Recently, when entering the school furniture industrial park in Nancheng County, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province, hundreds of school furniture enterprises are neatly arranged like fish scales. From desks and chairs in classrooms to doors, Windows and beds in dormitories, and even to students' school uniforms and formal gowns, this industrial park can almost meet all the school furniture needs of schools.

In 2016, it was precisely because I saw the cluster effect of the school furniture industrial park that I returned to my hometown to engage in the school uniform industry. Zhou Yanhui, the person in charge of Nancheng County Yuren Industry and Trade Co., Ltd. and vice president of Zhuliang Chamber of Commerce, said that he used to be engaged in the express delivery industry in Quanzhou. As the school furniture industry in his hometown continued to grow and expand, he discovered the potential business opportunities in the school uniform industry and thus decided to return to his hometown to start a business.

The picture shows workers making school uniforms in the school furniture industrial park of Nancheng County. Photographed by Wu Fayang

In the production workshop, workers are making school uniforms in front of sewing machines. MAO Guohong, while busy with her work, said, "I have been in this line of work for more than five years. I am mainly responsible for opening bags, creasing, marking and other processes. My monthly income is between 4,000 and 5,000 yuan."

Zhou Yanhui introduced that there are over 40 workers in the factory, most of whom are villagers living nearby. Their wages are calculated on a piece-rate basis. If they are employees with average proficiency, their monthly salary is about 4,000 yuan. If they are highly skilled and experienced, they can earn up to 10,000 yuan a month.

Some schools originally planned to purchase school furniture such as desks and chairs. After discovering that there were also school uniform enterprises in the school furniture industrial park, they would also purchase some school uniforms at the same time. Zhou Yanhui said with a smile that they have reached cooperation with other school furniture enterprises and actively developed the industrial model of "school furniture + school uniforms". This not only facilitates schools with procurement needs but also significantly reduces marketing and logistics costs.

The picture shows Zhou Yanhui (the first from the left) introducing the production situation of school uniforms. Photographed by Wu Fayang

Entering the production workshop of Jiangxi Runhua Education Equipment Group Co., Ltd. in the school furniture industrial park, on the fully automated assembly line, sparks are scattered everywhere and machines are roaring, presenting a scene of intense and busy production.

We have introduced an automated spraying production line, achieving the automation and standardization of surface treatment for desks and chairs, reducing labor costs and enhancing production efficiency. Huang Hua, the person in charge of the company, introduced that they have 13 invention patents, 5 design patents and 85 utility model patents. Currently, they have grown into a "specialized, refined, distinctive and innovative" enterprise in Jiangxi Province and a national high-tech enterprise.

Up to now, Nancheng County has over 400 school furniture enterprises, among which 65 are large-scale industrial enterprises. The number of employees exceeds 100,000. The sales volume of school furniture products accounts for one third of similar products in the country and is exported to Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia.

The picture shows workers in the school furniture industrial park of Nancheng County, who are manufacturing school furniture. Photographed by Wu Fayang

It is understood that in order to further expand the influence and popularity of the educational equipment and school furniture brand in Nancheng, the United Front Work Department of the Nancheng County Committee and the Nancheng County Federation of Industry and Commerce have actively organized school furniture enterprises to participate in various domestic and international educational equipment exhibitions and economic and trade activities such as the National Education Equipment Exhibition and the Russian Cultural and Educational Exhibition, effectively helping enterprises promote their products and expand the market. (End