Small拼board pieces support a thriving industry: Dongming County's Datun Town拼board cluster boosts revitalization and creates jobs.

2025-11-19 Source: People's Daily News – People's Daily

From Dattun Town, Dongming County Puzzle board The industry took off in the 1990s, evolving from small, scattered workshops that once sprouted everywhere to today's rapidly growing, modernized industrial clusters. These tiny拼板 (puzzle boards) have not only become the driving force behind the town’s economic takeoff but also serve as a vibrant platform for boosting local employment, helping residents achieve prosperity, and supporting rural revitalization.

Recently, the author visited the Southern Plywood Industry Cluster in Datun Town and witnessed piles of various wood panels neatly stacked in every village. Plywood enterprises stood shoulder to shoulder, with factory buildings rising one after another in orderly rows. The air was filled with the distinctive, pleasant aroma of wood, while roads bustled endlessly with vehicles transporting both raw materials and finished products.

Currently, the town handles everything from rough processing of boards to advanced and precision machining, from Fine woodworking panel , Advanced Furniture board , veneer panels, plug-in boards, Decorative panel From wooden flooring to over 50 types of engineered wood panels and ultimately crafted into finished wooden furniture, the town has successfully established a comprehensive "aircraft carrier"-like industrial hub for engineered wood products, boasting a complete product lineup and an integrated supply chain. Currently, the town is home to 2 engineered wood panel industrial parks, 1 concentrated processing zone for wood-based panels, 13 specialized villages, and 1,050 engineered wood panel processing enterprises—among which 61 are classified as large-scale companies, 4 are recognized as "specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative" enterprises, 3 are high-tech firms, 15 are innovative SMEs, and 9 are science-and-technology-focused SMEs. Additionally, more than 2,000 farming households are directly engaged in the engineered wood processing industry, collectively handling over 4.5 million cubic meters of various wood materials annually. This translates into an impressive output of over 34 million solid wood panels, more than 18 million veneer-based panels, and 250,000 sets of furniture components and wooden handicrafts. The town’s products are exported to over 20 provinces (and autonomous regions) across China, as well as to customers in Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia—spanning four major continents. With an annual output value exceeding 8 billion yuan and generating nearly 150 million yuan in tax revenue, the town has cultivated a thriving engineered wood processing cluster characterized by leading-edge key enterprises setting the pace, dynamic small and medium-sized businesses following closely behind, and seamless collaborative interactions across the entire industry chain.

The booming plywood industry has created numerous job opportunities for farmers in the town and surrounding villages, demonstrating a significant ripple effect. More than 26,000 rural surplus laborers have traded their hoes for factory jobs, turning their dreams of employment, higher incomes, and prosperity into reality. Centered around Datun Town, this employment initiative has already extended its reach to neighboring areas within a radius of 20 to 30 kilometers, directly or indirectly supporting over 100,000 workers across upstream and downstream enterprises. The economic and social benefits generated are truly remarkable.

At the Chenyang Wood Industry Company in Nanmeng Village, Datun Town, the author observed several elderly individuals, aged around 50 to 60, skillfully using pliers and small hammers to remove rusty nails from discarded wooden formwork. "Our village is home to 30 large and small wood-processing enterprises, employing more than 700 migrant workers," said Xin Yongchang, the secretary of the village Party branch. "There’s never a single idle person in the village—everyone earns money right at their doorstep by working at these factories. Even older villagers aren’t left behind; they take on simple tasks like pulling out nails, earning about 150 yuan per day."

By manufacturing Particleboard Wangcaiyuan Village, primarily known for its strips, multi-layer boards, fine woodworking panels, and furniture boards, sees nearly every household engaged in the plywood business. Currently, the village boasts 32 large-scale plywood factories and more than 400 backyard workshops specializing in panel processing. Wang Tiegang, the secretary of the village's Party branch, proudly notes that every home is bustling with the hum of machinery, as families work diligently to earn a living. While boosting their own prosperity, these enterprises have also created job opportunities for over 1,700 local farmers from surrounding areas.

With an annual output value of 2 billion yuan and contributing 80 million yuan in tax revenue, this is the remarkable achievement created by Pengzhuang Village, a village with just 969 residents. "Our village's拼板 (pianban) industry has steadily grown—from small beginnings to significant scale, from initial weakness to robust strength—gradually expanding and thriving," said Peng Weibin, Secretary of the Village Party Branch. "Currently, we have 25 wood-processing companies each generating over 10 million yuan in revenue. By adopting the 'company-plus-farmers' model, these enterprises have empowered the entire village community to embark on a prosperous path of 綜板 processing and wealth creation." He added that the village's 綜板 businesses alone provide more than 3,000 employment opportunities for local residents, boosting their annual income by over 200 million yuan. Moreover, when factoring in upstream and downstream enterprises that supply materials to our companies, the total number of people employed directly or indirectly has surged to over 10,000, resulting in even more substantial gains for the community.

