On March 28, 2013, a whole page report titled "10 thousand yuan of XX warm core floor fails to warm the heart" on the 69th issue of Chengdu Economic Daily, reporting "warm core" floor once popular around 2013. In this connection, Mr. Zhang Huachun of Meijing Comfortable Home published the article to tell readers that Meijing remains committed to floor heating.

In this article, you might have a better understanding of Meijing's seemingly "conservative" product strategy over the years, and its dedication to industrial development. Actually, "simplicity-featured" Meijing is the driver, evangelist, and leader in floor heating and even comfortable home industry in western China. Currently, floor heating industry is facing a mixed picture of new products and new technologies, and floor heating construction and integration enterprises are promoting various new technologies and new products as selling points. Amid such a backdrop, Meijing remains focusing on fields where it gains 100% control. The seemingly "foolish" method might hold some best practices accumulated from past failures.

Of course, some people may do not like Meijing. But if we figure out the reasons behind, we might prove that Meijing is outstanding and successful in its own way. On March 28, 2013, a whole page report appeared in Home Page of Chengdu Economic Daily, saying that after less than a year's use, the "warm core floor" of a certain brand stops to give heat, is not flat, and gives heat unevenly. More worryingly, the dealer was in agent gap period, and the manufacturer was out of touch. Since no one is responsible for the problem, the consumer in question was in a dilemma.

In recent years, various new products and technologies appeared in floor heating industry, such as "heating floor" and "self-heating floor". According to the brand description of the above-mention "warm core floor", the product is proudly hailed as "something opening a new door" and featuring functions like decoration, heating and energy saving, and health maintenance. I just want to ask: what experiments have been conducted on the new product "that opens a new door"? How long is the experiment and trial? What environment was the experiment conducted in? What is the basis of the experiment? Are users your only mice? In recent years, a mixed picture and many weird phenomena have appeared amid the fast growth of the industry. Some floor heating products are said to have 20-plus functions and advantages. Some are even hyped as capable of health maintenance and even curing diseases. A website may be riddled with advertising slogans like "General agency in southwest China, the top in the industry, a leader in southwest China, No. 1 brand", "Saving energy by 30-50%", and "Expertise of 18 years". A few days ago, a Chengdu home heating company was even hyped as "with 25 years history". I made a simple calculation, and wonder: did the company start the business in early 1980s? Seeing all those phenomena, I can do nothing but heave a sigh. Several years ago, I wrote a sarcastic article titled "Strange advertising in floor heating industry". I was annoyed wondering how can they boast and lie so unashamedly? It is a pity and sad to see that many problems have been exposed in the enterprise boasting to be "the 1st worldwide" and "the world's first new, efficient warm core floor", and it is painful to see the slogans of other enterprises hyped to be "the 1st" and "leader" or so. As a pioneer in the industry, I have something to say to my colleagues and peers.

I want to make the following points first: First: over the past 15 years of our deepening cooperation with the world's leading brands in the industry, we have kept learning their technologies and business concepts, which has underpinned our progress. On one occasion when a German brand boiler was being installed, we found that because of the installment environment, a joint of the boiler was too close to the wall. We hoped the manufacturer to revise the joint by 2-3 centimeters according to our requirements. In our view, it was a very simple question. We communicated with the manufacturer on it and hoped to see some adjustments. The German people replied that the R&D took six months and cost around 150 thousand euros. That was staggering. Yet we can see the issue from a new perspective. The somewhat stubborn German people took the small problem very seriously. No wonder they can deliver outstanding products! In the eyes of many, German people are so "foolish".

Second, with 15 years of operation, our enterprise enjoys some visibility in the industry. Each year, numerous producers and businessmen visit us to market various new products and technologies. For the majority of suppliers, when they come to Sichuan and Chengdu to market products, they normally choose our company as their first stop. Many of their new products are highly profitable, which excite us businessmen. These products include "carbon crystal floor heating", "capillary heating", and others. I must point out that in terms of profitability, our products are much outshone.

