Sunward: Breaking Cultural Barriers, Going Local, and Building Trust for Worldwide Success
Continuing our series on Chinese companies finding success in Europe and other countries outside China, we have Sunward, a pioneering Chinese high-tech enterprise specializing in smart construction equipment, underground engineering machinery, and aviation manufacturing.
In this article we will take a look at how Sunward’s “Three-Phase Global Expansion” strategy, leveraging cultural integration, localized operations, and customer value, has driven overseas revenue to over 50% of its total.
From “Product Exporter” to “Global Player” – Sunward’s Globalization Methodology
Faced with intense global competition, Sunward has made great strategic progress through its “Three-Phase Global Expansion”, breaking into the European market and further developing its global presence. Its success stems not only from technological innovation and product iteration, but also from overcoming language and cultural barriers, fully localized operations, and creating value together with its customers.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the three phases:
1. Language and Cultural Integration: From “Adaptation” to “Immersion” – A Cross-Cultural Breakthrough
Building Localized Teams and Language Capabilities
Sunward implements a “Local Talent Strategy” in its overseas subsidiaries, with localized employees accounting for up to 90% of the workforce. For example:
Vietnam Model Implementation
Sunward ensures seamless operational communication by deploying professional Vietnamese staff alongside fluent Vietnamese-speaking Chinese service engineers. Here is a video of one of their impressive construction site in Vietnam.
European Market Approach
For its European strategy, the company builds interdisciplinary teams through localized recruitment of technical experts and management professionals, merging specialized knowledge with cultural fluency to completely overcome language barriers.
2. Cultural Adaptation – Redesigning Products for Local Markets
To meet European users’ high standards for equipment and comfort, Sunward invited German experts to conduct on-site fault-finding and correction work, leading to a comprehensive product overhaul:
Design Enhancements for European Markets
To meet regional requirements, the manufacturing teams implemented three key improvements. First, they redesigned the cab with ergonomic considerations, enlarging seats to better accommodate Western body types and integrating climate control systems for high-temperature operations. Second, engineers reconfigured equipment interface layouts to match European operators’ preferences, ensuring intuitive control logic. Finally, the teams upgraded visual elements by introducing market-preferred color schemes and advanced anti-corrosion coating techniques, significantly boosting the product’s immediate visual appeal.
3. Cross-Cultural Management and Value Integration
Sunward has implemented an “East-Meets-West” management model in its overseas subsidiaries, such as its Support Center in Belgium, where the Chinese team oversees technical training and quality control, while the local team leads customer relationship management and market expansion, creating a highly efficient collaborative mechanism.
We are now going to take a look at Sunward’s localization strategy in more detail.
Localized R&D and Production
Region-Specific Customization: To address diverse operational environments, Sunward developed multi-stage filtration systems tailored for Africa’s dusty conditions and designed automatic lubrication and heating modules for Russia’s extreme cold climates, resulting in a 30% improvement in equipment adaptability.
Local Supply Chain Integration: By establishing parts warehouses in key markets like Vietnam and Thailand, Sunward achieved 95% local parts availability, significantly reducing delivery lead times and enhancing supply chain efficiency.
Tech Collaboration & Talent Acquisition: Sunward also accelerated its localized R&D capabilities through strategic acquisitions of overseas technical teams and partnerships with regional research institutions, ensuring faster innovation and market-responsive solutions.
Service Network Localization Strategy
To enhance global service capabilities, Sunward established its first overseas branch in Vietnam, creating “At-Your-Doorstep” service hubs staffed with dedicated engineers and stocked parts depots to guarantee 24/7 customer support. Further improving operational efficiency, smart maintenance systems combining IoT-powered remote diagnostics with on-ground technical teams successfully reduced equipment downtime by 40%. The company also strengthened its market penetration through strategic dealer ecosystem partnerships, collaborating with over 300 international dealers to develop comprehensive “sales-service-parts” networks that ensure complete market coverage worldwide.
Localized Brand & Marketing Initiatives
As part of its market-specific strategy, Sunward executed targeted regional campaigns including “Smart Equipment Demo Weeks” across Southeast Asia, effectively demonstrating the superior productivity of its mini-excavators in specialized orchard farming applications. Complementing these commercial efforts, it deepened its community relations through active participation in African infrastructure development projects coupled with complimentary technical training programs, significantly enhancing local brand perception and customer loyalty.
Going forward: Sunward’s Global Blueprint
Sunward’s success overseas exemplifies a systemic transformation rooted in cultural integration, operational localization, and shared value creation. By breaking language barriers, embedding local operations, and co-creating value with clients, it has evolved from an exporter to a global industrial chain collaborator. As Belt & Road initiatives advance and emerging markets grow, Sunward’s journey is inspiration for other players in China’s equipment manufacturing sector.
Success Stories from This Series
This series explores how Chinese companies are breaking through global markets. Catch up on previous success stories below: