Jiujiang's hot land is filled with love, still young at the age of seventy—An interview with Li Weiqun, Chairman of Jiangxi Lushan Cable Co., Ltd.

Hometown is the cradle of everyone's growth, and we all love our hometown, including the existence of a second hometown. During a visit to the chairman of Jiangxi Lushan Cable Co., Ltd., it was found that whenever he talked about Jiujiang, the land where he has lived for over 30 years, his eyes were always filled with tears, as he has a deep love for his second hometown, Jiangxi Jiujiang.
Li Weiqun was born on May 3, 1951, in Jieyang, Guangdong, and has just entered his seventies this year. Many people have the impression that those nearing seventy are often frail and aged, but in our chairman Li Weiqun, one can only see the vigorous vitality of an elder who is still strong. Seventy years have passed in the blink of an eye, and the youth of seventy years has achieved a brilliant career. During these seventy years, Li Weiqun has written an extraordinary life path with countless efforts and sweat. As the eldest in the family, he has a younger brother and two younger sisters. To set an example for his siblings, he was willing to endure hardships in his youth to give the best to them.
Li Weiqun's father worked in the education department in Shantou, Guangdong. In the late 1970s, just after graduating from high school, Li Weiqun resolutely embarked on the path of trade. At that time, it was a good time for reform and opening up. Seeing his friends thriving in the business world, he also nurtured the dream of starting a business. However, he knew that while dreams are beautiful, reality is not so perfect. As a newcomer, he had no technical experience and no financial support, making it difficult to start a business alone.
To realize his entrepreneurial dream, Li Weiqun came to Wuhan, Hubei, and began his growth journey, working in hardware stores, construction sites, and shopping malls in sales. He understood that to succeed in a career, one must have a deep understanding of that industry. Only by continuously honing himself in work and learning solid skills and experience could he grow quickly.
During his years in Wuhan, he ran through the streets and alleys to excel in sales, experiencing the various aspects of life. At the same time, he understood a principle: good products also need good sales. "Customers are God"; as long as you think of the customers everywhere, you won't worry about your products not selling. After several years of hard work, he not only accumulated rich experience but also saw huge market opportunities. At that time, the hardware industry had a very good market outlook, and with the rise of urban construction, the demand for cable products surged. Therefore, Li Weiqun set his sights on the cable industry.
In 1983, after years of exploration in Wuhan, he began to turn his attention back to his hometown, Jieyang. At that time, Guangdong was one of the early coastal cities developed, coinciding with the government's investment promotion. He and a few friends invested to establish a cable manufacturing factory. As he expected, with the country's opening-up policy and the expansion of urban construction, electricity was the first step in urban development, and cables, as essential products for power transmission, had huge market potential. Many insightful people from Chaoshan also targeted the cable industry, and with the good spirit of mutual assistance among Chaoshan people, everyone shared experiences, leading to the emergence of numerous cable factories across Guangdong. As a result, the sales market in Guangdong became nearly saturated, and market competition pressure increased significantly. To sell products better, Li Weiqun turned his focus to outside regions.
In 1987, by chance, Li Weiqun and friends visited Lushan in Jiujiang. Upon arriving in this land of outstanding people and fertile soil, he became deeply immersed. As he said, "Jiujiang Lushan is a beautiful place with clear mountains and waters, a treasure land where famous mountains, lakes, cities, and rivers gather. Friends in Jiujiang are also very warm, and the climate is comfortable and suitable; I simply can't bear to leave." From Li Weiqun's words, we can feel his deep love for Jiujiang. In addition to his fondness, Li Weiqun also discovered that Jiujiang has great development potential and a particularly good environment, making it an excellent place to settle both family and career.
When he first arrived in Jiujiang, Li Weiqun mainly focused on product sales in the urban area. As the pace of urban development in Jiujiang accelerated, his business grew better and better. Coupled with the convenient water and land transportation in Jiujiang, he began to consider building a factory there. In 1996, Li Weiqun invested in the establishment of Jiangxi Guangtong Cable Co., Ltd. in Jiujiang and served as the chairman of the company. This company is equipped with complete production equipment, comprehensive testing methods, and strong technical capabilities, specializing in the research and development, production, and manufacturing of wires and cables. In 2004, the company relocated to the comprehensive industrial park of Jiujiang Economic and Technological Development Zone, covering an area of 30,000 square meters, with standard production workshops and advanced production lines, capable of producing 16 varieties and over 300 specifications of copper, aluminum plastic wires, overhead stranded wires, plastic insulated control cables, PVC power cables, and overhead cables. Among them, the annual output of steel core aluminum stranded wire is 10,000 tons, control cables 8,000 kilometers, low-voltage cables 16,000 kilometers, and overhead cables 12,000 kilometers, with an annual output value reaching 300 million yuan.