But we always maintain a wait-and-see attitude. Meanwhile, we are doing some application experiments in our lab. We have not entered the so-called new industry. Therefore, not so profit-driven, we are teased by our "advanced" peers as merely a company engaging in "water floor heating". When they were minting money, they must laugh at us "Meijing is so foolish".

Third, over the 15 years, we have rolled out three systems: home heating, central air-conditioning, and water treatment. Among those, we started to engage in central air-conditioning after 11 years of operation in heating business. During the 11 years, each day and each year we lost many opportunities of making money from central air-conditioning. That is because almost each and every heating client is potential consumer of central air-conditioning. Yet some companies with 10-20 employees have rolled out eight and even 10 systems long ago. In the eyes of many businessmen, "air quality", a hot issue among the people, constitutes a huge business opportunity and generates abundant profits. However, Meijing has only offered two models of mature air processors (one is internal circulation and the other external circulation) to help meet the urgent needs of clients. Our slow response and unimpressive products must have become a laughing stock of our peers which market heavily on "central new wind" and "super new wind system".

Fourth, during the 15 years, as the founder of Meijing, I have accumulated some wealth. Yet I have never invested in stock market, or pursued a second career, or entertained the idea of going public for financing. "Foolish" enough, I even do not understand the maxim "do not put all eggs in one basket". I have devoted myself into comfortable home industry for 15 years, and used almost all capital and energy to enhance the software and hardware of the company, and ensure client interests first, namely good products, good installment, and good maintenance. At this point, even I think myself as foolish.

Fifth, we can compare the products and packaging of Apple with those of Nokia. The truth is self-evident.

Two attitudes are very important. The first is "simplicity". It is very simple to understand and does not need more explanation. But I still want to say something: simplicity is the most essential attitude if we want to do a good job. 

Our first "simple" principle is that products and main functions of technologies should be "simple" enough. The simple function of heating is to "enable users to live a comfortable life in an energy-saving way". Our clients do not need 10-20 functions. Here I want to persuade them not to believe that a certain product or technology can save energy by 50%. For each product, it probably has only one strong point. It is impossible for a product to meet various kinds of demands. Just as the saying goes, every man has his strong and weak points. It takes time to produce quality products, which is our second "simple" principle. We should be cautious of all fast-growing products and technologies. Generally, newly offered varieties are normally not quality ones. Following in the footsteps of leading performers, is our third simple principle. No new products or technologies are adopted in advanced European and American regions. As the world's top 2 heating and bathroom expos, neither Frankfurt ISH nor Milan MCE has rolled out new products and technologies. Currently, the organizers have no such considerations. It takes time to produce quality products, which is a "simple" principle. For our advanced European suppliers, the cycle of developing a new technology is generally 3-6 years. So, why there are so many fast-growing, "wonderful" new technologies surrounding us? Driven by business interests, many those in the industry are rush to make "quick money" and seize upon "opportunities". Yet those technologies are always a flash in the pan, with only those produced by European brands surviving. When great waves sweep away sand, only gold is sifted out.

The second point is to be foolish. Now people are very smart. Everyone has good idea, and believes that they can dig out the first barrel of gold quickly with good ideas. New technologies and new products are normally seen as where gold can be dug out. A pet phrase among those people is "this is an opportunity". As for quality, it is a question concerning producers. Businessmen only care for making money. However, here at Meijing Comfortable Home, for our new products and technologies, we use them in lab for at least six months, and test their quality with a special application experiment. We have established "training room for application technology lab", which is used to test application durability, and train technicians in logistics, installment, and maintenance. We put products to market only when all links are reliable. That is how we ensure reliable quality of our products and technologies.

Such "foolishness" is exactly what we seek. Here, I hope my colleagues and peers to be simple and "foolish". We "foolish" people normally cannot spot the so-called opportunities, and always find or seek "problems". It is the basic prerequisite to deliver quality offerings. We'd rather to be "foolish". We refuse to be an opportunist since an opportunity may turn out to be a pitfall. We embrace a down-to-earth approach. We are simple enough to delve into the essence of a question, and work diligently and love what we do. That's how more positive energy will be accumulated in our industry and widely recognized by consumers. In this way, clients can enjoy reliable, quality-ensured consumption experience, and our merchants can envision a better future.