For every 10 raisins exported in China, roughly 6 of them come from Kingland Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Kingland). Each year, around 30,000 tons of raisins depart from Zhulu Town, Junan County, Linyi, Shandong, and travel across seas and oceans to dozens of countries and regions in the European Union, the Americas, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Linyi is not a major grape-producing area, so how has it achieved the top spot in raisin exports nationwide for four consecutive years? Let’s take a look –

It’s hard to imagine: 35 “processes”!

This is the necessary “refinement” that a high-quality raisin must undergo. “Only this way can our produced raisins successfully ‘clear hurdles’,” said Jervis Wu, Chairman and General Manager of Kingland.

On May 23rd, in the raisin processing workshop of Kingland located in Zhulu Town, Junan County, raisins that have undergone initial processing at the production base in Turpan slowly enter the intelligent production workshop. Washing, drying, air separation for impurity removal, laser impurity removal, sterilization, X-ray impurity removal, color sorting, manual screening, metal detection, measuring and packaging, secondary metal detection. After going through all these “processes”, a high-quality raisin is “born”.

Why so many processes?

Each step has its own “reason”. For instance, high-precision X-ray inspection machines can remove small particles, small stones, and other debris embedded in raisins; infrared color sorters can eliminate fine strings and tiny impurities adhering to the raisin surface, and they can also sort colors, retaining raisins of consistent color.

“The production workshop is a biological clean room. The entire production line’s process flow and improved equipment have obtained over 20 utility model patent awards. We produce raisins according to internationally leading pharmaceutical-grade standards”, introduced Wu Lihua, Deputy General Manager of Kingland .

Did it require such complicated processes to produce a high-quality raisin? Jervis Wu didn’t anticipate this initially. In 2008, after observing the huge demand for raisins in the international market, he began transitioning the company’s main business from processing and selling local agricultural products such as chestnuts and peanuts to the raisin business.

Raisins produced in Turpan are processed in Linyi and then exported to the Middle East. This was the first step for Kingland raisins to :break through" into the market.

A few years later, Kingland raisin export volume continued to increase, but it was still “circling” in the international mid-to-low-end market and never entered the high-end markets in Europe and the Americas.

In 2017, with the support of the Junan County and Zhulu Town Party Committees and Governments in Linyi City, Jervis Wu invested in the construction of a new Kingland factory. This time, he aimed for the highest international standards. “With a 42,000 m² processing workshop and research and development center, plus 208 sets of internationally advanced production equipment such as laser sorters and high-precision X-ray inspection machines, we finally built an intelligent raisin production line with 35 processes,” said Jervis Wu.

Leading process flows not only ensure the taste and nutrition of the products but also make them safer and healthier. With these “assets,” Kingland raisins and other products have successively passed 13 system certifications such as ISO9001, HACCP, and BRC. And Kingland registered the brand in 27 countries across North America and Europe. The door to the European and American markets has thus been opened.

At 11 am on May 23rd, in the shipping area of Kingland , a truck loaded with 22 tons of raisins departed for Qingdao Port. In more than 40 days, these raisins will arrive in Europe.

"We currently export an average of about 100 tons per day, with an annual export volume of around 30,000 tons,” said Wu Lihua. Kingland raisins are renowned overseas, with over 20,000 high-end and quality customers, exporting to 67 countries and regions in Europe, North America, and beyond. “Our raisin exports have ranked first domestically for four consecutive years, and the company generates an average of US $40 million in foreign exchange earnings annually."

During the reporter's visit to Kingland, they met Mr. Frudis Sas, a representative from a French trading company who was there for a "factory inspection." This inspection involves visiting the production environment in person before signing a sales contract. "During this period, we have to host several groups of customers every week," said Wu Lihua. Each factory inspection typically leads to overseas orders. In January of this year, Kingland successfully entered the Japanese market with its raisins. "We successfully signed the first raisin export contract with Japan for a total of 400 tons. We have already shipped 8 containers to Japan, with 2 containers being shipped each month," said Wu Lihua. This is a milestone for Kingland, as entering the Japanese market is not an easy task.

From Turpan, these raisins make their way to Linyi, where they undergo the necessary processing and quality checks before successfully "clearing hurdles" and entering markets in the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Japan. "Our goal is to sell globally," said Jervis Wu. Kingland has grown from a small and locally-rooted enterprise in Junan to a regulated enterprise today. Besides the combined advantages of its coastal location, convenient and efficient logistics, and a business environment that is supportive but non-intrusive, these raisins have also played a significant role in the company's growth.