My Tibet Story

The Growth of Dawa Dunzhu and Tibet Dashi Group Ltd Co

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-11-16 17:50

The Growth of Dawa Dunzhu and Tibet Dashi Group Ltd Co

Dawadunzhu

Board chairman and president of Tibet Dashi Group Ltd Co

I am Dawa Dunzhu, a native of Tibet and Chairman of the Board, Tibet Dashi Group. It's a great honor for me to stand on this international rostrum to share with you the growth of Tibet Dashi Group and me, as a representative of the numerous entrepreneurs from the non-public sector in Tibet.

In 1983 I was but an ordinary teacher in Tangdi Village, Gongzhong Township in Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet. Back then, China rolled out many favorable policies amid its "reform and opening-up" drive.. I quitted my original job and started my transport business with an interest-free loan of RMB 20,000 yuan. Afterwards, I became a worker in enterprises in Lanzhou and Shenzhen successively from 1987 to 1990, and accumulated some experiences in business. In 1990, I returned to Lhasa, Tibet, to start my individually-owned business in border trade of articles for daily use, and stayed in the trade until 1997. In 1996, I attended a training workshop for talents from ethnic minorities in Suzhou. It is in the workshop that I got the inspiration of establishing a company. In 1997, I founded Tibet Dashi Industry and Trade Co., Ltd, with the initial businesses in construction of roads, bridges and other local infrastructures. The company undertook the project to renovate part of Tibet-Sichuan Road, and won high praises from the Headquarters of the Tibet-Sichuan Road Project, for its quality construction and excellent progress. The operation of the company was very smooth. After it reached a certain scale in 1999, I became more confident in making it bigger and stronger, and decdied to start its own products and brands. Beginning in 2000, the company conducted extensive market research and decided on a project proposal for high-class edible oils and submitted it to the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Quite unexpectedly, the government took it very seriously and supported the project unstintingly. The vice- chairman of the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region gathered together all relevant authorities and improved the project construction plan and determined the support policies after three rounds of special meetings. As a result, the Tibet Shenglu Agriculture Technology Co, Ltd was founded in 2003. The company was put into operation on Aug. 8, 2004.

In the following two years, the company adopted a green, organic and environment- friendly approach based on the advantages of resources unique to Tibet, and established the first industrial park for green and organic foods in the region. It has seven edible oil product series under the Shenglu brand, including organic wild walnut oil, health-keeping oil and green rapeseed oil. Those products fill a blank in high-class edible oil processing market in Tibet and are well accepted by consumers. "Shenglu" wild walnut oil successively passed the Organic Food Certification of China, BCS, JAS and USDA, greatly sharpening the competitive edges of the brand. The company established a 45,000-mu (about 3000 hectares) base of raw materials for "Shenglu" green edible oil, issued "membership certificate" to 11500 households of farmers and signed contracts with seven counties for purchase of wild walnuts. In 2007, the company's name was changed to the Tibetan Indigenous Industry Co., Ltd, with enlarged business scope. Later on, with the help of the regional government, a marketing company for featured products of Tibet Autonomous Region was established to integrate more than 260 products from over 40 companies. A network of sales outlets was established in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities for products of Tibetan features. In 2010, the company put mineral water of Qomolangma Glacier brand into production. And meanwhile the "Qomolangma Glacier Mineral Water Project" was listed as one of the key projects under the 12th Five-Year Plan of Tibet Autonomous Region.

Now, spearheaded by featured agricultural and animal-husbandry industries in Tibet and integrating R&D, construction and trade, Tibet Dashi Group has now formed 4 economic entities, namely Tibetan Indigenous Industry Co., Ltd, Tibetan Qomolangma Glacier Water Resource Development Co., Ltd, Tibetan Indigenous Product Marketing Co., Ltd, and Tibet Dashi Construction Co., Ltd, as well as 3 associations, including Tibetan Association of Chinese Caterpillar Fungus, Tibetan Association of Mineral Waters, and Tibetan Association of Walnuts. In addition, the company is also planning a Qomolangma Environmental Protection Fund. The aggregated registration capital of the group reaches 160 million yuan, and total assets 670 million yuan. Aside from over 600 staff in Tibet, the group also hires over 1,200 marketing staff in the rest of the country. It has established a modern corporate management system and passed ISO9001:2008 quality control, ISO22000:2005 food safety control, ISO14001:2004 environmental control and ISOGB/T28001-2001 occupational hazard control. Currently, it boasts 68 patents with independent intellectual property rights.

