When the car was about to reach the center of Baiju Town, many toy companies' factories on both sides of the road appeared one after another.
Although it is September, when you walk into these toy factories, the atmosphere of Christmas is blown away. The workers are sewing Santa's plush toys one by one, preparing in advance to meet the demand for large quantities of toys for Christmas abroad. .
Located in Baiju Town in the southwest of Dafeng District, Yancheng, Jiangsu, with a total population of 41,000, it is one of the top 100 towns in Jiangsu with comprehensive economic strength and has the reputation of being a meeting place for teachers and a hometown of toys.
The title of "Hometown of Toys" is not a false name. According to official data, there are more than 120 toy companies in Baiju Town with more than 20,000 employees. The products are exported to more than 20 countries and regions around the world, with annual sales exceeding 15%. 100 million yuan, was awarded the "Jiangsu Province Toy Export Base" by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Commerce.
In the 1970s, two workers from Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province came to Baiju Town, Dafeng District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province and founded a plastic toy factory, the predecessor of the Toy Factory.
From 1988 to 1993, the toy factory gradually evolved into more than a dozen private enterprises. So far, Baiju Town has 8 large-scale toy enterprises with annual sales of more than 20 million yuan and more than 500 processing points.
In the past, Baiju Township had a lot of idle labor, which was in line with the development needs of the labor-intensive industry plush toys. With the advantages of human resources, today's toy industry cluster has been formed.
The toy industry has developed in Baiju Town for more than 40 years and has become a local pillar industry.
Compared with agriculture and heavy industry, home textiles, similar to light industry, are more likely to drive the local economy.
Based on the mature industrial chain of the Yangtze River Delta and the location advantage of Dafeng Port, it provides convenience for the export of toy products in Baiju Town.
According to Li Shenghua, Chairman of Yancheng Yitong Home Textile Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yitong Toys"), Yancheng Shantong Toys Co., Ltd., Yancheng Shenlong Toys Co., Ltd., Yancheng Dafeng District Zhongxin Toys Co., Ltd. and Dafeng Toys Co., Ltd. in Baiju Town Toy factories such as Feng Hongda Toys Co., Ltd. are basically export-oriented.
Yitong toys where he works can achieve 100% export, 70% of which are exported by himself and 30% are through foreign trade companies.
Severe aging of the working population
Shizikou Village, where Kaile Toys is located, is the place where the Red Legend took place.
On October 10, 1940, Comrades Chen Yi and Su Yu led the New Fourth Army marching north and Comrade Huang Kecheng led the Eighth Route Army marching south to join forces in Shizikou Village.
Shizikou Village is a local transportation hub and belongs to the center of the town. It is also a village with many toy factories and processing points in Baiju Town. The population in this area is concentrated and there are more toy factories.
In the early stage of reform and opening up, the toy industry’s ability to take root in Baiju Township was mainly affected by national policies. People with experience and skills chose to start businesses. The entire toy industry began to fission, from five or six companies to more than 20 companies, and then It is forty or fifty.
The Dafeng District Government and the Town Government support the development of all aspects of the toy industry and correctly guide the development of toy companies.
Li Shenghua, who was born in design, still remembers that in 2001, when he participated in a large-scale trade fair in Guangzhou, he touched the current trend and immediately drew the design drawings. Within 3 days, the factory produced samples, which caused him to receive a sum of US$150,000. Export orders.
As the threshold for processing plush toys is not high, it is quick to get started, and labor-intensive jobs have a great demand for labor. Even local elderly people in their 70s have also joined the toy processing queue.
According to local government officials, the current population of Baiju Town is 41,000, of which more than half of the adults, about 12,000 are engaged in stuffed toy work.
The income from toys has not only become one of the main revenues of Baiju Town, but also the main source of family revenue.
As a result, the per capita income of the entire township ranks in the forefront of Dafeng District.
Li Shenghua’s newly built plant in recent years was officially put into use. A reporter from China Business News saw on the site that in addition to the orderly management of the material room, production room, packaging room, and distribution room, Yitong Toys has also set up in important areas of the office building. Children's experience area and toy exhibition area.
For many years in the industry, he has watched the plush toy industry grow and develop in the local area, and he has also deeply felt the increase in economic income brought by toys to the local people when he participated in it.
Li Shenghua provided a set of data to reporters from China Business News. In 1996, the average salary per capita of the whole factory was RMB 1,800 to RMB 2,000 per month, rose to around RMB 3,500 in 2008, and adjusted to RMB 3,600 to RMB 3,800 in 2013 and 2014.
