Steadfast Evolution, Flourishing Growth – KEDA Ceramic Machinery 2024 Annual Business Management Conference Held

On January 10, the “Steadfast Evolution, Flourishing Growth – KEDA Ceramic Machinery 2024 Annual Business Management Conference" was held at the KEDA Industrial Group Headquarters. The event brought together over 100 participants, including Mr. Cheng BIAN, Chairman of KEDA Industrial Group, Mr. Xuexian YANG, Director and General Manager of KEDA Industrial Group, the leadership team of KEDA Ceramic Machinery, and general managers of sales regions both within China and abroad.


| General Manager Mr. Xuexian YANG: Confidently Advancing Toward the "Ten Billion RMB Ceramic Machinery" Strategic Goal

Mr. YANG stated that after 5 years of collective effort, the ceramic machinery business has made steady progress in 2024, achieving multiple historical milestones and delivering an impressive "performance report." He then provided a comprehensive review of the year's business measures and accomplishments in 8 key areas: product breakthroughs, lean production, process management, standard design, centralized procurement, digitalization, talent development, and receivables management.

In terms of process management, Mr. YANG emphasized the importance of efficiency, advocating the philosophy that “efficiency is profitability” and the goal of building a process-driven enterprise.

In 2024, the company advanced process construction efforts, increasing the digitalization of business workflows to enhance operational efficiency. By focusing on customer needs, it promoted the standardization of product design while intensifying efforts in platformization, modularization, and component standardization, achieving significant improvements in quality, cost reduction, and efficiency.

Centralized procurement efforts centered on 3 core functions—streamlining procurement, building robust systems, and fostering collaborative synergies—resulted in notable successes. In the digital arena, the company deepened its transformation initiatives, taking bold steps in its upgrade journey and establishing a BI platform that enhanced internal management consistency and operational efficiency.

On the talent development front, the company continued to recruit a substantial number of mid- to senior-level professionals, launched talent inventory projects, and strengthened its talent supply chain. Mr. YANG reiterated during the conference, “Placing the right people in the right roles is the most important responsibility of a leader—without exception!”

Looking ahead to 2025, while global economic uncertainties and industry challenges persist, opportunities abound alongside the difficulties. The ceramic machinery business remains steadfast in pursuing its ambitious "Ten Billion RMB  Ceramic Machinery" strategic goal. With years of solid investment in both hardware and soft capabilities, the company is well-positioned to continually enhance its ability to deliver value to customers.

Mr. YANG emphasized that the low-cost, high-output, and high-return "China Model" is gaining traction worldwide. As global ceramic manufacturers intensify their focus on cutting costs and boosting efficiency, the rapid reshuffling of the industry plays to the strengths of market leaders. Beyond these favorable external trends, KEDA holds clear internal advantages, including its global leadership in shipment volumes, strong competitiveness in full production line solutions, and a track record of launching innovative products that support industry transformation and upgrades.

The company's robust systems and infrastructure provide a solid foundation to sustain its global competitive edge. In 2025, KEDA will center its efforts on 2 key priorities: staying customer-focused & enhancing capabilities. These strategies will guide the development of new products and expansion into emerging markets. Additionally, the company plans to implement a differentiated, multi-brand collaboration strategy.


As Mr. YANG concluded his keynote speech, he shared a fresh perspective on business management:

• Adhering to the principle of aligning “position, level, and pay,” the company will establish a multidimensional compensation incentive system to ensure that job levels correspond with remuneration. This alignment aims to inspire employees' enthusiasm and creativity.
• Striving for excellence is a never-ending pursuit, encompassing every aspect of design, production, and management. “There is no such thing as the best—only better!”
• “Meticulous planning and careful calculation” should be applied to every aspect of business operations. Success is determined by attention to detail, and consistent, incremental efforts infuse competitiveness into the company's product design, procurement, and production processes.
• "Globalization" is one of KEDA's key strategies. The ceramic machinery division is committed to becoming an indispensable provider of machinery and services for every ceramic factory worldwide. By building global systems in service, supply, talent, finance, and marketing, and leveraging comprehensive technological leadership, KEDA is ensuring the success of its globalization journey. “We must all adopt a global mindset—this is even more important than just mastering the language,” Mr. YANG stated.
• KEDA has implemented a “prudent financial policy” to strengthen risk management and ensure the company's sustainable development.
• Upholding its “Transformation DNA,” Mr. YANG emphasized that change is not just the responsibility of senior management but requires active participation from everyone. Transformation is not about drastic, overnight changes but about steady, orderly progress. After 5 years of transformation, a strong culture of change has taken root across the organization.
• The company has also adopted a “Horse Race Mechanism,” encouraging healthy competition among brands to enhance their competitiveness. By publicly sharing key performance metrics from different business units, KEDA fosters a spirit of ambition and drives operational efficiency.
• KEDA remains committed to a “People-First” philosophy, continuously improving the work and living conditions for employees. The company shares its success with its people to strengthen their sense of belonging and overall happiness.

