MS Liang
peasant to president
The peasant girl and the country boy. In the final, fading years of the Cultural Revolution, Liang was born into a farming family in the then-rural district of Guicheng in Nanhai, Foshan. The family would have been like any other, had tragedy not struck in 1983. Following the death of her father, Liang and her family worked the land together. Daughters, mother, grandmother all tilled the land, oblivious to the first few waves of foreign investment that had begun to penetrate the region.
Having finished primary and some secondary education, Liang went to work for a financial company in the newly developing urban centres around Nanhai. The work was uninspiring, but useful, and Liang entered into the white-collar work force with a fierce desire to learn, to progress and to develop herself.
It was at this stage that Liang began to notice a change in the region, white faces began to appear in crowds, surrounded by an entourage of awkwardly-clad newbie businessmen, clamouring for the chance of mere glance into the pockets of this visiting dignitary. Like many young, working women, Liang fell in love in her late-teens. He was a year younger, tall and painfully handsome, and it was clear that the pair would soon marry, and follow in the footsteps of their forefathers.
But Liang refused the ease of an early marriage, pursuing instead a policy of strict self-improvement. At the age of 21, with the help of her would-be motherin-law, Liang and her partner established a trading company out of Nanhai. The peasant girl and the country boy laid the foundation stone in what would later become one of the largest sanitary ware manufacturers in the world, with a footprint in over 180 countries. And thus, CRW Bathrooms was born.
The following story is based on a series of interviews with Ms. Liang, taking place in Foshan, Guangdong Province. Bey Critical completed the translation of these interviews, and Ms. Liang provided images of her products and allowed photographs to be taken. In the final, fading years of the Cultural Revolution, Liang was born into a farming family in the then-rural district of Guicheng in Nanhai, Foshan. Like her forefathers, Liang was born into a life on the land, far removed from the high cost and high risk games of politics and business. Today, Ms. Liang is the CEO and Co-Founder of one of the largest producers of sanitary ware in the world.
It is always important to move forward. When you consider the past, it should make you even more determined to continue moving forwards. Never stop.
May 20, 2015
The Story of Ms. Liang
Going global, opening up and reform. According to Ms. Liang, the reform and opening up really started to hit home around the late 1990s. By then, she had nearly ten years of trading experience, and a budding production facility under her belt. Still very young, and full of a fever to see, to understand and to learn, Liang was invited to join a delegation of Foshan companies traveling to Europe.
It was the millennial year, an auspicious time for many Chinese businesses. It was to be the start of a dramatic lifestyle change. Rather than succeeding with her feet placed firmly on home soil, Liang swallowed any apprehension and became a regular business traveller.
Self-actualisation over self-satisfaction. Today, at 44, Liang still refuses to take a backseat. Having established herself as a successful businesswoman, wife and mother, Liang continues to insist on self-improvement. With ambitions to expand her production facilities overseas, and tap into South American market opportunities, Liang is looking into e-Commerce.
In order to improve relations with customers in the United States, Liang is now looking to learn English as a second language. An unnecessary addition to her already over-crowded portfolio, but Liang seems ever dissatisfied with satisfaction. Such an attitude has taken both her business and her skill-set to new levels of success. Liang serves as an inspiration to young, over-entitled young women today, who believe that a good marriage to a rich husband will ensure future happiness.
Self actualisation is a process that necessitates dissatisfaction, and promotes the constant growth of individuals worldwide. Without a willingness to experiment, to have a try of new things and open up to new things, Liang would never have achieved the level of success that she has. Nor would the process be set to continue.
Note: Direct quotes have been loosely translated to convey meaning as opposed to a literal translation.