Over the years, Tibet Dashi Group has benefited more than 500,000 farmers and herders via purchase of their farm produces, increasing the direct revenue of local farmers by 78 million yuan. The group posted a profit of 40.04 million yuan in 2010, and contributed 8.05 million yuan in government tax revenues.

The Group has been actively engaged in public welfare undertaking, and its donation to the society over recent years has exceeded 5.4 million yuan in value. Currently it is preparing to establish the "Qomolangma Environmental Protection Fund" and the poverty-relief fund.. RMB 5 cents from each bottle of Qomolangma Glacier Mineral Water sold will be added to the two funds. Over 55% of its workers in Tibet are children of local farmers and herders. Thus the Group has contributed to creating jobs for poor families in Tibet.

Since its foundation, the Group has been successively awarded "Leading Enterprise of Agricultural and Animal-husbandry Industrialization of Tibet Autonomous Region", "Top-10 Most Influential Brands of Green Food Industry in China", "Advanced Enterprise of Tibet in Developing Green Food", "AAA-class Enterprise

in Quality Credit in Tibet Autonomous Region", "State Intellectual Property (IP) Rights Piloting Enterprise", "National Top-100 Model Enterprises in Building A New Countryside", "Advanced Private Enterprise in Tibet Autonomous Region", "Famous Trademark of China", "National May-Day Labor Medal (Collective)", and other honorable titles. In the meantime, personally I have been awarded "National Model Worker", "National Excellent Constructor of the Socialism with Chinese Characteristics", "National May-Day Labor Medal", "National Outstanding Private Entrepreneur", "Top-10 Outstanding Contributors to Building Richer Rural Areas", "National Advanced Individual in Earthquake Relief" and other honorable titles. I was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of Political Consultative Conference in Tibet Autonomous Region, vice president of the Industrial and Commercial Association of Tibet Autonomous Region, standing director of China Private Science-Technology Entrepreneurs Association, standing director of China Oils and Fats Society, and vice chairman of the Association for Individually-owned and Private Enterprises and so on.

As a Tibetan born and brought up in Tibet, I have witnessed the beneficial policies of reform and opening-up, and witnessed its fruits. In the meantime, I am also one of the greatest beneficiaries of reform and opening-up. I have realized via first-hand experience that my own achievements and the growth of the Group are primarily contributed to the favorable policies of reform and opening-up and the special policies made by the Central Government on Tibet, as well as energetic support from the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region.

Since the reform and opening-up, the non-public sector has received great attention and support at of the Central Government' s meetings on the work of Tibet.. The Central Government's Fifth Meeting on the Work of Tibet is especially worth mentioning, because it provided invaluable opportunities for the development of Tibet's non-public sector.

During the 12th Five-Year Plan, Tibet will further encourage private enterprises to grow, and optimize the environment for private investment. In late September 2011 the government of Tibet Autonomous Region held the Conference of Strengthening and Improving the Work of the Industrial and Commercial Association in the New Era and Promoting Leapfrog Development of the Non-public Sector to specify various preferential policies to promote the development of the non-public sector. Specifically, the non-public sector will be given more favorable treatment in loans, taxation, land supply, and project establishment.

I believe that with the support of the Central Government and the People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region, and with the constantly optimized investment environment, the non-public sector in Tibet is certain to have a better outlook. Under the favorable environment and conditions, Tibet Dashi Group, as one of the leading enterprises engaged in featured industries in Tibet and a representative of the private sector, will realize its grand objective of creating "a national industry and a world brand", contributing more to promoting Tibet's development and benefiting the local people.

Finally, I wish the forum a great success, and all the best to everyone present here. Tashi Delek!