“Strengthen Advantages, Create Value, Promote Transformation” — Firmly Building a Modern Industrial Chain for Sewing Machine Spare Parts

Recently, the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Sewing Machine Spare parts Branch of the China Sewing Machinery Association was held in Shenzhen. Centered around the theme of “Strengthen Advantages, Create Value, Promote Transformation,” participants focused closely on the opportunities and challenges faced by component enterprises in areas such as competition, market fluctuations, cost pressures, talent shortages, and diversified transformation. They engaged in in-depth exchanges of experiences and ideas, contributing suggestions for modernizing and achieving high-quality development of the spare parts industry chain and promoting cooperation between complete machine and component enterprises. The Association has compiled and published the speeches for industry reference.

Huijie: Brand as Spear, Channel as King, Production as Root
Wu Bo, General Manager, Zhejiang Huijie Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1999, Zhejiang Huijie Sewing Machine Co., Ltd. specializes in the production of sewing machine needle plates, with an annual capacity exceeding 20 million pieces. As the industry evolves into new forms, Huijie has in recent years faced multiple challenges, mainly in three aspects:
First, intensified market fluctuations. The instability of complete machine orders has made staffing and production scheduling difficult, drastically increasing financial pressure.
Second, fierce homogenized competition. Lack of product differentiation has triggered low-price competition, leading to a continual decline in gross profit margins.
Third, internal management pressures. There is a shortage of core technical and production talent, and some senior employees are struggling to adapt to modern production management requirements.

Response: "Dual-Track Strategy" to Break the Deadlock

To meet these challenges, Huijie implemented a “dual-track strategy” starting in 2023. While consolidating its advantages in the complete machine supporting market, it also actively expanded into the broader market, adhering to the development philosophy of “brand as spear, channel as king, production as root,” and constructing a broader development blueprint.

Brand Revamp: Building a High-End Image, Targeting Customer Pain Points. Innovation and brand building are key to overcoming homogenization; only high-end brands can attract high-end clients. To this end, Huijie took a two-pronged approach:
Enhancing visual identity: comprehensive upgrades to the company logo, product packaging, brochures, and employee attire; prioritizing international exhibitions in Germany, Japan, and other high-net-worth markets to increase brand exposure.
Enhancing product value: gaining insight into product advantages and pain points from the front lines of garment production; improving products accordingly and designing promotional materials around client pain points to deliver core value directly to end-users.

Customer Cultivation: Accurately Reaching Needs, Nurturing Brand Awareness. Despite accelerated information flow through the internet, customer understanding of product quality and performance in emerging markets remains vague. Thus, customer management is crucial. Huijie adopts a demand-oriented production model, customizing product packaging and design according to target market preferences. It gradually guides clients to understand product performance, process standards, and testing procedures, thereby deepening brand recognition and enhancing customer stickiness.

Lean Smart Manufacturing: Optimizing Production Processes, Embracing Flexible Production. Traditional assembly lines are suited only for mass production; switching to flexible manufacturing incurs high adjustment costs. Huijie draws on cross-industry experience, using its ERP system to deeply analyze each production step; clearing bottlenecks, optimizing workflows, and significantly shortening production cycles and inventory turnover times. The company is building intelligent production lines in line with modern manufacturing trends to address future localized competition in domestic and international component markets.

Vigilance in Prosperity: Enhancing Crisis Awareness, Driving Continuous Transformation. The sewing machine component industry has relatively low barriers to entry, and the localization capabilities of emerging economies continue to improve, along with product quality. Huijie recognizes that failure to accelerate transformation may lead to marginalization in the next round of global industrial shifts. Traditional advantages, if unable to integrate into new industrial chain ecosystems, will ultimately be abandoned by technological innovation and market evolution.

Jinhe: Focusing on Small and Medium Batch Track, Forging New Advantages in Flexible Manufacturing
Liang Tong, General Manager, Huizhou Jinhe Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.

Founded in 1995, Jinhe Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. specializes in precision casting and machining. The company now operates a small and medium batch R&D and production base in Huizhou, and a large-scale casting factory in Jiangxi. The three companies together employ over 280 people. In recent years, Jinhe has also encountered multiple challenges:
First, rapidly rising costs. Prices of key raw materials such as vanadium and manganese fluctuate sharply, and labor and environmental protection costs continue to rise, squeezing profit margins.
Second, upgraded customer demands. Complete machine manufacturers now require higher standards in quality, delivery, and cost performance, putting pressure on R&D and responsiveness.
Third, increased industry overcompetition. Price wars are pushing limits, and profit margins are shrinking.
Fourth, talent shortages. Small and medium batch manufacturing relies heavily on skilled workers, but the younger generation is unwilling to engage in repetitive, high-intensity labor, while the loss of veteran workers leads to technical gaps.
Fifth, lack of branding. Long-term OEM production results in no independent brand or pricing power, making it difficult to improve competitiveness.

Response: Dual-Engine Drive, Systematic Breakthrough

At the business level: focus on small and medium batches, create ultra-fast response. Recognizing its lack of mass-production and automation capabilities, Jinhe voluntarily withdrew from the "Red Ocean" market of standard products like flat-bed overlock machines, instead focusing on high-responsiveness, small and medium batch demands. It leverages its integrated capabilities in “casting – mold – machining” to provide flexible customization services, extending machining services for existing casting clients. It has already established partnerships with high-end tool brands in the U.S. and Japan, expanding its orders.

