All of the statements in this article are based on reliable sources and are reproduced at the end of this article
When you think of the "village secretary", everyone's first impression may be that there is no money.
Once the village secretary has money, everyone may think that the money is not coming from an abnormal source.
But in Kangbo Village, Changshu City, there is a village secretary worth 37 billion yuan, who is not only not discussed by the villagers, but is greatly loved by the villagers.
The "rich" village secretary also took out 120 million yuan to build villas for the whole village, and even the work of the whole village was contracted, and he brought the whole village to a well-off life with his own strength.
So, where did this village secretary get these tens of billions of dollars, and why is he willing to spend so much on the villagers?
"Tailor King" Gao Dekang
This unique village secretary is Gao Dekang.
Gao Dekang, a name resounding in China's textile and garment industry, a veritable "tailor king", his entrepreneurial story began with eight sewing machines and a humble small workshop.
In 1976, 24-year-old Gao Dekang officially took over the tailoring skills passed down from his father, and in Shanjing Village, Baimao Town, Changshu, Jiangsu, his family has been cutting clothes for three generations.
In order to improve work efficiency, Gao Dekang gathered 11 farmers in the village and set up a sewing group, no one thought that this small organization would become a textile empire in the future.
Who would have thought that what changed the fate of Shanjing Village was actually eight household sewing machines, although they were simple, but they were the starting point of Gao Dekang's entrepreneurial dream.
Since then, the young Gao Dekang has plunged into the sewing business, day and night with the fabric as a companion, at the beginning of the business, the small workshop has neither a brand, nor exclusive products, can only take some OEM orders, relying on meager processing fees to maintain operation.
However, Gao Dekang's vision is unique and quick-witted, and he quickly realized that he could not only be satisfied with working for others, but also have his own brand and embark on a unique development path.
As a result, Gao Dekang, who was only in his early 20s, became a recognized "entrepreneurial maniac" in the village. He was busy contacting customers and purchasing fabrics during the day, and at night rushing to make clothes, sacrificing his sleep time to ride his bicycle back and forth to Shanghai, 200 kilometers away, every day to pick up fabrics and deliver them.
In an era of inconvenient transportation, Gao Dekang relied on his two legs and a bicycle to start the "hurricane journey" from Changshu to Shanghai.
Gao Dekang spends more than ten hours a day on the road, sleeping in the open air, hungry and full. The scorching sun tanned his face, and in the rain, his body was wet and dry.
30 kilometers per hour, this is the delivery "speed standard" set by Gao Dekang for himself, In this way, day after day, year after year, Gao Dekang with extraordinary perseverance, stepping on the two wheels of the bicycle, began his own epic journey.
The hardships of riding have always been remembered by Gao Dekang, and every drop of sweat has condensed into the mark of Gao Dekang's entrepreneurial road.
Hard work pays off, Gao Dekang has successfully accumulated rich technical experience and deep contacts with his own efforts.
Gradually, the fame of his small workshop also sounded, and customers were impressed by his integrity and the quality of his products.
What they see is not only a diligent and pragmatic young man, but also a partner worthy of trust, Gao Dekang knows that the trust and support of customers is the cornerstone of his career.
Gao Dekang secretly vowed to repay everyone with better products and services, so he devoted himself more to technology research and development, and pursued the best every stitch.
In this way, when others are still standing still, Gao Dekang has already begun to run wild on the road of entrepreneurship, and he has already thrown others a few streets.
Eight sewing machines, witnessing his perseverance, that bicycle, but also recorded the trajectory of his struggle, the young Gao Dekang, in his way, is proving to the world that ordinary people can create extraordinary.
Gao Dekang's entrepreneurial story is like a passionate march, every note is full of power, however, this is only a prologue, with the pace of the times, he is about to compose a more magnificent movement.
Entered the down jacket market
With a keen sense of the market, Gao Dekang discovered the down jacket industry with huge development prospects at the end of the 80s of the last century.
At that time, China's down jacket market was still in its infancy, with a single product style and rough workmanship, Gao Dekang realized that this was a virgin land to be developed, and he decided to seize this opportunity to show his strength in the field of down jackets.
In order to master the core technology of down jacket production, Gao Dekang invested a lot of time and energy in research and development, he pondered stitch by needle, from filling to fabric, from workmanship to style, and constantly experimented and improved, after several years of painstaking research, he finally mastered a complete set of mature down jacket production process.
In 1992, Gao Dekang founded the "Bosideng" brand and officially entered the down jacket market. "BOSIDENG" is derived from the transliteration of the English "BOSTON", which means "like Boston".
Gao Dekang hopes that his brand can be like Boston City, the United States, enduring, standing, however, the road to entrepreneurship is never smooth.
Major crisis, off-season sales
In 1994, Gao Dekang suffered a major crisis, and that year, he produced 230,000 down jackets in one go, but only sold 100,000 pieces.
A large amount of inventory backlog, resulting in Gao Dekang's capital turnover is not effective, the company fell into the verge of bankruptcy, in the face of such a huge pressure, Gao Dekang did not flinch, he knows that this is not only about his own future and fate, but also about the livelihood of employees.
