On October 29, 2025, a grand intellectual feast representing the highest standards of Sino-European quality management — the Sino-European Excellent Quality Forum & SDLG’s Sixth Anniversary Celebration of Winning the EFQM Award — was ceremoniously launched in Linyi, Shandong. This event was not only a prestigious gathering but also a top-level dialogue between China and Europe in the field of quality management, marking a new historic step for Chinese manufacturing on its path to excellence.

 

The forum, themed “Pioneering Excellence, Winning the Future with Quality,” brought together top forces from government, industry, academia, and research. Distinguished guests attending included Gou Hongshui, Member of the Standing Committee of Linyi Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor; Russell Longmuir, Chief Executive Officer of EFQM; Duan Yonggang, Executive Vice President of the China Association for Quality; as well as Wang Zhizhong, Chairman of Lingong Group, and Wen Degang, General Manager of SDLG.

 

Over 160 representatives from leading domestic and international enterprises — including Huawei, Wuliangye, YOFC, Hengli Hydraulic, Carraro, Cummins, Perkins, Kubota, Yanmar, Weichai, FAW Jiefang, Yuchai, ZF, Parker Hannifin, Bosch Rexroth, Donaldson (USA), Inovance Technology, CATL, Rottade, Aidi Precision, and AKG (Germany) — gathered to celebrate the sixth anniversary of SDLG’s EFQM Global Excellence Certification, exchange ideas on quality, discuss paths to excellence, and jointly envision a blueprint for development.

 

PART.01
A Dialogue of Excellence and Intelligence — Defining the New Future of Quality

This was a summit of minds on quality—a deep exchange of excellence-driven ideas.
In 2019, SDLG received the EFQM Global Excellence Award with the highest Seven-Star recognition, becoming the first company in China’s construction machinery industry to earn this honor—marking a significant breakthrough for Chinese manufacturing on the global quality stage.
Over the past six years, guided by the EFQM Excellence Model, SDLG has deeply integrated the essence of European quality management with the realities of Chinese manufacturing, establishing a new excellence model with distinctive Chinese characteristics.

Welcome Address by Mr. Wang Zhizhong, Chairman of Lingong Group

 

In his opening remarks, Chairman Wang Zhizhong reflected on SDLG’s six-year journey since receiving the award.
He emphasized: “Quality is SDLG’s passport to the world. Six years ago, our achievement of the EFQM Global Excellence Seven-Star Award not only represented a prestigious international honor but also a powerful recognition of our commitment to excellence. Over these years, we have deeply embedded the EFQM Excellence Model across R&D, manufacturing, and service, pursuing innovation and transformation, accelerating our globalization strategy, and maintaining steady growth amid challenges. Looking ahead, SDLG will focus on product clustering, technological modernization, efficient management, and enterprise internationalization, driven by both technological and managerial innovation. We will cultivate a high-performance culture, fulfill our social responsibilities, and follow a path of high-quality and sustainable development.”

Speech by Mr. Gou Hongshui, Member of the Standing Committee of Linyi Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor, Secretary of Yihe New District Party Working Committee

 

In his address, Gou Hongshui, Member of the Standing Committee of Linyi Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor, noted that the EFQM Excellence Model provides enterprises with a scientific framework for enhancing core competitiveness.
He highlighted that Yihe New District has always adhered to a “Quality-Driven Development” strategy, fostering a number of internationally influential benchmark enterprises represented by SDLG. He said: “With EFQM returning to SDLG under the theme ‘Pioneering Excellence, Winning the Future with Quality’, it marks SDLG’s evolution from ‘introducing global standards’ to ‘exporting management wisdom,’ and from ‘benchmarking against international peers’ to ‘leading future excellence’. The exchange of ideas and best practices at this forum will surely inspire new thinking, foster new models, and generate new momentum for more enterprises to achieve breakthroughs in quality management.”