At the production level: promote flexible manufacturing, optimize process restructuring. Tailoring its processes to small and medium batch features, Jinhe has improved mold replacement and programming response times, eliminated non-core departments, and introduced outsourcing to improve efficiency. Through visits to equipment manufacturers and frontline worker discussions, it actively seeks low-cost, practical automation solutions to avoid the dilemma of high investment with low return.

Lingyi Precision: Diversified Layout, Steady Progress, Strive for Excellence and Longevity
Guo Jun, General Manager, Chongqing Lingyi Precision Machinery Co., Ltd.

Chongqing Lingyi Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. is deeply engaged in the manufacture of sewing equipment spare parts, mainly producing shaft parts for sewing machines. It has developed integrated capabilities in design, machining, and assembly. Lingyi's core strategy to respond to industry changes is “steady development, strive for excellence and longevity.”

Before 2008, Lingyi pursued the goal of “getting bigger and stronger,” expanding its scale through self-built industrial parks. After the 2008 financial crisis, the company thoroughly reflected on its development path. Based on SWOT analysis, it redefined its strategic positioning—shifting from scale expansion to stable operations, clearly positioning itself for long-term survival and development through diversified business models.

The specific practical paths fall into three levels:

Diversified Industrial Layout to Spread Operational Risks. “A stable business structure is the prerequisite for sustainable enterprise development.” Guided by this concept, Lingyi established a “3 to 4” industrial structure. Based on the traditional three sectors of sewing machines, automobiles, and motorcycles, it actively cultivated a fourth growth curve. Currently, the company is reducing the proportion of sewing machine business in its revenue, allowing two or three other categories to dominate, thus mitigating risks from downturns in a single industry. For new business selection, Lingyi targets national strategic sectors such as semiconductor equipment, robots, and mechanical arms. Several new products are already in testing. Though the technical and quality thresholds are significantly higher than traditional industries, only by entering high-growth, nationally supported sectors can Lingyi open up long-term development space.

Clarify Enterprise Positioning, Enhance Transformation Execution. Positioning determines development path and approach. Transformation must be not only clearly conceived but also effectively executed. In product development, Lingyi avoids fierce competition in saturated markets and instead engages in clients’ new product development processes to enter high-threshold industries through supporting services. For example, it participated in the domestic substitution project for a German heavy truck gearbox. After seven years of small-batch validation and continuous improvement, it finally achieved mass production. Though over ten projects yielded limited commercial returns, this “enduring loneliness and withstanding risk” strategy is key to upgrading from traditional to high-end manufacturing.

Benchmark “Specialized, Refined, Distinctive, and Innovative” Standards, Optimize Internal Capabilities. In production and management, Lingyi conducts gap analysis based on the four-character standard and works actively to improve product technical content and operational efficiency. It enforces strict control in material handling, heat treatment, and cleanliness to meet the rigorous quality systems of industries such as automotive and semiconductors. Additionally, to address the challenge of long payment cycles, it fully implements “3+1” or “2+1” payment agreements, ensuring cash reserves and risk prevention to avoid operational disruptions.

Yuning: Uphold Integrity and Innovation, People-Oriented, Breaking the Deadlock through Leverage
Zhang Weibing, General Manager, Ningbo Fenghua Yuning Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Ningbo Yuning has focused on sewing machine spare parts for over thirty years, with deep industry heritage and experience. Although the industry is currently in a trough, clothing is a basic necessity, and sewing equipment is irreplaceable. The solution lies in combining “upholding integrity” with “innovation,” turning passivity into proactivity.

In addressing current industry sluggishness, Yuning’s approach can be summarized in two aspects:

Upgrade Industrial Mindset: From “Uphold” to “Create,” Breaking Through via Diversification. Sewing machine component enterprises should not remain confined to traditional supporting business but must actively seek outward expansion. Yuning leverages its core strengths in materials and precision processing to enter automotive parts, new energy, and bicycle manufacturing. Based on existing equipment and techniques, it extends its business scope under the concept of “cross-industry with shared roots.” Meanwhile, Yuning proactively strengthens collaboration with upstream suppliers and peers, gradually expanding its customer base and order volume. Through co-development and word-of-mouth endorsements, it gains a competitive edge beyond price.

Emphasize Both Product and Service: Quality as Appearance, Service as Trust. As the industry rapidly evolves, the formula for component competitiveness has changed: quality = appearance + service + performance + price. In international markets, product appearance and packaging are the first impressions. Respect for customers, responsiveness, and after-sales service are core spare parts of service. Only then can product quality and reasonable pricing be discussed. Price competition is unsustainable—profit is the driving force behind continuous innovation. Amid serious homogenization, Yuning builds a moat through product stability, service reliability, and long-term corporate credibility.

The speeches of all representatives offered both profound insights into current challenges and practical innovative strategies, providing valuable reference for enhancing synergy and achieving high-quality development in the spare parts industry chain. Looking ahead, as digitalization, intelligence, and green manufacturing deepen, only by continuously upgrading their brand, refining management, and pursuing diversified transformation can spare parts enterprises take the initiative in global competition and, together with complete machine manufacturers and distributors, write a new chapter in the modernization of the sewing machinery industry.