In 2024, Weihua Group, a "single-item champion" in the crane industry, launched its "third entrepreneurship" initiative, with internationalization as a key strategic direction. That same year, the group achieved a 100%-plus growth in overseas orders.

2024年，起重机领域“单项冠军”卫华集团提出“三次创业”，国际化是其中一个重要的战略方向，当年该集团即实现了海外订单超过一倍的增长。

Weihua International Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Weihua) started as a 3-mu (roughly 2,000 square meters) handmade workshop in Changyuan City and thrived during the boom of domestic infrastructure development. Weihua's hoisting equipment has been used in major national projects such as the West-East Gas Transmission and South-to-North Water Diversion.

卫华国际发展有限公司（以下简称卫华国际）起步于长垣市一个3亩地的手工作坊，成长壮大于国内基建繁荣发展之际。西气东输、南水北调等国家重大工程都有卫华起重装备的身影。

The experience gained in the domestic market has accumulated technology and expanded channels for Weihua Manufacturing. Before it proactively deployed in overseas markets, its products and reputation had already spread across the oceans.

国内市场的历练为卫华制造沉淀了技术、拓宽了渠道，在主动布局海外市场之前，其产品和口碑已经远渡重洋。

In 1999, Weihua Group secured its first overseas order — a 32-ton overhead crane sold to Sudan, thus opening the door to the international market. In 2002, the then Henan Provincial Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation awarded Weihua the "National Import and Export Enterprise Qualification Certificate," and the slogan "Weihua Hoisting, Making the World Lighter" was proposed accordingly.

1999年，卫华集团首个海外订单——1台32吨级桥式起重机销往苏丹，由此叩开了国际市场的大门。2002年，当时的河南省对外贸易经济合作厅向卫华颁发了“国家进出口企业资格证书”，“卫华起重，让世界轻松起来”也由此提出。

Over the following 20 years, Weihua's participation in international exchanges and trade became increasingly frequent. In 2008, it sold products to a developed country for the first time, and by 2011, its products had been exported to 54 countries. In 2023, Weihua Group registered and established Weihua International in Hong Kong, for specifically planning and promoting a more comprehensive and systematic internationalization strategy.

在随后的20年时间里，卫华参与的国际交流和贸易日益频繁，2008年首次将产品卖入发达国家，2011年产品出口国家已达54个。到了2023年，卫华集团在香港注册成立卫华国际，专门谋划和推进更加全面系统的国际化。

"We refer to 2024 as the first year of Weihua's internationalization. This is because previously our focus was primarily on domestic business, but starting from 2024, we have begun to independently expand overseas markets on a large scale," said Group President Wang Xi. "We have divided the world into 6 regions, and none of them is the key market — in other words, all 6 regions are key markets. This layout is global."

“我们把2024年称为卫华国际化元年，这是因为前期我们以国内业务为主，2024年开始自主地、大规模地拓展海外市场。”集团总裁王玺说，“我们把全球划分为6个区，没有哪个区是重点市场，换句话说，6个区都是重点，这种布局是全球性的。”

Stepping into Weihua Group's factory area, the most intuitive impression is its scale — large factory area, large equipment, and large products.

走进卫华集团厂区，最直观的感受就是——大，厂区大、设备大、产品也大。

Weihua currently has 4 major production bases, including the Changyuan base covering approximately 4,000 mu (almost 2.67 million square meters). In October of this year, a loading/unloading portal crane completed acceptance inspection and embarked on a long journey overseas to a steel plant in Mexico. Standing 30 meters tall with a main girder boom of 85 meters and a span of 50 meters, its huge size allows it to easily cover a wide operating area.

卫华目前拥有4大生产基地，其中长垣基地约4000亩。今年10月，一台装卸门机完成验收，远渡重洋，前往位于墨西哥的一家钢厂。它身高30米、主梁臂展85米、跨度50米，巨大的体格让其能够轻松覆盖广阔的作业区域。

How is it transported overseas? Wang Xi explained that some components can be transported by railway, but the main parts of the product cannot fit into containers and are mainly transported via road and sea. Some beams and columns need to be disassembled first and then assembled and welded upon arrival at the destination. "Depending on the location and transportation practices of the export country, our products are shipped from ports in Tianjin, Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo and other regions. In Qidong, Jiangsu, we have built and put into operation a base covering about 1,000 mu (almost 0.67 million square meters), which includes a wharf with three 50,000-ton berths. Currently, this base is overwhelmed with orders."

