Asia Panel Products May 6th Issue - Report by Li Jieyun

——Exclusive Interview with Mr. Ji Zhao, Sales Manager of Valence Adhesives China Woodworking and PUR

Valence Chemical (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is a Sino-foreign joint venture established in December 2008 by Hong Kong Valence Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. It specializes in the research, development, production, and sales of adhesives, providing advanced products and system solutions for numerous manufacturing industries. Valence Adhesives is a rising star in the adhesive field, gradually gaining market recognition and reputation thanks to its persistent pursuit of research and innovation. At the 14th China International Door Industry Exhibition and the 2nd China International Integrated Customization Home Exhibition in 2015, Shanghai Valence Chemical made a grand appearance. On this occasion, Asia Panel & Furniture reporter had the opportunity to interview Mr. Ji Zhaoliang, Sales Manager of Valence Adhesives China Woodworking and PUR, to explore the secrets of the company's development.

“Providing a complete adhesive solution for the door industry”

Adhesives account for a relatively small proportion of the overall procurement cost for door manufacturing enterprises. However, if the product quality is unstable, it can result in losses of 100% or even 200%. This is an "insignificant" procedure, but also a step that cannot afford to be wrong. Valence Adhesives' journey began here.

“The market environment at the beginning was not optimistic. Large multinational companies had already formed established networks and groups; it was difficult to establish our own kingdom.” Mr. Ji Zhaoliang, Sales Manager of Valence Adhesives China Woodworking and PUR, recalls the company's early days vividly. “Firstly, market awareness and brand recognition were insufficient; secondly, supplier support for Valence was inadequate.” Despite the difficulties, fortunately, externally, Valence had a team of experienced domestic sales staff who fought bravely on the front lines. Thanks to this team's efforts, the market quickly accepted and recognized the Valence Adhesives brand. Internally, a technically proficient production management team provided Valence with strong support.

In the segmented market, Valence Adhesives is a strong competitor, focusing its efforts on three key areas: woodworking, bookbinding and products, and cigarettes and medical supplies, each accounting for one-third of its business. Woodworking is currently a key area of focus for Valence.

“Valence Adhesives provides a complete adhesive solution for the door industry. This may sound like a promotional slogan, but we genuinely deliver.” For Valence Adhesives, providing a complete adhesive solution for the door industry means having a complete range of adhesives. Mr. Ji told the reporter that only a few large multinational companies can offer a full range of products in the woodworking field. “We have suitable products to meet our customers' adhesive requirements and can provide an overall adhesive solution for the door industry; this is not a simple verbal commitment. Our range of adhesives covers everything from basic to high-end products, and we continue to innovate. By staying ahead of the market, we can seize opportunities at any time.” Valence Adhesives is a newcomer in terms of technology, but it has mastered the essence of the field. In a short period of time, it has achieved good quality and high stability, with positive feedback from customers. Product quality is the source of Valence Adhesives' confidence.

“Sowing new seeds”

Continuously adapting to the ever-changing market demands and pioneering innovative technologies is the soul of an enterprise's ability to take root and stand firm in the market. “The competitive advantage of future door industry suppliers lies in their ability to provide better quality assurance and superior performance; products will not cause door deformation, and higher adhesive requirements are emerging.” Mr. Ji mentioned Valence Adhesives' self-developed PUR hot melt adhesive. Based on the emergence of many new materials in the door industry market, PUR hot melt adhesive meets the latest customer requirements for adhesion. Currently, the market penetration of PUR hot melt adhesive has not yet reached maturity. It is worth mentioning that Valence Adhesives is one of the few domestic suppliers that can provide PUR products.

Compared to traditional hot melt adhesives, PUR has increased the ratio by 4-5 times; the line speed of traditional coating adhesives is 6-8 meters per minute, while the normal speed of PUR can reach over 40 meters per minute; another advantage of PUR is that it can shorten the curing time. The curing time for traditional coating adhesives is long, at least 12 hours, while PUR only requires 1-2 hours. It can be said that based on the requirements of the emergence of new materials and increased efficiency, PUR is the trend. However, changing to PUR will increase costs and require investment in new equipment, with equipment investment being about 5 times that of traditional production lines. This depends on the choice of the end customer. In addition, another advantage of PUR is that it can reduce labor to one-third of that of traditional production lines, greatly reducing labor pressure.

“Our team will provide customers with dynamic calculation tables to show customers the value of the product. This is a detailed account, and the overall result is generally less than or equal to the original cost.” Mr. Ji offers this solution when customers are hesitant, making the cost clear to the customer. Overall, upgrading is an inevitable trend; PUR is like a seed, and it will sprout one day.

Considering the emergence of new materials and the requirements for production efficiency and adhesion itself, PUR is the best choice for meeting both adhesion requirements and improving efficiency. As an adhesive company, Valence must pay attention to the development direction of the market and stay ahead of the market.

“Never ruined a single bucket of glue”

Valence's existence in the market means it must face competition. How can customers choose Valence? This seems to be a difficult problem. Mr. Ji showed the reporter the two "magic weapons" of Valence Adhesives - the sales team and the production management team.

“Valence Adhesives has a senior sales team; we can effectively convey the concept of PUR to customers, explaining the correct use process clearly. Only thorough explanations will convince customers. After customers receive this information, they will compare it with other suppliers. We are very confident in the professionalism of Valence's sales team. This is one of the reasons why customers choose Valence Adhesives.”

The existing experienced sales team is the backbone of the company's development, but relying solely on this force is not enough for the company to reach its current level of development. “Although Valence Adhesives entered the market five years ago, Valence's production management team has never had any waste since the start of product production. We have never ruined a single bucket of glue. For our current mature products, we are confident in achieving this, thanks to Valence Adhesives' long-term accumulation in this field. We have a reliable production team.”

“Never ruining a single bucket of glue” reflects the company's spirit over the years. The reporter asked Mr. Ji about the essence of Valence Adhesives' corporate culture. “Firstly, it comes from mutual respect within the team: respect for colleagues, respect for customers, and respect for the environment; secondly, innovation: without innovation, it is difficult to seize market opportunities when they arise; thirdly, development, not only the development of company employees themselves, but also helping customers develop their businesses through our efforts.”

Regarding the future development of Huwei adhesives, General Ji mentioned two approaches: firstly, the differentiation of complete adhesive product lines for the door industry, and secondly, complete adhesive solutions for custom furniture. Next, Huwei Chemical's R&D focus will be on continuously improving its PUR product line. Innovation is the core competitiveness of Huwei Chemical; it allows customers to feel the difference of Huwei adhesives, bringing value to customers. In future product development, Huwei adhesives will continue to uphold the concept of innovation.