Charting distinctive path for beauty brands
By 2030, Wuxi National High-tech District aims to grow cosmetics and wellness sector to 10b yuan, attract 30 leading firms
To ensure quality, the manufacturer runs comprehensive inspections and validation throughout the entire process, with six stages of testing from raw materials entry to final shipment, Kim added.
As someone who has lived in China for 18 years, Kim said he has witnessed the rise and rapid growth of China's beauty and wellness industry.
"Chinese beauty ODMs (original design manufacturers) are increasingly competitive — not only in efficiency and cost, but also in rapid learning, technological accumulation and alignment with global market needs," he said.
As a bridge connecting Chinese and global beauty technologies and markets, Kolmar will continue advancing open innovation and integrating high-quality resources worldwide, helping Chinese ODMs shift from "serving China" to "serving the world", Kim noted.
What's built upstream and midstream eventually comes to life as brands that win over consumers.
As one of the first companies to settle in Jiangnan Beauty Bay, Dexter, a homegrown Wuxi brand, has grown into China's first infant and child personal care company with revenue surpassing 1 billion yuan.
"With labs upstairs and production lines downstairs, we compete on product development speed while others still compete on traffic," said Zhang Xiaojun, founder and CEO of Dexter.
"Fast R&D, fast iteration — sometimes our upgraded version launches before consumer feedback cools down."
