Unity and Cooperation Promote the Healthy Development of China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry

Unity and Cooperation to Promote the Healthy Development of China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry
Work Report at the Inaugural Meeting of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce
Director of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee Wang Shuyuan

Respected leaders, colleagues in the laundry and dyeing industry, and friends:
Good morning!

In this season full of spring light, we gather in Beijing with new and old friends from the national laundry and dyeing industry to jointly celebrate the establishment of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee and to jointly study and discuss the development plans of our laundry and dyeing industry. I am very excited. First of all, please allow me to express my gratitude on behalf of the executive team of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee to all the leaders present, and to warmly welcome and sincerely thank all the friends attending. Spring is a season of renewal and also the busy season for us laundry and dyeing workers. At this time, everyone has gathered in Beijing from all corners of the motherland to attend today's conference. I think it is our common ideals, common responsibilities, and common expectations that bring us together. At this moment, I feel everyone's support and high expectations for us, which also increases our sense of responsibility.

Next, I will report to the conference from four aspects: a basic introduction to the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee, an analysis of the current situation and development trends of China's laundry and dyeing industry, some thoughts on how to promote the development of China's laundry and dyeing industry, and several specific tasks to be done next.

1. About the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee of the China General Chamber of Commerce

The Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee is a national social organization of the laundry and dyeing industry approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs with the consent of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council and the Ministry of Commerce. It is one of the nine branches of the China General Chamber of Commerce. The Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee will conscientiously implement the important thought of the "Three Represents," establish the concept of "scientific development" and build a "harmonious society." Serving the industry and liaising with the government are our basic purposes; actively advocating the industry development concept of "scientific, green, healthy washing, and honest service;" "technological innovation, brand creation, and environmental optimization" are our work goals; following the path of self-reliance, independence, self-sufficiency, self-improvement, unity, cooperation, and development is our work policy.
Since its approval in November 2004, the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee has followed the "Regulations on the Registration and Administration of Social Organizations" and the "Implementation Rules for the Management Measures of Branches of the China General Chamber of Commerce," actively accelerating the formation of the leadership team. The director of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee was approved by the third council of the China General Chamber of Commerce held in November 2004 and appointed by the Chamber's Party Committee. The secretary-general, four executive deputy directors, and fourteen deputy directors were nominated by the director and after soliciting opinions from various units, submitted to the Chamber leadership for approval, forming the first executive team and deputy director team of the Laundry Professional Committee. At the same time, contact and communication with national laundry and related industry enterprises and associations have been strengthened. Based on applications from relevant units and comprehensive considerations, the first executive council and council member candidate list of the Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee was proposed and submitted to the conference for review and approval. Thirdly, the "Laundry Professional Committee Charter" was drafted and opinions were solicited from relevant personnel and units, which is also submitted to the conference for review today.
Here, I would like to once again express my heartfelt thanks to the comrades who participated in the organization of the institution and the drafting of related documents, as well as to the comrades present today for their support and cooperation!

2. Analysis of the Current Situation and Development Trends of China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry
1. Basic Analysis of the Current Situation of China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry
Since the reform and opening up, with the improvement of people's consumption levels, life concepts have also changed accordingly. Coupled with the accelerating pace of life and the rapid development of clothing fabrics, the laundry and dyeing industry has also developed rapidly. According to our recent incomplete survey, there are about 150,000 professional laundry shops (factories, companies) nationwide, with about 800,000 employees and an annual turnover of about 10 billion RMB. Among them, about 1,000 units belong to the state-owned economy, accounting for 8%, mainly laundry rooms and dry cleaning companies attached to hotels, schools, hospitals, etc., accounting for 20% of the laundry market share; about 9,600 units belong to the joint-stock collective economy, accounting for 12%, mainly large professional laundry companies with investments of over one million yuan, accounting for 45% of the market share; the remaining 80% are small and medium-sized laundry enterprises and a considerable number of family-run laundry shops and workshops, accounting for 35% of the market share.
From the perspective of enterprise management models, enterprises that take brand creation as their development strategy and implement chain and franchise operations, with their unified management models and image logos, relatively complete washing equipment and computer network service systems, relying on their large numbers, reasonable prices, and relatively standardized services, either collect laundry from multiple dispersed points and wash centrally in factories, or operate with front shops and back factories in a decentralized manner, have played an important role in urban community laundry services.
Community convenience stores, with convenient and high-quality services, relatively low prices, and relatively complete equipment, mainly focusing on laundry while also engaging in various businesses such as clothing and shoe repair and flower sales, will have a good development trend.
Social laundry shops will tend to diversify, become more family-oriented and personalized in service forms, improving continuously. Door-to-door service, card payment service, membership service, fine washing and preservation, customer clothing storage, and special needs services are increasingly accepted by more customers.
Self-service laundries are currently limited to universities in relatively developed cities and some high-end apartment areas in China. In the future, they will develop rapidly in high-end communities, villas, and apartment buildings.
Large-scale water washing factories mainly serve the laundry of linens for hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and other group units. They have strong production capacity and fierce market competition, with many enterprises experiencing insufficient capacity. With equipment upgrades, enterprise integration, and especially the application of laundry production lines like the "Laundry Dragon," large modern water washing factories have begun to take shape in China.
Special laundry with particular quality requirements will continue to develop steadily and in a planned manner. Their number and scale are limited, representing a relatively independent laundry format.
With the deepening reform and opening up of China's commercial service industry, chain laundry enterprises with brands and characteristic services, and large laundry factories with high technology content, high automation, and energy-saving and environmentally friendly features will face more intense competition with foreign brand enterprises.