Remarks by Mr. Duan Yonggang, Executive Vice President of the China Association for Quality

 

Mr. Duan Yonggang stated that SDLG is not only a benchmark in quality management practice within China’s manufacturing sector but also a key promoter of the excellence philosophy.
He added that the Excellence Performance Model has become an effective tool for Chinese enterprises to navigate change and achieve sustainable development.

Keynote Speech by Mr. Russell Longmuir, CEO of EFQM

 

Mr. Russell Longmuir, CEO of EFQM, noted that the global manufacturing industry is undergoing profound transformation, driven by the rapid rise of intelligent manufacturing and artificial intelligence.
Against this backdrop, companies like SDLG have demonstrated a growing commitment to excellence, pioneering a distinctive path in quality management.
He emphasized that EFQM will continue to serve as a bridge linking European and Chinese quality practices, supporting Chinese enterprises in building more resilient and adaptive management systems.

Closing Remarks by Mr. Wen Degang, General Manager of SDLG

 

In his closing remarks, Mr. Wen Degang, General Manager of SDLG, stated that the forum achieved three key objectives. 

 

First, through the experience sharing of enterprises such as Wuliangye, YOFC, and SDLG, it showcased the successful application of the EFQM Excellence Model in Chinese companies.

 

Second, against the backdrop of intensifying industry homogenization, the forum delivered a strong message to the industry — “No matter how fierce the competition, we must never compromise on quality or brand,” calling on the entire society to uphold the bottom line of quality.

 

Third, following SDLG’s separation from Volvo CE, the forum served as an opportunity for SDLG to voice its commitment to continuously advancing quality management and brand development, steadily moving toward its “100-billion-yuan goal” and the mission of “Take the route of top brand, build a centennial SDLG”

 

He emphasized, “A customer lost due to poor quality will never return, but one lost due to price may come back.” SDLG will remain steadfast in its pursuit of development driven by quality and strengthened by brand.

 

 

PART.02

Sparks of Wisdom: Global Leaders Discuss the Future of Quality Transformation

 

This was a cross-border exchange of ideas and a profound reform in quality management approaches.
During the keynote session, Yang Yunxia, Party Committee Member and Chief Engineer of Wuliangye Group; Zheng Xin, Vice President of YOFC (Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable); and Song Zhaoyu, Quality Director of Carraro China, shared insights on the modernization of traditional manufacturing, systematic continuous improvement, and practical implementation of total quality management (TQM).
Meanwhile, Li Tao, Director at the China Association for Quality, provided expert methodological guidance on building excellence-driven management systems.

 

 

As a quality benchmark in China’s construction machinery industry, Mr. Lin Yuecun, Vice General Manager of SDLG, delivered a keynote titled “Building on Quality, Leading Toward Excellence.”
He systematically outlined the company’s unique quality philosophy and management practices developed over the past six years.
By establishing a closed-loop management system spanning strategy, operations, and outcomes, SDLG has achieved a remarkable transformation from “manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing,” providing the industry with a replicable model for quality advancement.

Speech by Mr. Lin Yuecun, Vice General Manager of SDLG

 

In the field of intelligent manufacturing, SDLG has systematically advanced the automation upgrade across four major production stages — welding, machining, assembly, and logistics. The welding automation rate has risen to 85%, the excavator assembly automation rate has reached 20%, and some final assembly lines have achieved an automation rate of up to 77%. Key machining lines, such as those for main control valves, now operate unmanned around the clock, significantly improving production efficiency and product consistency. Behind these figures lies SDLG’s unwavering pursuit of superior quality.

 

 “Through the innovative model of ‘All involve in,’ we have fostered an organizational culture where everyone innovates and everything improves,” said Mr. Lin. He emphasized that this model has enabled SDLG to rank among the top in Volvo’s global factory audits.

 

At the same time, in terms of digital transformation, SDLG has built a management cockpit, a digital quality platform, and an intelligent service center to achieve end-to-end data-driven operations — shifting quality control from post-event inspection to pre-event prediction.

