the oldest automobile manufacturers in China, in 1994.

His hard work and leadership saw him quickly rise to the position of group leader, in charge of 15 workers.

"From an outsider's perspective, I was in a very good position back then and had the possibility to reach certain positions if I continued working in there," Jin said.

However, Jin found he was not satisfied with the job even though it was considered a "pretty decent one in 1990s," he said.

"I wanted to prove my abilities and to realize my own potential by trying something else," he said. "I felt the working environment was a little bit limited for me."

In 1995 Jin started cycling around selling batteries during his spare time.

"Some people might have given me a hard time at the beginning, but I never gave up," he said.

One client turned Jin down more than 10 times but eventually his persistence paid off and the customer bought 1,000 yuan ($167) worth of batteries, which was considered as a great deal of money in the 1990s.

"I believed if you could hang on in any circumstance, you would be successful one day," Jin said.

After three years of hard work, Jin founded his first company, the JHX Group, in 1998.

Today the group has 15 subsidiaries, which cover areas including food, electronics and oil.

The company started to expand into the field of financial investment in 2007 and petrol and gas in 2011.

According to the company, its sales reached 1.1 billion yuan in 2013.

The JHX Group has developed well in various areas, but Jin said he would put more emphasis on the food industry in the next few years.

"Food is a necessity for people, and the food industry is booming in China," Jin said.

As a Muslim born and raised in Nanjing city, Jiangsu province, Jin was fond of traditional nuts and roasted seeds as a child.

In 2012, the company purchased the Nanjing Chaozhong Food Co, a Muslim food enterprise with a 58-year history and poor profit record.

Jin said he hoped the move would help to rebuild the brand and boost its sales.

"It is a flavor from my childhood and it will be meaningful to preserve it and promote the traditional Chinese food not only within the country, but also in the world," he said.

One of the food company's key products was roasted walnuts, which are made from a secret formula that is in danger of being forgotten.

To preserve the traditional food-making technique, Jin invited senior workers who served in the food company for decades to help with the production process as well as teach young apprentices their secrets.

Jin also bought advanced equipment to speed up production as well as ensure food safety.

In January 2014, the sales doubled, compared with the same period of 2013.

"Now the company is starting to make profits - this is even beyond my expectations," Jin said.

Jin and his colleague are looking for walnut plantations and aim to develop the company into the planting, production and selling base of traditional roasted walnuts.

In addition to walnuts, the food company also produces more than 100 kinds of snacks and beverages, including various traditional sweets and cakes.

"It is more than a food business. I view it as a national industry," Jin said.

"We have very good food in China, and I want to export them to the Western countries, like the United States one day," he added.

Jin has also contributed a lot to charity. In 1999, just a year after his company was set up, he made his first donation to a village school.

"I have donated some money over the years, but I rarely talk about it," Jin said. "It is not a big deal, you know. I just do what I should do."

Jin has been known to go to the poorest neighborhood in Nanjing to help people and give them money.

"Nobody knows these little stories, I think about those people and I will go to do it," he said.

" I am a very simple person," he added.

Contact the writer at huangliying@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/15/2014 page12)