Amidst the booming pharmaceutical packaging machinery industry in Rui’an City, Zhejiang Province—a region rapidly emerging as a leading manufacturing hub—Rui’an Jiangnan Packaging Machinery Co., Ltd. (formerly Shanghai Jiangnan Pharmaceutical Machinery Co., Ltd.) stands out. Demonstrating unique corporate charm and distinct industry leadership, it has cut a striking figure among nearly 20 similar enterprises. Recently, we visited this renowned company.
Seizing Opportunities and Developing New Products
As we stepped through the factory gates, a giant billboard bearing the slogan “Establish the Jiangnan Image, Create an Internationally Famous Brand,” immediately caught our attention. General Manager Yang Yijun guided us through the facility. Inside the workshop, the scene was one of orderly efficiency: operators manned the machines, newly installed equipment hummed with activity, and dozens of Blister Packaging Machines stood in neat alignment, resembling tanks awaiting deployment.
We were already familiar with Mr. Yang and the company’s products. After five years of dedicated research, Yang successfully integrated the best features of both domestic and foreign pharmaceutical packaging machinery to invent the “Jianghua” Blister Packaging Machine. Featuring an innovative structure, comprehensive functions, and timely, considerate after-sales service, the company has earned the trust of numerous pharmaceutical enterprises and successfully established its own strong brand presence.
Strict Management and High-Quality Products
The market is akin to a battlefield, where competition ultimately boils down to a contest of products, quality, and talent—a true survival of the fittest. Mr. Yang possesses a profound understanding of this reality. To sustain long-term development and maintain strong momentum, he has implemented three key strategic initiatives:
Enlarging Production Scale for Economies of Scale: Realizing that the rented plant was too crowded to meet growing production demands, Yang made the resolute decision to transition to scale management. The company invested several million RMB to construct a new facility in the Hongqi Industrial Zone, Rui’an City. Following the relocation, the monthly output of Blister Packaging Machines more than doubled, increasing from approximately 10 to over 20 units.
Intensifying R&D and Developing New Products: The company has recruited senior technical professionals and established the “Jiangnan Packaging (Pharmacy) Machinery Research Institute.” In recent years, they have successfully developed the DGB200K and DGB350 automatic blister packaging machines, as well as the GBJ series of high-efficiency Film Coating Machines. These products offer enhanced performance and broader applications, providing pharmaceutical enterprises with a wider range of choices. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Rui’an Technical School, the company launched an internal vocational program for its workers. The curriculum includes five professional courses—such as mechanics, drafting, and electrotechnics—with each semester lasting six months. Employees under 30 are required to attend and must pass all professional courses to maintain their positions.
Implementing a Rigorous Four-Step Quality Inspection: Recognizing that the quality of the final product hinges on the quality of its individual components, the company established a strict protocol: “processed parts inspection” (to prevent defective components from proceeding to the next stage), “assembly recheck,” “commissioning test,” and “customer evaluation.” If a customer identifies a problem within one year of a product leaving the factory, company regulations dictate a thorough review across all levels of responsibility. The employees found primarily responsible are held accountable, which directly impacts their annual bonuses.
Because the people of Jiangnan treat product quality as the lifeblood of the enterprise, the company has been recognized as a “Member Unit of the China Association for Pharmaceutical Equipment” and one of the “Wenzhou Key Enterprises.” Their products have also won a Gold Award from the State Scientific and Technological Commission and the “Zhejiang Quality Goods” award issued by the Economic Commission of Zhejiang Province.
Continuous Follow-Up Service: The Customer is Supreme
Jiangnan serves a diverse clientele and consistently maintains long-term, cooperative relationships. Their exemplary after-sales service is widely regarded as the key to this success.
Since 1993, the company has issued a quality follow-up card for every Blister Packaging Machine, tracking operational conditions, malfunctions, and the need for on-site parts servicing. Upon delivery of each machine, customers are asked to complete a commissioning acceptance certificate which outlines 13 standards and includes an evaluation of the commissioning personnel. Empowering customers to evaluate both the product and the staff serves not only as a supervisory mechanism but also as an educational tool for the clients. Over the past few years, the company has made three major technological improvements to their prototype based directly on this customer feedback.
When introducing new products to existing clients, Jiangnan offers preferential pricing, home delivery, and complimentary commissioning and installation, ensuring that enterprises can reap considerable economic benefits from upgrading. Because the newer generation of Blister Packaging Machines boasts significantly more advanced features and aesthetics than pre-1990 models, the base price naturally increased. To ease this transition, the company offered special discounted rates to dozens of regular customers—such as the Hainan Sanye Medicine Company—subsidizing their equipment upgrades. This initiative resulted in a voluntary revenue reduction of RMB 800,000 for Jiangnan, reflecting their commitment to customer success.
In one notable instance, a customer in Xuzhou purchased a Blister Packaging Machine and requested on-site commissioning just days before the Spring Festival. Despite the holiday timing, the company dispatched two technicians who flew to Xuzhou to fulfill the request, returning home only on the eve of the Spring Festival.
As the saying goes, as you sow, so shall you reap. To date, the company’s products have been sold in every province across China, with the exception of Tibet. Influential enterprises such as the Shenzhen Southern Pharmaceutical Factory and the Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical Factory rely on equipment from Jiangnan. Furthermore, their products are exported to various countries and regions, including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, and the Middle East. From 1992 to 1994, the company was honored with the titles of “Top-Class Credible Enterprise” and “Advanced Unit in Observing Contracts and Keeping Promises.”
(Excerpted from China Pharmaceutical News, June 10, 1995. Author: Sui Yi; Editor in Charge: You Housheng)