The Road to Becoming King

A tiny roll of "Feng Wang"-branded PTFE raw tape unexpectedly turned an entrepreneurial dream into reality for a private enterprise, propelling it to become the global leader and "King of Raw Tape" in the PTFE raw tape industry—a true corporate legend. Behind this remarkable tale is Zeng Yanfei, General Manager of Guangdong Sihui Raw Tape Factory Co., Ltd., and his dedicated team known as the "Feng Wang People."

Twenty years of trials and tribulations, twenty years of unforgettable memories. A single old photo from back then—featuring just five individuals who started the business—stands as a testament to the courage and bold spirit of the first generation of "Kingmakers," led by Zeng Yanfei, as they bravely embarked on their entrepreneurial journey.

At the very beginning of entrepreneurship

Anno Domini 1993 Autumn of that year was the harvest season in Lingnan. The small raw-material tape factory in Sihui, Guangdong—founded by Zeng Yanfei—was born amid the blessings of family and friends, accompanied by the deafening crackle of firecrackers.

As the smoke of battle gradually cleared, Zeng Yanfei led four workers in starting the production of PTFE raw tape inside a small, workshop-like factory building.

The PTFE tape was quickly produced in the small workshop factory, and Zeng Yanfei, along with several workers, watched proudly as they held up the fruits of their hard work—and in their excitement, they even forgot about their fatigue. Zeng Yanfei gave his product a catchy brand name: "Feng Wang," and from that moment on, Fengwang-brand PTFE tape began making its way into Guangzhou's major wholesale markets.

One day, Zeng Yanfei brought his product to the Guangzhou Shuiyin Road wholesale market and found Mr. Yang, the owner of one of the largest wholesalers specializing in threaded sealing materials. After learning about Zeng’s purpose, Mr. Yang said, "If you want to collaborate, it’s simple—just manufacture ‘Shishi Brand Raw Material Tape’ for me on a contract basis, and I’ll place an order with you right away." 3 A 10,000-yuan order.

Back then, Shishi-brand raw material tape was from the last century. 90 The leading brand in the PTFE tape market—many places are now producing Stone Lion-brand PTFE tape under OEM arrangements. For Zeng Yanfei, who has just started her business a few days ago, Yang's proposal is incredibly tempting.

However, after careful consideration, Zeng Yanfei still declined Manager Yang’s proposal. Zeng Yanfei thought to himself, "I’ve already staked everything I have on the raw-material business—there’s no way I can sacrifice my future for short-term gains." Determined to stay true to his own vision, he decided to build his own brand—and he was determined to succeed.

Fengwang brand raw material tape dominates the market.

Returning to the factory, Zeng Yanfei immediately plunged into the makeshift workshop, engaging in repeated research and experimentation alongside the workers. After countless setbacks and一次次克服了想要放弃的念头, she finally ushered in a qualitative leap for the Fengwang brand raw material tape.

Thanks to its superior quality, stylish design, and continuous market development efforts, Fengwang raw material tape has become a huge hit in Guangzhou's market, sparking a full-blown "Fengwang tape craze" across the entire region.

Fengwang's premium-quality raw material tape has not only firmly captured the domestic market but has also been recognized as a renowned trademark in Guangdong Province, earning the company a strong reputation and positive image.

Entering the overseas market

2003 In early spring, Sihui, Guangdong enjoyed bright sunshine, with flowers blooming and willows turning lush green. The newly relocated Sihui raw material tape factory warmly welcomed a vibrant and prosperous Spring Festival. Yet even as the festive atmosphere of the New Year was still lingering, workers had already returned to their posts, bustling about in the workshop amid the occasional crackle of firecrackers echoing outside the factory gates.

At that time, Sihui Fengwang brand raw material tape had already become a renowned trademark in Guangdong Province. Amidst numerous accolades and praises, Factory Director Zeng Yanfei remained remarkably clear-headed, believing that producing raw material tape priced at just a few cents per roll should follow the strategy of "small commodities, big market." To help the company grow stronger and bigger, he turned his attention toward the broader overseas markets.

At 2004 At the company's 10th-anniversary celebration, Director Zeng delivered a passionate and inspiring speech, brimming with optimism about the enterprise's future. Drawing on insights gathered from the Canton Fair and responding to specific customer demands, he successfully spearheaded the independent development of color-coded PTFE tape—a breakthrough that filled a critical gap both domestically and internationally. The product was swiftly introduced to the market and quickly gained widespread acclaim among customers. It was at this moment that he made a bold decision: to go global—by directly exporting the product to overseas buyers!

At the time, Director Zeng had a few friends at the export company who were familiar with the ins and outs of exporting—but these were always small-scale operations, far from matching his ambitious vision for grand success. So, he decided to allocate 200,000 yuan as a dedicated fund for engaging in import-export trade, aiming to establish the company's products in overseas markets within two years.

2004 This year's autumn Canton Fair was as bustling as ever. The Sihui Raw Material Tape Factory assembled a strong delegation to showcase their products, determined to turn their dream of mass-exporting into reality. Even the factory director, Zeng, humbly stepped down from his usual role and volunteered to drive—a task he happily took on himself. To assist in connecting with potential clients, he also temporarily hired a female translator, entrusting her with the important job of inviting interested buyers into his car, where he personally escorted them back to the factory for in-depth discussions and tours.

The Jeep car ferried clients back and forth between Guangzhou's showroom and factory, spinning like a whirlwind. Factory Director Zeng was so busy he didn’t even have time for lunch—but his heart was filled with hope. Yet, by the time the Canton Fair ended, the company still hadn’t received any overseas orders.

Marketing Director Asen watched Factory Director Zeng tiredly step out of the car, then gave his boss a wry smile and shrugged: "No customers have placed orders!"

Director Zeng calmly and steadily said, “It’s okay—go ahead. Stick with it for two more years, and then we’ll draw our conclusions.”

　　“Success comes from persistence; giving up is equivalent to failure”—these were the words Factory Director Zeng often used to inspire himself and Asen. By their fourth exhibition attempt, luck finally smiled upon them: Director Zeng and Asen finally landed a foreign buyer’s order worth over 360,000 U.S. dollars. What started as a humble product—raw tape priced at just a few cents per roll—had now blossomed into an order that would bring nearly 3 million RMB in revenue to their company. In SiHui, the small city of Guangdong where they’re based, this achievement truly felt like nothing short of a miracle. For a moment, the entire factory leadership and staff were swept up in overwhelming excitement and joy.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning. But with the successful export of raw material tape this time, Director Zeng’s confidence has been greatly boosted. In addition to continuing to participate in the annual Canton Fair held in Guangzhou, he has also personally taken the initiative—along with Asen and others—to venture abroad, exploring markets in Southeast Asia, Iraq, Europe and America, as well as Russia. There, they’ve been promoting the company’s products and actively discussing business opportunities."

Heaven rewards those with sincere hearts. Thanks to their relentless efforts, the company has reaped abundant achievements, with annual export volumes steadily climbing—by 2011 This year, export volume surged past 500 Tens of millions of dollars!

Guangdong Sihui Raw Material Tape Factory has not only become a major exporter contributing significantly to foreign exchange earnings for the region and its industry, but has also emerged as a leader in the raw material tape sector. As a result, the former factory director is affectionately known as the "Raw Material Tape King."