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“At the end of 2016, I set up shop at Sanling Furniture Grand World, and by 2018 my sales had reached 12 million yuan—nearly a thirtyfold increase compared to before 2016,” said Meng Haining, head of Mengshi Yuan’s New‑Style Elm Furniture, on July 31 at Sanling Furniture Grand World in Ningjin County, Dezhou City, Shandong Province. “It was Mr. Ni Guoling who provided us with a stable platform for growth.”

The “Ni Guoling” mentioned by Meng Haining is the chairman of Sanling Group, 71 years old this year and a member of the Communist Party of China. He has successively served as a member of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Ningjin County, a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference of Ningjin County, and vice chairman of the Federation of Industry and Commerce of Ningjin County; he has also held the positions of vice president of the Entrepreneurs’ Association of the Dezhou Municipal CPPCC, a member of the Standing Committee of the Dezhou Municipal CPPCC, and vice chairman of the Federation of Industry and Commerce of Dezhou. He has been awarded numerous honorary titles, including “Model Communist Party Member,” “Outstanding Scientific and Technological Talent,” “City‑Level Outstanding Farmer Entrepreneur,” and “Shandong Province Outstanding Builder of the Socialist Cause with Chinese Characteristics.”

     Recent photo of Ni Guoling

More than thirty years ago, Ni Guoling fired the first shot in the restructuring of township‑run enterprises in Ningjin County, successfully transforming the Ningjin County Textile Equipment Welfare Factory—then teetering on the brink of collapse—into a modernized operation and putting this stalled enterprise on the fast track of development. Under his leadership, Sanling Group grew from a small factory with assets of less than 50,000 yuan into a key municipal private enterprise, boasting multiple subsidiaries, over a thousand jobs, total assets of 260 million yuan, annual sales of 200 million yuan, and annual tax contributions of 10 million yuan. In recognition of his achievements, Ningjin County named the street where Sanling Group is located “Sanling Avenue,” the only street in the county to bear an enterprise’s name.

Politics has direction, and development has capability.

“Good health and sound thinking—this is a phrase my family and I often repeat; it’s our family motto,” said Ni Guoling. “Only with good health do we have the foundation to pursue our goals and accomplish great things, and only with sound thinking and unwavering obedience to the Party can our enterprise continue to grow along the right path.”

In 2015, with Shanghai-based investors pulling out, Ningjin County’s Furniture Grand World was on the brink of collapse. “Ningjin County is known as the ‘Home of Solid Wood Furniture in China,’ yet when out-of-town buyers arrive, they don’t know where to go to shop—should they buy a table from one vendor and a chair from another?” Ni Guoling stepped forward, offering up real estate—including land and factory buildings—valued at 53 million yuan, to take over the Furniture Grand World. He had already devised a management plan and run the numbers: taking over would mean no return on investment for 40 years, zero profit, and relying entirely on his own resources. His longtime associates tried to dissuade him: “If an entrepreneur can’t make money, that’s just being a rogue.” “The county leaders haven’t even asked you to take it on, and at 70, there’s no need to take such risks.” “By the time the Furniture Grand World turns a profit, you may not even be around to see it—why bother?” Ni Guoling replied, “I’ve spent my entire life working alongside the Party; I can’t just chase profits for myself. I want to mobilize every possible positive force, and while I’m still alive, do what I can to contribute to the people of Ningjin County, ensuring that the ‘Home of Solid Wood Furniture in China’ remains firmly in the hands of the people of Ningjin—for generations to come.”

   Sanling Group Held a Meeting for Middle-Level Managers.   

In April 2016, Sanling Furniture Grand World in Ningjin County opened its doors—without any grand opening ceremonies or formalities—but it handed its tenant merchants a substantial “red envelope”: during their first year of operation, they enjoyed rent-free premises, with future rents pegged to the rates charged by nearby factory buildings—at just 15 yuan per square meter, compared to nearly four times that amount at neighboring shopping centers. By 2018, Sanling Furniture Grand World had grown from its initial footprint of less than 10,000 square meters and 30 tenants to a sprawling 40,000-square-meter exhibition space housing 210 businesses.

Hou Yingxia, head of Kanglin Home Furnishings, said that previously operating a dedicated showroom in a shopping mall was not only expensive in terms of rent but also suffered from low foot traffic—often going days without a single sale. From July 1 to 4, even before the Kanglin Home Furnishings showroom at Sanling Furniture World was fully set up, they managed to close four orders, with the highest single transaction reaching 30,000 yuan.

“I’ve been operating in Sanling for two and a half years, and it’s not just Sanling—business circles throughout Ningjin County treat out-of-town merchants with openness and friendliness,” said Gui Guanglu, a businessman from Anhui. Sanling Furniture Grand World has attracted merchants from across the country, with its products reaching a radius of 500 kilometers. The complex operates under a chamber-of-commerce management model: the president is nominated by the Sanling Group and unanimously approved by all merchants, ensuring reliable electricity and water supplies, as well as safety and promotional support. Vice presidents are elected internally by the merchant community, fostering information sharing, collective problem-solving, and shared development.

