Who says women are inferior to men? Liu Huandi, general manager of Baoding Northern Waterproof Engineering Company in Hebei Province, is one of the best examples. In the ancient city of Baoding and throughout Hebei Province, Liu Huandi enjoys extremely high renown. Her exceptional quality lies in the fact that, as an elite in the building waterproofing industry, she built an outstanding enterprise, Northern Waterproof Engineering Company, and that outstanding enterprise in turn created well-known products.

　　Through 19 years of trials and hardships, she has enacted the modern Confucian merchant's legend of wealth creation, forging the brilliance of Baoding Northern Waterproof Engineering Company and earning the title of "Waterproofing King" from industry insiders.

　　Business Rewards Sincerity: Surviving Through Quality

　　Baoding is the birthplace of SBS waterproofing materials, and at the time many enterprises rushed in. As an elite in the building waterproofing industry, Liu Huandi began to enact the modern Confucian merchant's wealth-creation story at that time.

　　In 1993, Northern Waterproof Engineering Company introduced China's first advanced roll material production line, designed by the National Research Institute of Building Sciences and processed by the Ministry of Nuclear Industry, with an annual production capacity of 6 million square meters of roll material. Through solid development, Liu Huandi finally led the enterprise onto a successful path: surviving through quality. Through continuous development, all performance indicators of the company's products reached a very high level, and the company successively won numerous awards, including three consecutive years of passing national spot checks, consumer-trusted products, Hebei Province quality products, and Baoding City recommended famous brands. Its products are distributed across more than 20 provinces and cities nationwide.

　　As the waves wash away the sand, the building waterproofing enterprises that once rushed in are now few and far between. Yet she made an even bolder move: launching diversified development and building a brand enterprise. Today, the company has grown from a specialized enterprise producing only waterproofing roll material into a comprehensive enterprise integrating production, research, sales, and construction, and its products have expanded from simple waterproofing roll material to multiple categories including polyurethane waterproof coating, JS composite waterproof coating, polystyrene foam insulation board, Shule board, and more.

　　She often educates her employees this way: "Our competition does not come from peers, but from ourselves, so our goal is to constantly defeat ourselves and surpass ourselves." Over the years, she has persisted in technological innovation and technological transformation, enabling the company to produce batch after batch of high-quality qualified products and build one fine project after another.

　　Business Also Has Its Way: Boldly Shouldering Social Responsibility

　　An enterprise needs profit, but it even more needs to cultivate people and shoulder social responsibility. During the 1998 flood relief efforts, Liu Huandi, then in a difficult period of company development, donated 60,000 yuan to the disaster area. In the many tests that followed, such as SARS and the Wenchuan earthquake, Liu Huandi and her employees consciously did their part.

　　In enterprise management, her chivalrous yet tender heart is also constantly evident. In order to make employees treat the company as their own home, last year she comprehensively renovated the company cafeteria, adding a full set of catering electrical appliances and mechanical equipment to further improve employees' lives. At the same time, the company strictly complies with national labor and human resources policies and has formulated a complete system for reimbursing home travel tickets, paid leave, and employee insurance.

　　To help employees in difficulty, she also established a voluntary donation program—turning fines from employees' daily work into a company charity fund used for necessary expenses of employees who suffer sudden misfortunes. This system has enhanced the enterprise's cohesion and won widespread recognition from employees.

　　She often admonishes her employees this way: we are not separate individuals, but a whole integrated into society, and our words and deeds all represent the image of the enterprise. Last year, a new employee could not adapt to changes in the environment and felt unsettled inside, so she patiently worked with this employee and gave him two months to think it over. In the end, that employee stayed and presented her with a bouquet of flowers at the company annual meeting, and both shed tears of emotion.

　　It takes ten years to grow trees but a hundred years to cultivate people. She regards her employees as her own children, and their progress has become Liu Huandi's greatest comfort. At last year's New Year gala, the employees gave Liu Huandi a special surprise: they pooled money to buy her an ornament of a carp and lotus. At that moment, Liu Huandi shed tears of excitement.

　　This year, Liu Huandi has new plans: first, to provide career planning for every employee, and second, to allow senior management to participate in profit sharing.

　　Business Also Has Feeling: Facing Life with an Ordinary Heart

　　A career she loves and a harmonious, happy family—this is Liu Huandi's happiness. She often introduces herself this way: "As a woman, besides having a chivalrous yet tender heart, I also live in the everyday world."

　　She told this writer that she is very happy to share her husband's career with him. Liu Huandi's husband loves antiques, so she supported him in opening an antique shop. Now, their elder son has his own career, while their younger son helps her manage the company. "Truly understand your family with your heart and support them. Everyone has their own space; let them do what they like and what they can do," Liu Huandi said.

　　Liu Huandi told this writer with considerable pride: "The greatest wealth my husband and I have given our children is our influence on them: being willing to take the worst of things and let others have the better." "We are very satisfied with how our two children conduct themselves and handle matters. Giving more to family and career makes me feel that my efforts are worthwhile and gives me a sense of achievement," Liu Huandi said.

　　Liu Huandi said: "Everyone has grievances; don't let grievances affect your emotions and mindset." Liu Huandi often reminds herself this way: conflicts will always exist, and adjusting one's mindset with heart and resolving conflicts is the most fundamental solution. Usually, Liu Huandi adjusts her mood herself and also gets together with friends to have fun. Liu Huandi said: "Among good friends, I am a caring big sister."

　　As a drafter of the national standard for SBS roll material, vice chairman of the Hebei Province Building Waterproofing Engineering Association, director of the Expert Committee of the Hebei Province Building Waterproofing Engineering Association, vice president of the Baoding Private Entrepreneurs Association, and director of the China Building Waterproofing Materials Industry Association, Liu Huandi has many honors, but she is not content with the status quo. Now over 60 years old, she still persists in relentless learning, constantly enriching herself and seeking greater success for both the company and herself.

　　As the head of a leading enterprise in Hebei's waterproof building materials industry, this Waterproofing King has a wish: in poverty, cultivate oneself alone; in wealth, benefit the whole world. She says honors are but empty names; giving back to society is her starting point and ultimate destination, and benefiting society is the goal she has pursued all her life.