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Due to Huajian’s Ethiopia factory operating under a high division- of-labor system, workers can skillfully complete the full shoemaking process of leather cutting, bonding, sewing and modeling and produce more than 8,000 pairs of shoes daily.

Responding to a question about whether Huajian’s management style is too tough on local staff, Zhang Huarong said managing employees effectively creates the necessary conditions for developing skills in the footwear industry. He said when the factory was first established, the productivity levels were far behind those of China as the shoemaking industry was completely new at the time. In order to change this, great efforts have been made to improve productivity and quality through training.

Huajian offers each person, from floor staff to higher management personnel, a chance to be trained and promoted. New workers without manufacturing experience are given hands-on training by experienced mentors. Local staff who excel, like Demis, are given the opportunity to train in Huajian’s headquarters in China to learn about corporate culture and management skills. These staff return to take up managerial positions.

Employee benefits include a free shuttle bus service to and from the factory and free meals. Huajian’s stable employment and competitive salaries are attractive to local youth. Demis’ monthly salary of about $800 as a member of management has long been the envy of people in his neighborhood. He said a continuous stream of people come to the factory looking for work, while there were always relatives and friends asking him about opportunities there.

Zhang said the good corporate culture, good training system and attitude to share with other people are what people are attracted to, adding that with these corporate attributes, one can build a good company in Africa.