Yang Jianzhong

Yang Jianzhong, born in 1980, originally came from a rural farming family; his exact birthplace is not recorded. He grew up with his twin brother Yang Jianguo, who was also born in the countryside, and both early on aspired to become carpenters. In the 1980s the brothers moved around from the countryside to Beijing and began working as carpenters. During that time they discovered a machine used to make steel wire rope — a sleeving (ferrule-inserting) machine — which they thought had market potential and decided to develop back in their hometown.

By 1985 the two brothers had founded the “Yingchun Sleeving Machine Factory” in Nanshaozhuang Village, operating out of their family courtyard. They initially invested 2,000 yuan to buy an old machine tool and tried to produce the sleeving machine themselves. Lacking market experience, they took the machine to Beijing to sell; after many attempts they finally made a sale to a Beijing factory for 396 yuan. They then promoted the product by bicycle, gradually expanding sales across Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang and other areas.

In 1992, as demand grew, they moved the factory to the county seat and established “Feima Lifting Equipment Factory.” The business grew quickly, employing several dozen people with annual output value approaching 3 million yuan, becoming a well-known local private enterprise. In 1994 three brothers went to Shanghai to develop the market and set up a rigging sales company. Facing fierce competition, they opened the market by visiting factories and direct sales; after a difficult period the Shanghai market stabilized, laying the foundation for rapid expansion.

In 1995 Yang Jianzhong founded the Juli Group, which gradually became an important enterprise group in the industry. He served as a delegate to the 10th and 12th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China in 2003 and 2013, respectively. In 2010 Juli Group successfully listed on the Shenzhen SME Board, substantially increasing the family’s wealth. That same year the company entered the baijiu industry by acquiring Liulingzui Distillery in Hebei Province.

Yang earned a master’s degree from the School of Software at Beihang University (Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics) in 2011. He also studied industrial enterprise management at Shanghai Second Industrial University. Besides running his business, he has been active in public affairs — for example, he proposed procurement bidding system reforms at the 2017 National People’s Congress and spoke on procuratorial work in the Xiong’an New Area in 2018.

Family-wise, Yang Jianzhong has five siblings, including his twin brother Yang Jianguo. Yang Jianguo currently serves as vice chairman and president of Juli Group, and Yang Zi is the group’s youngest member. The five brothers and their children have at times lived together, with multi-generational households and elders commonly sharing meals and residence.

Yang has received multiple honors, including being named a National Model Worker in 2010, recognition as an Outstanding Private Entrepreneur of Hebei Province, and a commemorative medal marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. His public image has been positively recognized. In 2024 he pledged company shares to securities firms, reflecting active engagement in the capital market and financial operations.