Factory moved back to Zhongxiang, 62 workers followed home

This article is reprinted from: Hubei Daily

Employees of Yisheng Electronics are busy packing and shipping. (Li Lu photo)

“Now the factory has moved back home, working right at the doorstep, so I have time to visit relatives peacefully.” On February 19th, the third day of the Lunar New Year, Wang Lei from Dongqiao Town, Zhongxiang City, was carrying gifts to visit relatives.

Wang Lei, 45, has been working outside since his teenage years. In 2010, he started working at Yisheng Electronics, founded by fellow villager Li Bin in Dongguan, and has risen to become the head of the engineering department.

Wang Lei said that the factory’s performance is good, production started early, and with the long commutes, he only has a few days of holiday. Visiting relatives feels like going through the motions, leaving no time to catch up.

The change came in just over a year.

In 2024, local leaders from Zhongxiang City went to Dongguan for investment promotion. The strong hometown feelings, favorable business environment, and the upcoming high-speed rail connection convinced Li Bin to move his factory, which has an annual output value of over 100 million yuan and nearly 100 employees, back home.

Li Bin, 57, is a native of Zhongxiang. He initially worked as a salesperson at a rivet factory. In 2003, he established Yisheng Electronics in Dongguan. After more than 20 years of development, the company has become the largest communication electronic rivet manufacturer in China.

As the production and management model matured, Li Bin developed the idea of returning to his hometown to start his own business. At that time, Zhongxiang City came to promote investment, and the two sides quickly reached an agreement.

Site selection, factory construction… By the end of 2024, a series of factories rose in the Dacha Lake Economic Development Zone in Zhongxiang, and Yisheng Electronics began relocating its entire operation, mainly producing rivets.

“All more than 100 machines have been moved back.” Li Bin said that during this relocation, 62 local workers from Zhongxiang also returned home. After equipment debugging was completed, the factory quickly resumed production.

Before the Lunar New Year, reporters visited the factory site. The buildings stretched one after another, covering more than 30,000 square meters. Inside the workshops, cold heading machines were neatly arranged, with large coils of steel wire beside each machine. With a series of clattering sounds, the cold heading machines continuously fed steel wire into their mouths and produced rivets.

“One machine can produce up to 110 rivets per minute, and at least 3,000 rivets per kilogram of steel wire.” General Manager Li Bin said that if the two workshops operate 24 hours a day, they can produce 12 million rivets daily, with an annual output of up to 1.8 billion rivets, and a total output value exceeding 100 million yuan. Currently, Yisheng Electronics produces dozens of types of rivets. Its自主研发的封闭抽空铆钉技术填补了国内空白，产品广泛应用于通信基站和汽车，客户包括华为、中兴、富士康等知名企业。

Currently, including the 62 returning employees, the company’s 91 employees are all local residents of Zhongxiang. Once fully operational, the company is expected to increase its staff to 120.

“Moving the factory back from Dongguan to Zhongxiang, I also returned to my hometown. My salary didn’t decrease, and it’s more convenient to visit family and friends during festivals.” Wang Lei said happily.

“Returning to work in my hometown gives me a stronger sense of belonging and allows me to take care of my elderly parents,” said Sales Supervisor Yang Daxiu. (Zhu Hua, Wang Long)