2. Main Problems Existing in the Laundry and Dyeing Industry
Overall, China's laundry and dyeing industry still has a significant gap compared to developed countries. The main issues are: the relevant national and industry policies and standards are relatively lagging; enterprises have outdated equipment, irregular management, and imperfect systems; lack of testing agencies, frequent laundry disputes, and high complaint rates; low cultural and technical quality of practitioners; weak local associations, poor industry self-discipline and self-protection capabilities; an unregulated clothing market with counterfeit and inferior products, chaotic washing labels, frequent clothing washing claims, overwhelming burdens on enterprises, and difficult rights protection; customers' lack of understanding of laundry processes leading to misconceptions about laundry consumption, etc.
The existence of these problems is due to multiple factors, but overall it is caused by China's less developed economy and the low overall level of the laundry and dyeing industry.
We also see that after more than twenty years of rapid development, China's laundry and dyeing industry has now begun to enter a relatively stable and rational development period. We are pleased to see that the laundry and dyeing industry has received unprecedented attention from relevant government departments and society, the role of associations has been strengthened, more and more highly educated professionals, new technologies, equipment, and management models have entered our laundry and dyeing industry, gradually changing the personnel structure and technological content of China's laundry and dyeing industry. The development of some of our brand stores has even surprised some foreign peers. China's laundry and dyeing industry will have better development prospects, and we laundry workers have great potential.