In closing, Mr. YANG reiterated the importance of upholding the company's core values of “Long-term Perseverance” and a “Contributor-First” approach. He urged everyone to run the business with integrity, practicality, and unity to ensure the company's healthy growth and to build a bright future together.

| Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN:
The first "Five-Year Plan" for the ceramic machinery business has been successfully completed

In his closing remarks, Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN first praised Mr. YANG for the remarkable achievements made since he took charge of the ceramic machinery division in May 2020. Over the past 5 years, Mr. YANG has led the team step by step, focusing on strengthening the foundation, addressing weaknesses, and leveraging strengths. Despite the significant downturn in the global ceramic machinery industry this year, the team has still achieved outstanding sales and operational results and elevated the ceramic machinery business to new heights. “I can truly say that under Mr. YANG's leadership, the first 'Five-Year Plan' for the ceramic machinery division has been completed successfully and brilliantly! I am genuinely pleased!" Chairman BIAN remarked.


Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN went on to point out that the series of achievements clearly demonstrate the success of the management transformation led by Mr. YANG and his team over the past few years. At the same time, several recently appointed heads of business units and sales departments, such as Zhijun PENG of the Pree Division, have led their teams to significant improvements in performance.

Under the leadership of Lin ZHONG, General Manager of the Smart Transport & Warehousing Division, the division seized the market opportunities created by automation and smart upgrades, becoming the “growth champion” for KEDA Ceramic Machinery in 2024.

The Chinese marketing team, coordinated by Director Shuyuan PEI, faced the challenges of a sluggish ceramic market due to the downturn in the Chinese real estate sector. They worked hard to secure orders, and through a process of market elimination, they showcased the brand's strength, successfully maintaining market share and sales, thereby solidifying the company's foundation. These successes underscore the importance of selecting the right people for key positions.

While celebrating the achievements of the ceramic machinery division, Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN also emphasized the critical actions the team must take to maintain its leading global competitiveness in the future:

First, the team must be proactive in launching the “Sixth-Generation Machines” in the ceramic machinery field. Chairman BIAN stressed that technological innovation is the key to winning market competition. KEDA's ceramic machinery team should increase its efforts to develop cutting-edge technologies, actively incorporating AI, smart solutions, and 5G applications, and launch disruptive ceramic machinery products that offer customers an entirely new upgrade experience. Building on KEDA's existing full-line ceramic machinery systems, the team should focus on developing personalized production lines tailored to the digital era to meet the future needs of the market.

At the same time, R&D for future technologies, such as fully electric production lines, must be prioritized. “If we don't explore and invest in future technologies, we may lose out on the future!” Chairman BIAN emphasized. “For the second 'Five-Year Plan' under Mr. YANG's leadership, we must lay the groundwork for next-generation technologies. We are fully equipped to complete this historic mission.”


Next, Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN highlighted the importance of building a comprehensive sales system for parts and consumables, ensuring that customers receive efficient, all-around service. He stated that KEDA should strive to become the "Global Ceramics Production Service Provider," addressing every concern customers have throughout the production process.

The Spare Parts and Consumables Service Division must take on the responsibility of sales and services for parts and consumables in the global market. Although growth has been steady in recent years, there is still significant room for expansion compared to the global market scale. Going forward, KEDA must fully implement its cultural philosophy of "When money scatters, people gather and when money gathers, people scatter" across all levels of the global sales and service organization. A strong incentive system should be developed and extended to local teams worldwide, driving the global sales and service of consumables and parts.

Furthermore, Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN emphasized the need to build a professional ceramic process solutions team within KEDA to help downstream customers elevate the quality of their products. He pointed out that beyond machinery sector, KEDA must quickly address gaps in process support and surface decoration to leverage its full comprehensive advantages. This includes creating high-end, differentiated products for Chinese customers, while also supporting clients in countries like Vietnam and Indonesia with machinery equipment, helping them enhance their product quality and competitiveness. Additionally, KEDA must meet the demands of Chinese ceramic industry leaders for international private-label products.

Lastly, Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN emphasized the importance of transforming Foshan KEDA Equipment Manufacturing and Shaoguan KEDA Machinery Manufacturing into key outsourcing mechanical processing hubs in the Pearl River Delta and Greater Bay Area. These facilities should not only serve KEDA Ceramic Machinery and HLT & DLT but also expand their advantages to the mechanical manufacturing industry in the Pearl River Delta, offering services to a broader range of companies.

To achieve the breakthroughs mentioned above, especially in terms of technological innovation, talent support is indispensable. Chairman Mr. Cheng BIAN emphasized, "The history of a company's development is the history of talent iteration. The success of each unit depends on how well talent is utilized." He urged the heads of each unit to broaden their perspectives and elevate their thinking, stressing the need for breakthroughs in talent management. He called for the bold promotion of passionate and capable talent from the post-80s and post-90s generations.

If there is a shortage of talent at present, they should seek it externally without delay. "It doesn't matter if you don't know; what's important is to bring in those who do, and those who can get the job done. Every leader must break through their own limitations to achieve business breakthroughs!" Chairman BIAN remarked. He also noted that KEDA has an excellent culture and system for profit distribution to ensure that talented individuals who contribute will never be overlooked or shortchanged.