Xuchang, Henan: A Small Brand Breaks into a Big Market

On June 23, in the production workshop of Henan Zimi Food Co., Ltd., located in Chaoyang Village, Shigu Town, Xuchang City, Henan Province, machines roared as neatly dressed workers busily operated along the assembly lines. Wang Guangjun and Zhou Guoqiang, service specialists from the State Grid Xuchang Power Supply Company, were conducting on-site visits, thoroughly inspecting for potential electrical hazards to ensure a stable power supply for the company’s operations.

“Our power supply station has implemented a ‘dedicated power liaison’ service model, where we closely monitor enterprise power loads and voltage qualification rates. We’ve noticed that your facility has been operating at full capacity. Please make sure to regularly check all power equipment and reach out immediately if there are any issues,” Wang Guangjun advised Zhang Zhihao, the company’s Deputy Director of Production.

“Your service is truly considerate. We’ve been receiving a continuous stream of orders lately, with daily output doubling the usual amount. Production, cold storage, and logistics have been running non-stop. Your team has been constantly providing on-site support and helping us resolve power problems, which keeps our operations running strong,” Zhang responded with praise.

Founded in April 2014, Zimi Food started as a small workshop specializing in hand-grab pancakes and roujiamo (Chinese-style meat sandwiches). Initially modest in scale, the company expanded its product range by 2019 to include steamed dumplings, ready-to-eat meals, and rice bowl with toppings, transitioning to industrial-scale production. Its footprint expanded to over 50 mu (approx. 3.3 hectares), with more than 20,000 square meters of factory building and four cold storage units urgently needed to be expanded. The company applied for a 2000 kVA power capacity, and specialist Wang Guangjun, together with experts from operations, dispatch, capacity expansion, and metering, developed a tailored power supply plan on-site.

By 2021, the company had launched several brands including Yongyun, Shizizai, and Mixiaocheng, offering five major product categories and 46 varieties. As production lines and cold storage facilities expanded, Zhang Zhihao requested an increase in capacity from 2000 kVA to 3150 kVA. Wang Guangjun promptly reported the request and the service process was completed in just three days, a new high-voltage metering device was installed, and the upgrade passed acceptance in a single round—meeting the enterprise’s growing power demands.

The efficient and reliable power supply services have effectively supported the company’s rapid development. By 2024, Zimi Food offered 46 products across five major categories, with hundreds of flavors. Its annual production capacity reached 100,000 tons, and its marketing network extended to over 30 provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) across China. Its steamed dumplings alone reached an annual sales volume of 1.3 billion units. With a reputation spreading far and wide, the company was recognized by the Henan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as a leading enterprise in agricultural industrialization.

Shigu Town has adopted a “leading enterprise + cooperative + farmer” development model centered around Henan Zimi Food Co., Ltd., extending the upstream and downstream chains of the food processing industry and driving the growth of 33 local food processing enterprises. In alignment with regional economic development, the Xuchang Power Supply Company has proactively advanced grid upgrades. Since 2021, it has constructed 48.85 kilometers of new 10 kV lines and 19.17 kilometers of 400 V lines, and installed or upgraded 66 distribution transformers with a total added capacity of 23,635 kVA. As a result, average household power capacity increased from 2.37 kVA to 5.11 kVA.

With the support of a reliable power supply and the driving force of leading enterprises, Shigu Town has established standardized green food raw material (wheat) production bases, wheat flour processing facilities, and organic vegetable and sweet corn planting bases across eight administrative villages, including Hezhaili, Xiangfuliang, and Nanzhangzhuang. These developments have created job opportunities for over 2,500 farming households, increasing the average annual income per capita by 20,000 yuan.(By Jiao Yongsheng, Liu Nannan)