CHINT Group (A): Growing CHINT, growing challenges
CHINT started in the switchgear business in 1984 with an initial investment of RMB30,000 in a poor region at that time. As of 2006, it was generating sales of over €2 billion. What led to this transformation? CHINT achieved profitable growth via quality control and R&D investment. Through brand licensing and share exchange, Mr. Nan, the founder, owner, and chairman of the CHINT Group, controlled a large production base comprised of many local producers. Nan’s products were sold through an extensive distribution network that reached cities and countryside and successfully won CHINT the top position in China’s low voltage market. CHINT served China’s mid-tier segment, providing a wide range of quality low-voltage products. However, MNCs, such as ABB, Siemens and Schneider Electric, were now starting to move into the mid-tier segment. Given their technology, know-how and resources, Nan had good reason to be worried. In addition to MNCs, other local competitors were catching up. In Wenzhou alone, CHINT faced competition from Tengen and People Electrical Apparatus Group and from many niche players across China. These companies were also improving their product quality while remaining price competitive. How could CHINT respond to the competitive pressures from both sides and remain the leader in China’s low-voltage business?
April 2009
Cranfield University
Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]
Harvard Business School Publishing
60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]
NUCB Business School
1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]
IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Assortment optimization presents a complex challenge for retailers, as it depends on numerous decision factors. Changes in assortment can result in demand redistribution with multi-layered consequences. This complexity is even more pronounced for ...
Understanding conflict in family businesses is a complex but essential study area for practitioners and academics. To enhance theoretical precision and provide practical insights, this article presents a comprehensive framework of family business ...
We systematically review business research concerning the planetary boundaries framework: A natural science framework that identifies nine Earth system boundaries that govern the safe operating space for humanity. Ten years after the introduction ...
in European Journal of Operational Research August 2025, vol. 324, no. 3, pp. 799-813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2025.01.035
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in Journal of Family Business Strategy June 2025, vol. 16, no. 2, 100660, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfbs.2025.100660
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in Journal of Management Studies June 2025, vol. 62, no.4, pp. 1811-1846, https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13150
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications