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Clean and green

(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-05-11 10:26

YADU founder and Chairman He Lumin claims his company shares Beijing's goal of hosting a green, hi-tech and people's Olympics.

"The Olympics seeks health and well-being, which is in line with our philosophy here at YADU," he said. "We will do what we can to prepare for a clean Olympics."

YADU, an interior air quality (IAQ) product manufacturer based in Beijing, will provide over 200,000 air purifiers and humidifiers to athletes, journalists and guests during the Beijing Games to help foster a greener Olympics.

YADU, the largest company of its kind in China, became an official BOCOG partner on May 11, 2006.

In November last year it rolled out a new production line dedicated specifically to the world's biggest sporting event.

Now it expects to see sales of its upgraded "air exchangers" leap to 4 million over the next two years, using the Olympics as a springboard. The current market for such products is only slowing taking root in China.

However, He admitted the company was having difficulty promoting its products.

"Companies like ours need to organize a 'strategy contest,' where we invite people with good ideas to help us come up with promotional ideas," he said.

To become an Olympic supplier, YADU must provide sponsorship worth 41 million yuan ($5.25 million), equal to its net profit in 2005.

He believes the gamble will pay off.

"When a big brand (like the Olympics) is mentioned with a smaller brand, people become convinced that the two are related. Then the influence of the bigger brand can trickle down to the smaller one, and the smaller brand will in turn have a chance to grow bigger," he said.

Though the company was founded by He Lumin in 1987, it only became successful with its air purifiers and humidifiers in the past few years.

YADU now controls the majority of the Chinese market and ranked as the second largest supplier of IAQ products worldwide.

This year, it will invest 100 million yuan ($13 million), 10 percent of its annual gross sales, in its various advertising campaigns.