Yesterday (October 22), I flew from Xi’an to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. My original plan was to rent a car at the airport and drive to Shangyu, Shaoxing. The scheduled arrival time was 2:30, so I booked the car pickup for 4:00 out of concern for possible flight delays. Much to my delight, China Eastern Airlines performed well this time; the flight was not delayed and even arrived a little early. I reached the rental counter before 3 o’clock. Unexpectedly, no vehicle was available. When I called for confirmation, I was told that the car would only be ready at 4:00 as booked. Haha, that sounded reasonable in a way.

By comparison, I have rented cars many times in the United States and Europe and rarely encountered such an issue. I wonder whether rental companies in the West offer better and more customer-oriented service, or whether the Hangzhou rental firm is simply following a stricter, more precise rule.

In the end, Mr. Gu cancelled the car rental and took a Didi ride to Shaoxing.

After checking in at Dongshan Grand View Hotel, I read the in-room reading materials and learned that the well-known Chinese idiom “stage a comeback” (Dongshan Zaiqi) originates from Dongshan in Shangyu.

Against the backdrop of sluggish economic growth and cutthroat business competition, cooperation and ecosystem building are essential considerations for every enterprise, especially small and medium-sized sensor manufacturers like us operating in niche markets. Sensor companies should not focus solely on sensors themselves. It is critical to explore more opportunities across the upstream and downstream industrial chains and within customer markets.

Today I visited Chunhui Intelligent Control, a listed company in Shaoxing. I held discussions with their senior management and, more importantly, toured their production workshops.

Founded 60 years ago, Chunhui Group has expanded into multiple industries. Private enterprises with such a long history are fairly common in Zhejiang, yet relatively rare in Shaanxi. Its subsidiary Chunhui Intelligent Control specializes in the R&D and manufacturing of solenoid valves, expansion valves, smart actuators and other actuator products. Wall-hung boiler systems constitute one of its key markets. It also delivers outstanding solutions for automotive expansion valves, actuators for gas stations and refuelling stations, as well as the new energy sector.

Walking through the workshops of Chunhui Intelligent Control, it was clear that their management is shifting from extensive to refined operation. Their products are evolving from purely mechanical types to mechatronic and integrated intelligent versions. Production processes are transforming from manual operation toward automation and smart manufacturing, and their technical capability is upgrading from mid-range to high-end innovation. Steadily developed by two generations of Chunhui staff over 60 years, the enterprise is advancing toward digitalization and internationalization. Witnessing the tangible achievements built by Chunhui Group over six decades, as a native of Shaanxi, I gained a deeper understanding of the relentless entrepreneurial spirit of people in Zhejiang, especially dating back to the planned economy era before the 1980s.

What impressed me most was their Heating Technology Application Center. At this center, they demonstrate the practical application of their diverse actuators on wall-hung boilers of various brands for customers. They also run life-cycle tests on their actuators and conduct long-term durability and performance testing on behalf of clients, allowing customers to directly observe and experience the stability and reliability of Chunhui Intelligent Control’s products.

As industry practitioners know, a complete end-user solution relies on sensors, controllers, actuators and supporting software and hardware. Hardly any single company in the world can manufacture all these components. Therefore, delivering full solutions to end customers requires the mindset of collaboration and ecosystem development, paired with concrete actions.

Though the visit lasted only a busy half-day, Mr. Gu learned a great deal from Chunhui Intelligent Control… and also identified areas where Chinastar M&C needs to improve.

I just spotted a photo posted on WeChat Moments of the award ceremony for “China’s Top 10 MEMS Enterprises 2025”. Fellow sensor professionals, which of these ten companies do you think has the largest sensor business scale and truly deserves a spot on the list? Keep in mind that MEMS technology can produce not only sensors but also other components such as filters…

“Gate F9, Hangzhou Airport, 16:48, Oct 23”