如何运往海外？王玺介绍，一些部件可以走铁路运输，但产品主干集装箱装不下，主要通过公路+海运的方式。一些梁柱需要先拆开，抵达目的地后再拼装焊接。“根据出口国的位置和交通习惯，我们的产品走过天津、青岛、上海、宁波等多个地区的港口。在江苏启东，我们建成投产了一个占地约1000亩的基地，基地内有一个码头，包含3个5万吨级的泊位。目前，这个基地的订单已经接不过来了。”

Since its establishment, Weihua Group has undergone "three entrepreneurial phases": The first phase saw founder Han Xianbao start from a handmade workshop and develop it into a leading enterprise in China's hoisting equipment manufacturing. The second phase began in 2018, when under the full promotion of Han Hong'an, the current group chairman, the company gradually expanded from its core business of industrial hoisting equipment to fields such as port and marine engineering equipment, new energy equipment, intelligent automated parking systems, steel structure prefabricated buildings, and modern agriculture, and gradually entered the international market. The third phase started in 2024, with Weihua proposing the strategic development direction of "Internationalization, Digitalization, Intelligence, and Greenization," where internationalization is placed in a more prominent position. 

卫华集团初创至今经历了“三次创业”：第一次即创始人韩宪保从一个手工作坊起家，发展出全国起重装备制造的领军企业。第二次是2018年，在集团现任董事长韩红安的全力推动下，公司从工业起重设备主业逐步拓展到港口海工装备、新能源装备、智能立体车库、钢结构装配式建筑、现代农业等领域，并逐步推向国际市场。第三次起于2024年，卫华提出了“国际化、数字化、智能化、绿色化”的战略发展方向，国际化被放在更加重要的位置。

Today, Weihua Group's products are sold to more than 170 countries and regions, with its export order volume more than doubling year-on-year. Wang Xi stated that the export scale is expected to double again year-on-year this year. The company has set a longer-term goal — by 2030, the exports will account for 50% of its total business scale.

如今，卫华集团产品已销往170多个国家和地区，2024年出口订单量同比翻了一倍多。王玺介绍，今年出口规模有望同比再翻一倍。公司制定了更长远的目标——到2030年，出口规模要达到总规模的50%。

Wang Xi believes that Weihua Group's greatest advantages in entering the international market are not transportation, but policies and industrial chains.

王玺认为，卫华集团走向国际市场的最大优势，不是交通，而是政策和产业链。

Firstly, as the "Crane Capital of China," Changyuan in Xinxiang possesses the most complete crane industrial chains. Any brand can find offices or agents here, and there are specialized enterprises for upstream and downstream supply. In addition, with the improvement of mechanization, Changyuan has nurtured a group of skilled industrial workers.

首先，作为“中国起重机之都”的新乡长垣拥有最完备的起重机产业链，任何一个品牌都可以在这里找到办事处或者代理，也有专门的企业做上下游供应。再加上随着机械化程度提高，长垣也成长出一批熟练的产业工人。

Secondly, there are policy advantages. "Henan Province has made significant efforts to support our overseas expansion. For example, the government provides substantial subsidies for our participation in certain exhibitions," said Wang Xi. "Moreover, I am from Hangzhou and have worked in other provinces for a long time. In my view, the efficiency of Henan's relevant departments is quite high."

其次是政策优势，“河南省下大力气扶持我们出海，比如参加一些展会，政府对我们的补贴力度很大。”王玺说，“另外，我本人家在杭州，也长期在其他省份工作过，在我看来，河南省有关部门的办事效率是相当高的。”

The day after this interview, Wang Xi was set to head for a country in Central Asia, continuing his efforts at exploring overseas markets. Employees of Weihua International, along with many others dedicated to "Henan Enterprises' Overseas Expansion," are also tirelessly working towards this goal on their journeys.

此次采访后的第二天，王玺就要前往中亚的一个国家，继续为开拓海外市场而努力。卫华国际的员工，以及更多致力于“豫企出海”的人士，也正继续朝着这一目标奔波在路上。（来源 大河财立方/记者 程帅星/ 翻译 洪建园）

Web editors: Shen Jianqi, Li Siyao