 

SDLG will continue to deepen its strategy of “intelligent, green, and international development,” focusing on user application scenarios to deliver comprehensive solutions — from complete machines and specialized attachments to customized working conditions and tailored applications — helping global customers achieve efficient and sustainable construction.

 

 

PART.03

Practice Leads the Way: From “Made in China” to “Quality in China”

 

During the forum, the Sino-European Excellence Quality Dialogue brought the event to its climax. Dozens of guests engaged in in-depth discussions on the integration of the EFQM Excellence Model with Chinese enterprise management practices, exploring the opportunities and challenges facing China’s manufacturing industry in the process of globalization.

 

This dialogue not only witnessed the successful localization of international standards in China but also showcased the transformation of Chinese enterprises from standard adopters to standard setters.

 

Sino-European Excellent Quality Forum

 

Representatives from leading Chinese and international enterprises — including Huawei, Cummins, Perkins, and Weichai — shared their insights and unanimously agreed that China’s manufacturing industry is undergoing a strategic transformation in its global expansion: from product export to standard export and management model export.

 

They noted that Chinese companies, in applying international excellence frameworks such as the EFQM model, have demonstrated a unique ability to integrate global standards with the characteristics of the Chinese market. This has led to the formation of a quality management practice path with distinct Chinese features, offering new perspectives for the global quality management paradigm.

 

During the factory tour, participants visited the SDLG Industrial Park and the SDLG Museum, experiencing firsthand the model of a “smart factory” and the deep-rooted corporate culture that SDLG has built. From intelligent welding lines to digitalized assembly workshops, from smart logistics systems to end-to-end quality control platforms — every detail reflected the strong capabilities of Chinese manufacturing. These achievements not only embody SDLG’s over fifty years of accumulated expertise in quality but also serve as a vivid representation of the high-quality development of China’s manufacturing industry.

 

During the post-tour exchange, many participants gained a more direct and profound understanding of SDLG’s development journey, corporate culture, and solid achievements in intelligent manufacturing. They highly recognized SDLG’s accomplishments in quality management and technological innovation — especially its brand philosophy of “Reliability in Action.”

 

After the visit, EFQM Chief Executive Officer Russell Longmuir remarked, “SDLG has not only successfully implemented the EFQM Excellence Model but has also deepened and innovated it with distinctive Chinese characteristics. Its achievements in intelligent manufacturing and green transformation have already set a global benchmark.”

 

 

Mr. Luo Cizhang, Director of Supply Chain Digitalization at Huawei, shared his impressions of the visit: “We initially hoped to collaborate with SDLG in the areas of intelligent manufacturing and digital transformation to support its development. However, after touring the factory and museum today, we found that SDLG has already made deep and solid progress in these fields — its level of development has exceeded our expectations. ”He added, “We look forward to establishing deeper strategic cooperation with SDLG in more cutting-edge areas such as artificial intelligence and global supply chain collaboration.”

 

 

PART.04

A New Chapter: Forging the Dream of a Manufacturing Power through Excellent Quality

 

After six years of dedication, SDLG now embarks on a new journey. Taking the EFQM Global Excellence Award as a starting point, SDLG has continuously strengthened its foundation through management innovation and technological advancement, exploring a path of excellence in quality management with distinctive SDLG characteristics.

 

The successful convening of this forum marks a new stage of Sino-European cooperation in the field of quality management, demonstrating China’s firm determination to advance from “Made in China” to the era of “Quality in China.” Standing at a new historical starting point, SDLG will continue to deepen its strategy of intelligent, green, and international development, forging a century-old enterprise with excellent quality and leading industry transformation with innovation.

Although the grand forum has concluded, a new era is just beginning. Under the guidance of China’s strategy to build a manufacturing powerhouse, SDLG will join hands with partners from all sectors — leading with quality, empowering with innovation, and striving with persistence — to jointly paint a magnificent blueprint for the high-quality development of China’s manufacturing industry, contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the world.