Mr. Zong Qinghou, the founder and chairman of Wahaha Group, passed away at 10:30 a.m. on February 25, 2023 at the age of 79. He is a legend in China's business community, and Wahaha Group's rise and glory would not have been possible without his outstanding leadership and extraordinary spirit of innovation.
Mr. Zong Qinghou was born in 1945 into a poor family in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, with five siblings. In a difficult environment, he showed tenacity and diligence from an early age. At the age of 42, he relied on his courage and wisdom to found Wahaha Group, which began a remarkable business legend.
Knowing the importance of product quality, he is committed to developing and producing high-quality products. Wahaha's cooperation with Wang Leehom also enabled him to successfully enter the market. Since then, Wahaha's popular products have emerged in an endless stream, such as children's nutrition solution, AD calcium milk, purified water, very cola, nutrition express, cool crooked, etc. His business acumen and market acumen have laid a solid foundation for Wahaha Group's success.
In addition to business excellence, Mr. Zong Qinghou also attaches great importance to employee welfare and social responsibility. He is well aware that employees are the cornerstone of enterprise development, and has repeatedly advocated improving employee treatment and creating a better working environment for employees. On important festivals such as the Spring Festival, he generously distributed large red envelopes, so that employees could feel the care and warmth of the company. In addition, his company is also actively engaged in social welfare undertakings and contributes to the promotion of social progress.
The passing away of Mr. Zong Qinghou is a great loss to the Chinese business community and a great loss to society. His business acumen, leadership and sense of social responsibility will forever be etched in people's hearts. His legendary story will inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs to scale new heights and create greater value for society.
At this sad moment, we would like to express our deepest condolences and respect to Mr. Zong Qinghou. May he go all the way and rest in peace in heaven. At the same time, we also hope that Wahaha Group can inherit the legacy of Mr. Zong Qinghou, continue to carry forward his spirit, continue to innovate and forge ahead, provide consumers with better products and services, and write a new glorious chapter.