In order to survive this crisis, he gritted his teeth, raised funds everywhere, tried every means to resolve the crisis, and in order to recover the funds as soon as possible, Gao Dekang had an idea and launched an "off-season promotion" of down jackets in the summer.
Gao Dekang lowered the price below the cost line, and even sold at a loss, although this trick seemed to be a stupid trick, but it worked wonders.
In addition, Gao Dekang is also actively seeking cooperation with other shopping malls, and he has reached agreements with Wangfujing Department Store and Shenyang Zhongxing Company to help them sell Bosideng's products.
Through this series of measures, Gao Dekang finally got through the difficulties, and not only that, but the off-season promotion also unexpectedly opened up the popularity of "Bosideng" and established its reputation among consumers. The crisis, for Gao Dekang, is not only a severe test, but also a rare opportunity.
This crisis made Gao Dekang realize that in order to survive and develop, enterprises must always be ready to respond to market changes and challenges, and at the same time, only by having the courage to take responsibility and dare to innovate can they achieve a breakthrough in adversity.
Gao Dekang was lucky, he seized the turning point contained in the crisis, and all this is due to his bravery, in the face of difficulties, he did not retreat, but chose to face the difficulties and turn the danger into a disaster.
This process of resolving the crisis has also become a turning point in the history of the development of "Bosideng", which has given him valuable lessons and enlightenment, and also laid the groundwork for the take-off of "Bosideng".
Although Gao Dekang has already made a name for himself in the business world, he is not satisfied with the status quo. He understands that the market is changing rapidly, and only by maintaining an attitude of being prepared for danger in times of peace can he be invincible.
The reason for the good results
Gao Dekang's success in the field of down jackets is inseparable from his accurate insight into consumer needs, and he knows that only by constantly understanding market trends and keeping up with the trend of the times can he always stand at the forefront of the industry.
In order to design products that are closer to the needs of consumers, Gao Dekang often goes to the front line, visits the market, and communicates with consumers face-to-face, he humbly listens to the feedback and suggestions of customers, and understands the preferences and needs of different regions and different groups.
Under the leadership of Gao Dekang, "Bosideng" continues to launch new products, and dozens of new products are launched every season.
From fabric to style, from color to function, all reflect Gao Dekang's pursuit of details and insistence on quality, he took the lead in using new materials such as Olympic fabrics and heating materials in down jackets, leading the technological innovation of the industry.
At the same time, Gao Dekang also attaches great importance to product differentiation, and he has launched targeted product series according to the climatic characteristics and consumption habits of different regions.
For example, the thickened down jacket designed for the cold regions of Northeast China, and the lightweight down jacket designed for the warm regions of the south, etc., this strategy of "adapting measures to local conditions" enables "Bosideng" to meet the diversified needs of different consumers.
With a keen sense of the market and continuous product innovation, "Bosideng" has been making great progress in the down jacket market.
Since 1995, "Bosideng" has been the industry sales champion for 12 consecutive years, becoming a well-deserved "down jacket king".
Under the leadership of Gao Dekang, "Bosideng" has become a benchmark and model for China's down jacket industry.
Don't forget the original intention
However, Gao Dekang's contribution is far more than that, as an entrepreneur, he has not forgotten his roots, and has always been concerned about the warmth and well-being of his hometown.
In 1999, Gao Dekang was elected as the village party secretary of Kangbo Village, and since then, the "richest village official" has shouldered the important task of leading the villagers to get rich.
Gao Dekang gave full play to his entrepreneurial talents and drastically reformed the infrastructure and industrial structure of the village, he took the lead in building roads and factories, introducing advanced agricultural technology, and developing characteristic planting and breeding industries.
Under his leadership, Kangbo Village, which used to be poor and backward, has been renovated, and the living standards of the villagers have been greatly improved.
Gao Dekang also attaches great importance to the employment of villagers, and he has set up the production base of "Bosideng" in his hometown, providing a large number of jobs for the villagers.
Today, 98% of the labor force in Kangbo Village is working in Bosideng, and the villagers not only have a stable source of income, but also have a broader space for development.
Under the careful management of Gao Dekang, Kangbo Village has successively won the honorary titles of "China's Top Ten Famous Villages" and "National Civilized Village", and has become a well-known "Star Village".
This once obscure small mountain village has now become a beautiful business card for rural revitalization.
epilogue
Gao Dekang's own wisdom and sweat led his hometown parents on the road to prosperity, and he led by example to closely link the development of "Bosideng" with the revitalization of his hometown.
As an entrepreneur, Gao Dekang has created a business miracle: as a village official, he led the villagers to a well-off life.
Gao Dekang used his own way to interpret the connotation of "village enterprise co-construction" and showed everyone a beautiful scenery of coordinated development of township.
Gao Dekang's story tells us that whether it is in business or in rural areas, as long as we are willing to work hard and be good at innovation, we will definitely be able to create a new world.
Resources:
Xinhuanet: "Gao Dekang, Founder of Bosideng: Charity is a warmer cause than making down jackets" 2023-09-05
China Economic Net: "Gao Dekang, Founder of Bosideng - Always Down-to-earth"2024-01-28
Oriental Wealth Network: "From a small tailor to a value of 25.5 billion, after two "life and death disasters", the market value has reached more than 40 billion"2019-10-24