Guangtong Cable has also received numerous honors to date, being the first manufacturer in Jiujiang to obtain the "National Industrial Product Production License" and the only enterprise in the city qualified to participate in the bidding for national rural and urban network construction and renovation projects. Over the years, the company has adhered to the corporate tenet of "survival by quality, efficiency by management, and development by reputation," gaining the trust and praise of a wide range of users with high-quality products and good reputation. Jiangxi Guangtong is developing rapidly. On October 30, 2012, Jiangxi Lushan Cable Co., Ltd. was established in the Shacheng Industrial Park, specializing in the research, production, and sales of wires and cables. The "Lushan" brand wire and cable products produced by the enterprise have obtained the national industrial product production license and have passed multiple inspections by provincial, municipal quality inspection departments, and the National Wire and Cable Testing Center, with quality meeting national standards. The products have passed ISO9001 quality management system certification and CCC product certification from the China Quality Certification Center. The enterprise produces various models and specifications of PVC insulated or cross-linked polyethylene insulated power cables from 1KV to 35kV; 450/750VB series ordinary, flame-retardant, fire-resistant, and shielded control wires; 450/7V BV type round hard conductor single-core cables; BVR type soft wire cables; 350/500V BVV type wire cables; 300/500V ordinary PVC sheathed soft wires, network cables, video cables, telephone cables, and more than 50 varieties, with over 9,000 specifications of "Lushan" brand products acquired from Jiujiang Wire and Cable Factory, renamed Jiangxi Lushan Wire and Cable Factory.
Jiangxi Lushan Cable Co., Ltd. is a company located in Shacheng Industrial Park, specializing in the research and development, production, and sales of wires and cables. The "Lushan" brand wire and cable products produced by the company have obtained the national industrial product production license, and after multiple tests by provincial, municipal quality inspection departments and the National Wire and Cable Testing Center, the quality meets national standards. The products have passed ISO9001 quality management system certification and CCC product certification from the China Quality Certification Center. The company produces various models and specifications of PVC insulated or cross-linked polyethylene insulated power cables from 1KV to 35kV; 450/750VB series ordinary, flame-retardant, fire-resistant, and shielded control wires; 450/7V BV type round hard conductor single-core cables; BVR type soft wire cables; 350/500V BVV type wire cables; 300/500V ordinary PVC sheathed soft wires, network cables, video cables, telephone cables, and more than 50 varieties, with over 9000 specifications of "Lushan" brand products.
Lushan Cable has benefited from the help of Guangtong Cable, just like "a fish in water, a tiger with wings," and the honors and patents obtained are countless. The "Lushan" brand wire and cable has always been committed to creation and innovation, having won the "Excellent New Product" award from the Jiangxi Provincial Machinery Industry Office, the "Annual New Product" award from the Jiangxi Provincial Economic and Information Commission, and has received the "Outstanding New Product" honor certificate issued by the provincial government multiple times. The company has always adhered to the concept of "integrity management," and has been rated as the "Best Quality and Credit Enterprise" by the National Medium-sized Wire and Cable Production Enterprise Quality Credit Committee, recognized as an "Advanced Unit" by the Jiujiang Machinery and Electronics Group Company, and rated as a "Quality First, Credit First, Service First" enterprise by the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. The Jiangxi Provincial Economic and Information Commission awarded the company the qualification of "Comprehensive Quality Management Inspection and Acceptance" unit, and in 2019 it was rated as a time-honored product in Jiangxi Province, also winning the gold medal at the 2019 China Trademark Expo.
In the past two years, Lushan Cable Factory has produced fire-resistant cables and irradiated cables, which are innovations made in response to the increasingly serious problem of electrical fires in recent years. Li Weiqun specifically hired Huang Haoshi, the first inventor of fire-resistant cables in China, who has won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Award and enjoys a lifetime special allowance from the State Council, to provide advice for Guangtong Cable and Lushan Cable. The irradiated cable is a recent invention that can effectively extend the service life of cables. While innovation in product aspects is certainly important, the company's operations must also keep pace with the times. With the emergence of high-tech products, Li Weiqun also realizes that the company needs to introduce new equipment, and a high degree of automation in products can reduce the number of employees. It is understood that the company has about 120 employees. Li Dong said: "Although we are a non-labor-intensive enterprise, we must have basic technical staff." Employees also reflect that Li Dong is a very amiable and kind person, which is indeed the case. In his spare time, Li Dong has also engaged in many charitable activities, such as visiting lonely elderly people and donating money and goods to impoverished areas. Regarding these, Li Weiqun simply said a few words: "It is what should be done, not worth mentioning."
Although Chairman Li Weiqun is over seventy years old, he is still active in various activities, showcasing his vitality. Just a few days ago, Li Dong returned from a Belt and Road International Cooperation Training Course in Beijing. During our interview, he appeared very energetic and happily told us: "The progress of the enterprise cannot be separated from communication and cooperation. I am very honored to learn from the successful experiences and technologies of other excellent enterprises in Beijing." From Chairman Li Weiqun's words, we can see his profound vision. As a member of the Jiujiang Municipal Political Consultative Conference for three consecutive terms, he has made positive contributions to the industrial economy of Chaisang District and even to the industrial development of Jiujiang City.
When talking about the company's next stage of development focus, Li Weiqun said: "Further improving product safety performance and addressing environmental pollution issues is our social responsibility. We need to achieve a complementary relationship between social benefits and economic benefits." Li Weiqun deeply loves the land of Jiujiang, and he feels proud and honored for his contributions to the company. Let us look forward to Chairman Li Weiqun leading Lushan Cable and Guangtong Cable towards a brighter and more glorious future!