From the Poly Center in Foshan New City, overlooking the Dongping River, the beautiful scenery always inspires every visitor. Here, there is innovation, opportunity, and a favorable entrepreneurial environment.

This includes Germans Christina Tillmann and her husband Ludger Tillmann.

Four years ago, Ludger Tillmann was commissioned by LUQOM, a leading vertical integration lighting solution provider in Europe, to conduct a site visit at the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone in Foshan (Foshan Sanlongwan Sci-Tech City), establishing the Asian headquarters there in just six weeks. Four years later, Christina Tillmann decided to embark on her own entrepreneurial journey in the same zone.

In September of this year, Christina Tillmann established "Foshan Dezhi Import and Export Co., Ltd." in the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone, focusing on viopura greens pet deodorizer. Christina Tillmann aims to expand her business to countries and regions like Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc., aspiring to grow into a large multinational corporation.

In the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone in Foshan, more and more German and European companies are emerging. What exactly attracts them to this zone?

"This Place is Very Friendly to Foreign Entrepreneurs"

In 2020, commissioned by LUQOM, Ludger Tillmann arrived in China from Germany and conducted a site visit to the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone, establishing the Asian headquarters there in just six weeks.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of LUQOM in China, LUQOM Supply Chain Management (Foshan) Co., Ltd. specializes in providing supply chain services for the lighting industry, aiding LUQOM's growth in China and further expanding into the Asian market.

LUQOM Supply Chain Management (Foshan) Co., Ltd.

"This place is quite nice," Ludger Tillmann remarked, expressing how impressed he was by Foshan's international business environment. Establishing operations in Foshan was a crucial choice for the company. It was also that year that Christina Tillmann moved to the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone alongside her husband.

The 3rd International Talent's Dragon Boat Tour

The Sino-German Industrial Service Zone has provided significant support for Christina Tillmann's entrepreneurship. "The registration process for the company is lengthy and fraught with unexpected issues, but the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone offered a lot of assistance in resolving these problems," Christina Tillmann described. With the coordination from the zone, member enterprises of the Foshan Import and Export Chamber of Commerce helped her overcome challenges faced in the early stages of her venture.

"Hoping to Build a Headquarters Radiating Across Asia Here"

Choosing the pet market, Christina Tillmann conducted thorough market research. Currently, the demand for pet products in Foshan and across China is rapidly increasing, while the German brand viopura greens pet deodorizer remains absent in the domestic market.

Christina Tillmann. Photo by Wu Haiquan

According to Christina Tillmann, the product is positioned for the Chinese market, targeting two main groups: first, pet owners who prioritize biological and safe products—this group values the health and well-being of their pets and seeks eco-friendly solutions free of harmful chemicals. Second, urban consumers who emphasize hygiene and cleanliness—this group typically resides in cities, cares about the cleanliness and hygiene of their living environments, and is willing to invest in effective and sustainable products.

In November this year, viopura greens will launch on Chinese online shopping platforms. Looking ahead, Christina Tillmann has a clear plan. She intends to gradually expand her sales channels as product sales grow, establishing her own online website and utilizing offline channels such as pet hotels, veterinary clinics, and pet cafes to reach more consumers.

"Currently, we mainly sell through product imports, but in the future, I hope to establish my own factory in Foshan to build a headquarters that serves the Asia region," Christina Tillmann said.

Growing with Dozens of German Companies

Christina Tillmann's growth story is not an isolated case.

The Sino-German Industrial Service Zone was established in 2012 and was designated in May of that year as one of six major cooperation platforms prioritized by the Guangdong Provincial Government. In August 2012, it was included as a future-oriented cooperation project between China and Germany in the Joint Statement on Further Promoting Bilateral Investment signed by both countries, thus attaining national-level cooperation status.

Since its establishment, theSino-German Industrial Service Zone has focused on the industrial positioning of “industrial services”, successfully facilitating the establishment of 21 German investment projects in Foshan, 32 Sino-German enterprise cooperation projects, and 5 projects for Chinese enterprises investing in Germany. Currently, there are 55 enterprises from German-speaking countries in Foshan (47 of which are German), with 14 of these enterprises (13 German) located within the service zone, accounting for over 25% of the total in the city.

German delegation representatives experiencingthe Foshan Intangible Cultural Heritage.

It is reported that this year, the Sino-German Industrial Service Zone will also hold the first European Enterprises Day and launch trilingual signage to further optimize the international business environment as a window for foreign cooperation.

Reporter | Eleanor

Reviser | Lynn, Zoey

Photo | Sanlognwan Release, Foshan Plus

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