In the courtyard of Qingfa Wood Industry, the leading enterprise in Pengzhuang Village, containers filled with New Zealand pine plywood—each destined for Taiwan—are being loaded onto trucks. Stepping into the bustling production workshop, the author unexpectedly ran into Pierre and Maslow, Chilean business visitors from across the ocean, who were touring the plywood production line. "Our company has established an international sales department in Heze, hiring four recent college graduates to kickstart our global online sales operations," explained General Manager Peng Jianbing. "Thanks to this initiative, our products have already made their way overseas, reaching more than ten countries including the United States, Spain, Croatia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and others. Today, the Chilean buyers we met just signed a major new order for plywood with us."

The author interviewed Wang Hongyan and Hu Xuewei, a husband-and-wife team from Huzhuang Village, who have been working at Qingfa Wood Industry Company for 11 years. Together, they now earn a combined monthly salary of 13,000 yuan—enough not only to support their two children through school but also to purchase an apartment in Dongming County town. Wang Hongyan shared that the company provides all employees with "five social insurances and one housing fund," ensuring timely monthly wage payments. Additionally, workers receive annual bonuses and festive gifts, along with paid holidays for both Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. On top of that, employees enjoy free room and board at the company premises, allowing them to live comfortably without worrying about basic needs. "The company has truly become our warm home," Wang Hongyan said emotionally. "My husband and I plan to stay here for the long haul. And once our kids graduate from college, we’ll even encourage them to join us in this rewarding career!" Meanwhile, on the east side of the company’s main gate, the author noticed a newly constructed four-story employee dormitory building nearing completion. This state-of-the-art facility integrates office spaces, accommodation, dining areas, fitness centers, and recreational amenities, promising an even more comfortable living environment for all workers.

Jia Weijie, Deputy Secretary of the Dattun Town Party Committee and Town Mayor, explained that panel processing is a labor-intensive industry with high employment demand and relatively low entry barriers, making it an ideal choice for rural workers seeking factory jobs. This sector boasts strong job-creation capabilities, offering a diverse range of employment opportunities—including long-term positions, temporary roles, seasonal work, general labor, and hourly gigs—to meet the varied needs of local residents. As a result, workers enjoy stable incomes: production staff earn based on piecework, with those who put in more effort reaping greater rewards. Male workers typically earn over 7,000 yuan per month, with some positions paying even more than 10,000 yuan, while female workers can expect monthly salaries exceeding 5,000 yuan. Increasingly, local residents are improving their family’s financial situation—and embarking on the path to prosperity—by finding employment at these panel-processing factories.

Prioritizing the employment of vulnerable groups such as rural disabled individuals and families facing hardship is a key initiative that demonstrates Datun Town’s commitment to fulfilling its social responsibilities—and it has become another highlight in how the town’s拼板 (pianban, or panel-joining) industry is driving local job creation. At Mengfei Wood Industry, a company specializing in exporting furniture, the author interviewed Ge Cuiling, a worker with a leg disability who was busy polishing furniture in the production workshop. Her husband passed away early, leaving her to single-handedly raise three children, a task that was incredibly challenging. Ten years ago, Mengfei Wood Industry hired her, offering both workplace support and personal care that helped her overcome difficult times. Today, her two daughters have already gotten married, and her son just graduated from university. This once-struggling family now radiates with the warmth of happiness. "I come from Dahuangji Town in Mudan District," Ge shared. "Our family has many members but little land, so life used to be tough. In 2014, my wife and I started working at Mengfei Wood Industry, where we’ve had steady employment ever since, earning over 10,000 yuan per month. Thanks to this job, our lives have steadily improved. I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity—I’m willing to work hard and eager to learn, which eventually allowed me to become a technical backbone employee at the company. The boss even promoted me to a role as a technical supervisor in the workshop," said Zhang Quanguo, a worker currently operating a CNC machine.

