Employees rise with yeast, biotech giant

Ahmed Abdeltawab Bakry, 39, has been working at a leading Chinese yeast production and biomanufacturing company's Egyptian factory for 15 years. A graduate of Al-Azhar University's special chemistry major, Bakry was employed by Angel Yeast (Egypt) Co in 2011.

He earns a good salary, has been promoted to manager assistant, and twice underwent job training in China at the company's expense. While Bakry describes his job as rewarding, he said he wanted to join Angel Yeast to better understand the success story of Chinese manufacturing companies from the inside.

"At that time, China was already famous for manufacturing almost everything," he said.

"I was curious how China had achieved such a remarkable industrial transformation in a relatively short period of time, and how it was able to develop across so many different industries and eventually become a strong competitor to countries that had traditionally led those industries."

He concluded that this success story resulted from "a combination of long-term vision, hard work, discipline, continuous learning, investment in technology, and the ability to adapt and improve quickly".

Angel Yeast, a world-renowned bio-manufacturing enterprise with expertise in fermentation technology, set up its first overseas factory in Beni Suef, Egypt, in 2010, which began operations in 2013. Total actual investment surpassed $70 million with the factory mainly making yeast and yeast-derived products.

Asked why Egypt was chosen as the location for an overseas operation, Liu Jun, general manager of the factory, said Egypt is rich in beet, which provides abundant raw materials for yeast manufacturing.

"Besides, located at the junction of Asia, Africa, and Europe, Egypt enjoys an advantageous geographical position. Products exported from Egypt to the Middle East, Africa, and the European Union are eligible for zero-tariff treatment," he said.

For Egypt, the factory contributes tax revenue and foreign exchange earnings, shares yeast-making technologies to boost industrial upgrading, and sells its by-products as fertilizer and feed ingredients to support local planting and animal husbandry, Liu said.

Among its more than 1,000 employees, over 95 percent are local people. Work ranges from procurement, finance, public relations, administration, human resources, production operations, to equipment maintenance.

Over the last 15 years, about 100 Egyptian employees have been sent to China for training. Each trip costs the company about 100,000 yuan ($14,880). Liu said the investment is "very worthwhile", as it ensures they receive the correct training to become capable technicians and managers in a variety of positions and help the factory grow.

Bakry participated in training sessions in 2011 and 2018.

He said he learned the complete yeast production process, from raw material preparation to extraction, concentration, and spray drying. "I also learned about process control, quality parameters, troubleshooting, and production efficiency," he said.

The nine-month experience in China gave him a completely different perspective on China and its people. He said he was impressed by "the scale and diversity of the country, and how modern life and traditional culture exist side by side".

Now a manager assistant in the yeast extract department, Bakry said he not only enjoys a high income that can fully meet his family's financial needs, but also appreciates the opportunities and responsibilities associated with his role.

In recent years, the factory has occasionally sent local employees to the company's headquarters in Yichang, Hubei province, and China Three Gorges University to acquire technical and cultural knowledge.

Mostafa Gomaa, 38, completed three months' training in Yichang in June, not only learning about an intelligent control system but also Chinese culture and history.

He visited the Forbidden City in Beijing, which "truly reflects the heritage of this great nation", he said.

"I was impressed by China's advanced technology and smart conveniences that make everyday life incredibly comfortable. But what I found most wonderful were the Chinese people. I found them to be kind, hospitable, and deeply respectful of others," he added.

After completing his training, he was promoted to the position of assistant to the manager of the yeast production department. Gomaa said he wants to become one of the leaders at Angel Yeast and master the Chinese language.

In 2023, Hubei Three Gorges Technical University set up a training base at the factory and has organized regular technical training for local employees covering areas such as food quality and safety, yeast nutrition, and rapid detection technology for yeast products.

"For long-term development, we put into practice a concept centered on 'working locally to benefit local communities'," Liu said. "The aim is to establish a local talent reserve, discover and train high-quality international talent for overseas operations, and underpin the sustainable development of the enterprise."