3. Some Thoughts on Promoting the Development of China's Laundry and Dyeing Industry
Based on the current situation and trends of China's laundry and dyeing development, and drawing on the experience of developed countries, to promote the healthy and rapid development of China's laundry and dyeing industry, our Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee, adhering to the work goals of "technological innovation, brand creation, and environment optimization," has determined the following key tasks.
1. Strengthen industry self-discipline and optimize the development environment
On one hand, strive to complete the formulation (revision) of various national and industry standards and norms authorized by the government, and actively promote their implementation to purify the national laundry and dyeing market, striving to create a scientific, standardized, and orderly market environment.
At the same time, regulate competitive behavior to avoid vicious competition within the industry that damages the overall interests of the industry. We will cooperate with relevant departments according to national policies to govern irregular behaviors in chain franchise operations in the laundry and dyeing industry.
Additionally, liaise and coordinate with relevant departments to determine responsibility for accidents occurring during the washing process, protecting the interests of the laundry and dyeing industry to reduce service quality disputes.
2. Establish brand strategy and create industry famous brands
After the hard work of many laundry workers, China's laundry and dyeing industry has created some well-known industry brands. However, there are too few and they are not strong enough. China is a potential major laundry consumer country; without famous brands, how can the entire industry be driven forward and face international competition? There must be well-known Chinese laundry and dyeing industry brands! There should be famous laundry stores, famous washing equipment brands, famous chemical auxiliary material brands, famous enterprises, famous services, and industry models! Cultivating brands in China's laundry and dyeing industry is the responsibility of our Laundry and Dyeing Professional Committee.
According to the service tenet of "convenient for the people, for the people, and benefiting the people," create a good living environment and service space for community residents. Establish a chain operation model centered on leading brand enterprises, fully leveraging the core and leading role of time-honored brands and leading enterprises to drive the entire industry toward smooth development aligned with international standards.
3. Strengthen training efforts and improve personnel quality
Overall, the quality of laundry and dyeing practitioners is relatively low. The vast majority of laundry enterprises rely on the practical experience of managers or store managers to implement paternalistic management, which is far from modern management and total quality management. This is also the main obstacle to the scarcity of well-known brands in China's laundry and dyeing industry, the slow improvement of service levels, and the difficulty in expanding and strengthening the industry. Improving the quality of laundry and dyeing personnel is an urgent consensus among our peers.
Everyone knows that since December 11, 2004, according to the relevant provisions of China's accession to the WTO, restrictions on foreign-invested enterprises in terms of region, equity, and quantity have been lifted. Thus, the trend of more advanced foreign laundry enterprises entering China is unstoppable, and the full opening of the retail market can further promote the development of China's tertiary industry and service industry. Therefore, the quality of personnel will be the key to the success or failure of industry development. Conducting good industry training is the responsibility of the professional committee, and we will intensify efforts to improve the quality of management personnel and professional technicians to promote the progress of the laundry and dyeing industry.
4. Strengthen innovation awareness and lead development with technology
Innovation is the driving force of human social development. We believe there are no backward industries, only backward concepts, backward technology, and backward management. For the laundry and dyeing industry to develop, it must have innovation awareness, environmental protection and energy-saving measures, and advanced technological means. This includes innovation in management models and methods, product and equipment innovation, and innovation in business concepts. The industry must increase the construction of technology and network information platforms, run the "China Laundry Website" and the "China Laundry" publication well, enhance information exchange and the research and development capabilities of new technologies and new products, strengthen resource integration and full utilization, and lead industry development with technology.

4. Several Specific Tasks to Be Done Solidly
1. Focus on organization and system construction, and improve internal work mechanisms. First is the construction of internal institutions and the division of labor among work team members, gradually forming a work team with service coordination ability, service awareness, innovative thinking, and professional skills to improve work efficiency. Second is the construction of systems and the formulation of related rules and regulations.
2. Carry out standardized and effective vocational skills training. On one hand, continue to do a good job in the vocational qualification training and teacher training of "Laundry Workers"; on the other hand, improve the rectification and management of training centers in various places, cancel stations that do not have training capabilities, and gradually bring each training center onto a standardized track. Strive to train no less than 800 people of various types each year.
3. Organize large-scale events to provide enterprises with a platform for display and exchange. In 2005, the three major events we will focus on are the first National Laundry and Dyeing Industry Summit Forum, the 6th China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Exhibition, and the 3rd National Laundry and Dyeing Industry Vocational Skills Competition.
The "6th China Laundry and Dyeing Industry Exhibition" will be held from August 4 to 6 at the National Agricultural Exhibition Hall in Beijing. We must make great efforts to hold this exhibition well and fully build an independent brand for China's laundry and dyeing industry exhibitions.
Hold the "3rd National Laundry and Dyeing Industry Vocational Skills Competition," focus on on-the-job training, and improve the technical level of practitioners.
4. Do a good job in publicity and promotion of quality products. This work will recently focus on the "China Laundry" website and journal, aiming to develop them under the premise of "supporting the journal with the journal and supporting the site with the site." First, launch the "China Laundry" website and strive to make it the authoritative website of China's laundry and dyeing industry within three to five years. Second, run the internal journal "China Laundry" well, gradually realizing its purpose as an information platform, technical consultant, and industry communication medium.
5. Complete the drafting of some national laundry industry standards entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce. According to the Ministry of Commerce's industry standards plan, this year we will be responsible for organizing the formulation (revision) of the "Classification and Grading Regulations for Laundry Enterprises" and the "Professional Conditions and Technical Requirements for Opening Laundry Businesses."
I believe that with the development of China's laundry and dyeing industry, the Laundry Professional Committee will play an increasingly important role and make due contributions to promoting the industry towards scientific, environmentally friendly, and standardized high-quality services.
Colleagues and friends in the laundry and dyeing industry: Spring is the season of sowing hope. Let us jointly sow the seeds of hope for China's laundry and dyeing industry, diligently cultivate our laundry business, for the health and prosperity of the industry will be our autumn harvest!

Thank you all.

March 31, 2005