Yiyuan Wood Industry Company, located in the Xiaying Plywood Industrial Park, boasts five large production workshops spanning 60,000 square meters. The company primarily manufactures products such as paint-free furniture boards, eco-friendly panels, and decorative papers. "Initially, we focused on processing semi-finished products for other manufacturers," said General Manager Wang Yinsong. "Now, we collaborate with over 200 suppliers—ranging from established factories to small family-run workshops—that provide us with raw materials. Meanwhile, our company has created employment opportunities for more than 260 local residents while also helping these supplier businesses boost their own workforce by supporting over 3,000 additional jobs." Wang added that the booming plywood industry hasn’t just benefited the local community; it has inspired many people to venture out of town, setting up physical stores to sell their hometown’s plywood products. As a result, several individuals have even become successful entrepreneurs running sizable enterprises. To assist these newly established retail outlets, the company generously provides them with hundreds of thousands of yuan worth of products to kickstart their operations. Once these businesses grow stronger, they, in turn, begin supporting their hometown enterprises, fostering collaborative growth across the board. This ripple effect often starts with one person inspiring their entire family, who then encourages relatives—and so on, multiplying opportunities far beyond the initial group. Today, it’s estimated that at least 2,000 residents from the town are actively running plywood-related businesses in other regions, bringing prosperity back home while building thriving networks of support along the way.

"I've been running a shop in Pingliang City, Gansu Province, for eight years now, relying on distributing planks from my hometown. My annual sales have exceeded 20 million yuan, and I’ve already bought a home in Pingliang to settle down. Meanwhile, several fellow villagers from Dongming who opened shops in Qingyang, Gansu, are doing even better—growing their businesses to an even larger scale. I’m truly grateful to the enterprises back in my hometown for helping us turn our dream of prosperity into reality through the planks!" said Huang Shiyong, who hails from Datun Town, over the phone.

During the interview, many plywood companies in Datun Town mentioned that, as their businesses grow, the employment structure is shifting toward higher-skilled roles. Increasingly, they’re hiring university graduates—some of whom are now driving technological innovation and developing new products, while others are stepping into e-commerce and international trade marketing positions. "In the current challenging job market for college graduates, we feel truly honored to find employment at plywood companies right here in our hometown," said Wang Mengru, a member of Yiyuan Wood Industry’s export team and a recent university graduate. "Moving forward, we’ll work even harder to help bring more of our hometown’s products to the global stage—and we’re committed to giving back to our local enterprises with everything we’ve learned!"

"Trains run fast because the locomotive leads the way. In recent years, the Dattun Town Party Committee and government have prioritized accelerating the development of the plywood industry and boosting rural revitalization by creating job opportunities and helping residents increase their incomes. To achieve this goal, they’ve strengthened service initiatives and firmly supported local businesses as their strongest ally. The town’s leadership team regularly visits enterprises to conduct in-depth research, actively listening to entrepreneurs’ voices and suggestions, and promptly addressing any challenges or issues they encounter. Meanwhile, the town has set up a convenient-service center, streamlining administrative procedures and reducing processing times to ensure a seamless, one-stop experience for businesses. Additionally, over 1 million yuan has been invested to purchase five fire trucks, strategically stationed in key villages and enterprises where plywood processing is concentrated, alleviating businesses’ concerns about safety and emergencies. Town and village-level leaders have also taken the initiative to connect companies with financial institutions, helping them secure much-needed capital. Furthermore, the town has launched an initiative to reclaim inefficiently used or idle land. For enterprises occupying large areas but generating low returns, the town encourages them to "exchange old cages for new birds"—that is, to restructure by contributing their land and factory facilities into joint ventures—thereby resolving the longstanding issue of limited space for thriving businesses. To further support the industry, the town has established a comprehensive Wood Industry Association, with specialized branches in each plywood-processing village. The association regularly organizes enterprises to participate in major national forestry product trade fairs and exhibitions. Moreover, the town has hired expert consultants to provide businesses with detailed guidance on international trade policies, while also arranging regular training sessions on workplace safety and compliance.

"In recent years, Datun Town has been focusing on upgrading and enhancing its plywood processing industry by implementing measures such as 'building the chain, extending the chain, filling gaps in the chain, and strengthening the chain.' These initiatives aim to accelerate the efficient integration of the industrial value chain, while vigorously promoting the plywood processing sector toward greater brand recognition, industrial park development, and cluster-based growth," said Geng Yajie, Party Secretary of the town. Currently, our plywood processing industry has already achieved large-scale production. As we continue expanding in size, we’re also doubling down on efforts to strengthen our competitive edge, paving the way for high-quality, sustainable development. To support this vision, we’ve enlisted the expertise of the Forestry Industry Planning & Design Institute under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Working closely with them, we’ve meticulously designed and strategically laid out a "one park, three zones" model, resulting in the establishment of three major plywood industrial parks—South, Central, and North—designed to attract businesses and foster their growth within these facilities. Today, 70% of the town’s large-scale enterprises have already moved into these parks. Looking ahead, we’re committed to leveraging industrial clustering and supply-chain expansion to create an even broader platform for plywood products. By doing so, we aim to maximize our ability to drive local employment and boost incomes, ultimately injecting fresh vitality into rural revitalization efforts.

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