Lighter hub shines as world leader in production

Lighting the spark

Lighters were first manufactured in Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces in the 1980s, with Zhejiang's Wenzhou a major production hub.

However, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the production line was transferred to central regions due to the rising cost of labor in coastal areas, and Shaodong seized the opportunity to become a leading production base.

Fu Zaihua and her husband Yao Hanyun were among the first people in Shaodong to work in the industry.

In 1992, a friend told them that lighter manufacturing was a big business and the couple went to a factory in Guangdong province to try and learn the techniques. However, they were only given a limited time during the visit to observe the manufacturing process, and did not learn much.

"We bought 50 lighters and started to dismantle and reassemble them repeatedly, trying to learn the skills by ourselves," Fu said.

Later, they bought 100,000 lighter parts and began their own business venture at home. Their company, Shunfa Manufacturing Corp, was also the first one in Shaodong to sell lighters to an overseas client who was from Indonesia.

While cheap disposable lighters are still one of the company's bestselling items, it has put great effort and innovation into producing more high-end products and diversifying its business portfolio.

Automation has also greatly improved efficiency, so that more lighters can be produced with fewer employees. Even though workers' salaries have increased, costs can remain low, so the company's products are still competitive.

Fu said they have been through much hardship in the expansion and running of the business. There were difficulties in almost every sector, from getting funds to finding the right staff and obtaining technology, she said.

However, they were determined, and persevered.

"I made a decision back then that I intended to follow through," she said. "Shaodong people are known to be hardworking and tenacious, that's the secret of our success."

Other locals were quick to follow their lead and numerous small lighter manufacturing factories opened in Shaodong.

To prevent hostile competition and boost cooperation, in 2002, the Shaodong Lighter Industry Association was established.

Ouyang Zhen, vice mayor of Shaodong, said the association publishes price guides for lighters and consolidates resources for the industry to avoid price wars among different enterprises, and to maintain sound market development.

The association also has a database on new products. When an enterprise makes a new product, it needs to provide samples to the association for its records. If the new product is similar to an existing one it will be sent back to the enterprise, he said.

There are 114 lighter companies in the county. Twenty-seven are lighter manufacturers while the remainder produce materials for lighter production.

Ouyang said the companies can produce more than 200 components for lighters and all their factories can be reached in a short time.