New start in Dongguan

Mehrere sehr ähnlich aussehende hohe Wolkenkratzer

How a new plant leader unlocked productivity gains and accelerated a successful restructuring.

Sometimes, the greatest barriers to progress are not external market forces, but internal dynamics. For us at Steinkellner China Search, supporting a traditional German manufacturer of special lighting clearly illustrated the transformative power of the right leadership. This success story illustrates how a strategically selected plant manager was able to reinvigorate a stalled restructuring process, restore communication channels, and drive measurable improvements in productivity. Discover how we enabled a successful start for a decisive operational turnaround in our client’s Chinese production site in Dongguan.

A leading German manufacturer of specialty lighting and technical components, active since 1867 as a development and innovation partner for lighting and home appliance industries, and producing hundreds of millions of components annually, operates a key production facility for oven lights in Dongguan, China. This plant serves premium customers, including top-tier home appliance manufacturers with the highest requirements for electrical and thermal durability.
The company had entered a necessary restructuring phase at its Dongguan site. However, this process stagnated under the existing plant manager, who saw no further need for improvement. In contrast, the German headquarters’ leadership identified a severe communication gap and an urgent need to boost productivity on site. Implementing these goals remotely proved to be a significant challenge, especially since the then-responsible managing director in China did not share this perspective and actively resisted the necessary changes.

Due to our extensive experience in filling plant manager positions in China, we were commissioned by our client with this demanding search. The clear task for us was to find a new plant management with Chinese roots who is not only technically capable of implementing the necessary optimizations on-site but also brings the motivation and determination to consistently drive the restructuring process forward to a successful conclusion. Our goal was to identify the hand-picked and perfectly fitting executive who could shape this turnaround. In the course of an extensive recruitment process, we worked with our proven two-stage system: The initial interviews were conducted by our APAC Lead Recruiter, while the main interviews were led by Manfred Steinkellner. Our team systematically guided our client through the entire process, presented well-founded options, developed selection possibilities, and finally presented concrete, highly qualified talents.

Thanks to the quality of our process and the expertise of our recruitment team, we identified the ideal executive for this pivotal role. The new plant manager achieved significant results for both himself and the company in Dongguan within a very short time and quickly gained trust of the German headquarters. The improvements were both substantial and measurable:

  • Productivity increased by 15%
  • Complaints were reduced by 50%
  • Inventory integrity improved by 6%
  • In addition, thanks to the new leadership, the plant successfully introduced automation and commissioned its first machine on-site

“We finally have an unbeatable man on-site with whom we can really make progress – and this despite the fact that we could never meet him in person due to Corona.”

“The new plant manager was the best personnel decision of the year 2021.”

Gerrit D., CFO

  • Thorough assessment of the starting point, recognizing the need for a true turnaround leader with strong intercultural understanding and the assertiveness to drive change.
  • Our established two-stage interview process, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of both professional qualifications and personal alignment with the role.
  • Strategic, hands-on guidance throughout the entire process, including proactive consulting and the provision of clearly structured decision-making options.
  • Proven ability to identify Chinese executives even for highly demanding restructuring and optimization projects who can both understand the local mentality and meet the of a German quality-driven organization.

Your success story could be next

These success stories confirm: With the right partner at your side and a proven method in place, even the most complex challenges in China can be managed successfully.
If you are ready to set the course for sustainable success, let’s connect.