The current per capita salary is about 4,200 yuan.
According to local media reports, the Jiacheng Toy Company in Baiju Town is near the Majia community. More than 40 farmers in this community have found jobs in Jiacheng Toys, with an average monthly salary of 4,000 yuan.
Relying on the work of the toy factory, even some villagers who were impoverished due to illness regained income and lived in new houses.
Kaile Textile Craft Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Kaile Toys") is a large-scale local toy company. The chairman of the company Zong Shengwang said that 80% of the company’s employees are local villagers, which not only promotes employment for the villagers, but also attracts Villagers from other villages came to them.
However, the shortage of young labor is still one of the problems that needs to be solved urgently.
Among the employees of Yitong Toys, nearly 17% are 45 to 50 years old, and 5.38% are employees under 40. The largest proportion is 50 to 60 years old, accounting for 50.54% of the total number of employees. .
Li Shenghua believes that although these people are full of enthusiasm, since the automation of plush toy production has always been a difficulty in the industry, young laborers are still needed to add in.
Although the threshold for toy processing is relatively low, the work content is more tiring. Zong Shengwang told the China Business News reporter that in addition to normal working hours, employees will be provided with corresponding rewards and subsidies.
On the whole, 4,000 yuan per month for regular employees is the basic level, which is higher than the local average income level.
The development of the toy industry in Baiju Township will greatly help the increase of people's income.
Regardless of men, women and children, you can use it as a sideline in your free time.
Break the passive price situation with innovation
Since 2013, Yitong Toys has been focusing on the infant and toddler market from 0 to 6 years old.
In the exhibition area, the reporter saw that the new baby soft toys on Yitong Toys are various in styles, and some incorporate technological elements. According to reports, small pillows and small blankets for infants and young children have also become popular varieties.
Li Shenghua believes that after the expansion of production capacity, the number of employees is insufficient, and the company will adjust accordingly to promote diversified development by increasing the added value of products.
For example, make plush toys more technological and add more functions.
In recent years, in the face of changes in productivity, sales channels, product innovation, etc., entrepreneurs in the local toy industry think about the "future development path of toy production" the most.
The price system adjustment in the toy market has always been extremely passive.
Li Shenghua recalled two important time points that had a significant impact on the price of the plush toy market. 2007 was the year of greatest change. Orders skyrocketed and the price of plush toys increased; in 2021, after the output broke out, he thought it would bring Here comes another price change.
Li Shenghua revealed that Yitong Toys will have a revenue of 50 million yuan in 2019; in 2020, due to the epidemic, the revenue will be 35 million yuan; it is expected that the revenue in 2021 will exceed that in 2019, and the company is expected to exceed 100 million yuan in revenue in 2022.
Since more than 70% of the business is exports and settled in US dollars, Li Shenghua will always pay attention to changes in exchange rates, because this will directly affect the changes in business revenue.
When the volatility is large, the loss exceeds 1 million yuan.
The development and progress of an enterprise is inseparable from the support of the local external environment.
Zong Shengwang mentioned that with the guidance of the government and the close ties of various companies, everyone began to study the overall plan for the development of the toy industry together, paying more attention to the cluster advantages of the toy industry.
Baiju Town also hopes to develop the toy industry into a complete industrial chain from fabric manufacturing to toy production, design, and sales.
In order to better build brand influence, Kaile Toys has set up a company in the United States, playing "Baiju" plush toys.
CBN reporters in the exhibition area on the first floor of the Kaile Toy Factory, not only felt the historical changes in the local development of the toy factory, but also saw the toy products produced by many leading companies.
Due to the cooperation with Universal Studios USA, the first floor exhibition area of Kaile Toys exhibited more toys with IP, such as Minions and Teddy Bears.
Whether it is the local government or the company itself, participants in the toy industry have formed a cohesive force that brings vitality to the local economy.
In addition to opening up channels, Zong Shengwang also plans to build his own innovative brand. In his view, design is as important as sales.
In the local collaborative discussion, entrepreneurs began to find their own characteristics, launched differentiated competition, and then launched brand creation, so that the "town of toys" Baiju Town can provide more jobs for local people and attract more outstanding people. Young people come to work and live in Baiju Town.
On August 11, according to local media reports, Baiju Town is taking a number of measures to consolidate the foundation for fiscal and tax revenue increase. Among them, it mentioned that it will do a good job in the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries such as toys and machinery, build a whole industry chain ecosystem, and promote the development of industrial integration.
Strengthen the front-end service and be a good “shop second”.
Author: Gu Ying