Institutions are substantive, and responsibilities are shouldered.

Today, stepping into Sanling Group, one senses not only a rigorous, standardized management system but also a harmonious and friendly corporate atmosphere. When it comes to the company’s development, Ni Guoling never pulls any punches: quality must be impeccable, and prices must offer excellent value. Yet for his employees’ well-being, he is endlessly attentive—whether the meals in the canteen suit their tastes, whether the dormitory heating is adequate, or how their children are faring academically. These seemingly minor concerns are always on his mind and etched in his heart.

How can a family business, after three generations of entrepreneurship, break free from the constraints of familial ties? Ni Guoling says, “Separate survival from filial piety, and management from ownership.” Only by striking a balance between the successor’s competence and loyalty—and assembling the right mix—can a family firm thrive.

“The evolution of our times calls on entrepreneurs to imbue entrepreneurship with new meaning. Entrepreneurs must not only leverage their own ingenuity but also excel at harnessing collective wisdom, delegating authority effectively, and nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurial leaders,” said Ni Guoling. “By cultivating strategic foresight, embracing a sense of historical mission, and adopting a broader vision, we can help transform the ‘entrepreneurial enterprise’ into an ‘entrepreneur of enterprises.’”

“General Manager Ni’s corporate culture and management system attracted me and kept me here,” said Li Can, head of Sanling Automotive Interiors. “Ni Guoling doesn’t judge employees based on their length of service; instead, he focuses primarily on their day-to-day performance. At year-end, he once allocated 500,000 yuan in bonuses to recognize the company’s most deserving contributors, while also imposing fines of several thousand yuan on long-time veterans who made even minor mistakes in their work. Riding the momentum of a meritocratic system that promotes the capable, Li Can ascended to the position of general manager at Sanling Automotive Interiors within less than three years of joining the company.”

Ni Guoling provides on-site guidance at the workshop.

Promote the spirit of charity and help more families eradicate poverty at its root.

“Uncle, I’ll be starting my second year of graduate studies soon. Thank you for your constant care, encouragement, and support—I’ll be sure to visit you when I get home!” On August 1, Chen Min, a graduate student at Peking University, sent this WeChat message to Ni Guoling. Ten years ago, Ni Guoling first met Chen Min at a ceremony marking the launch of a scholarship program at Ningjin County No. 1 Middle School. Chen Min’s parents are both disabled, yet she has remained resilient and ambitious, consistently ranking at the top of her class. “Don’t worry about anything—just focus on your studies. Uncle will always be here to support you,” Ni Guoling told her. From then on, he covered all of Chen Min’s tuition and living expenses throughout her high school and university years.

“Education is a precise strategy for eradicating poverty at its root; as long as the children excel in both character and academics, I will offer my full support!” said Ni Guoling. He has helped six students successfully complete their high school and university studies. In the 1980s, Ni Guoling established “Guoling Primary School,” covering nearly ten thousand square meters, in Gaoyifan Village, Daliu Town, Ningjin County—his hometown—serving more than 200 school-age children from surrounding villages. Although it was a private school, it did not charge a single penny in tuition, thereby contributing to the universalization of nine-year compulsory education in Ningjin County. Later, “Guoling Primary School” was renamed “Gaoyifan Primary School” and taken over by the Ningjin County education authorities, with Ni Guoling transferring ownership free of charge. In 2010, together with four other business leaders from various counties and cities, Ni Guoling handed over 900,000 yuan in cash directly to 120 high school graduates from financially disadvantaged families in Dezhou City, encouraging them to pursue higher education. In 2017, Ni Guoling created the WeChat group “Bonds Forged Through Kindness,” rallying local entrepreneurs to join the effort of donating to education. They partnered with Xincheng Experimental School in Ningjin County, providing 100,000 yuan in teaching‑support funds upon the school’s completion and pledging long-term assistance to students in need.

“I make no secret of my desire for wealth, but I place even greater value on how that wealth can be put to use in philanthropy. Simply amassing riches is not the kind of life I seek; my true dream—and the guiding principle of my life—lies in elevating public welfare and charitable endeavors to a higher, more meaningful level,” said Ni Guoling. In 1994, Ni Guoling undertook projects to build roads and install streetlights and other infrastructure in Houwei Village, Qianwei Village, and Xiaohan Village in Daliu Town, Ningjin County. He also drilled deep wells and laid water pipelines, enabling more than 3,000 households across the three villages to enjoy street lighting and access to piped drinking water.

“An old man with lofty aspirations—his true strength lies in his spirit and vitality.” Ni Guoling, a “veteran” entrepreneur now in his seventies, has blazed a new trail of revitalization for the socio-economic development of Ningjin County.