China-based Ninestar celebrated its “Key to the Door” anniversary on June 28 by announcing a five-pointed strategy for customers, suppliers, partners, staff and friends.
Recognising twenty-first birthdays had its roots in ancient Greco-Roman traditions. Life was divided into 7-year phases with 21 being viewed as an important “coming of age” having completed three cycles. In the Middle Ages, a man could become a knight at 21. In many places it's still customary to give a “key” to a 21-year-old symbolising the opening of the door to maturity. Keys are symbols of independence, responsibility, and possibility.
According to Eric Zhang, General Manager of Ninestar Image Tech Limited, a subsidiary of the Ninestar Group, its key will open limitless doors for customers, suppliers, partners, staff and friends.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been 21 years since Ninestar was first established,” said Zhang who has been with the company for 19 of those years. “We have enjoyed many successes and withstood our share of challenging times as well.” Zhang said Ninestar has emerged all the stronger for it. “We owe our success to you, our clients, vendors, partners, staff and friends. Thank you for your confidence, your patronage, and your friendship.”
“Most know our vision for Ninestar is to be the eminent, high–tech service provider in the printer and consumables industry and to build a globally renowned trusted brand,” he said. “However, the ‘coming of age’ demands we take a more mature view than just obtaining corporate success. Turning 21 gives us the opportunity to fulfil our responsibility for society; to provide exceptional service for our customers; to help realize the dreams of our employees; and to create values for our shareholders,” he added. “This is our mission.”
Five-pointed Strategy
The Ninestar “key” to opening limitless doors, unveiled on June 28, includes:
1.Passing on its deeper experience in OEM printer technologies and services with industry customers;
2.Opening a true “one-stop-shop” experience with a wider range of new and existing products and services;
3.Delivering consistent quality, non-infringing and bespoke supplies solutions;
4.Solving frustrating problems caused by OEM firmware updates; and
5.Taking a greater level of responsibility and leadership for the environment, needy communities, and staff.
As a mature player in the printer and imaging supplies industry Ninestar has the “key to unlock” this five-pointed strategy for customers, suppliers, partners, staff and friends.
Passing on OEM Printer Technologies and Service
The company is the only industry player to be an international hardware device manufacturer while at the same time being a leading third-party supplies vendor. 
Flags representing (from left to right) Static Control, Apex, Ninestar, Lexmark and Pantum fly proudly at the Ninestar
Group Zhuhai headquarters.
It has acquired deep OEM expertise and understanding of printer technologies. This enables Ninestar to better understand the working principles of each component in the printer system. In turn, this means it will help find the balance point of matching parts and pass on that knowledge through supplies that are comparable with OEM quality.
Ninestar’s investment of 9 billion RMB (US$1.4 billion) into its new, hi-tech, 900,000 square meter printer manufacturing base will have the capacity to produce four million printer units per year.
An architect’s impression of Ninestar's yet-to-be-completed hi-tech printer manufacturing base.
A Bigger Range at the One-Stop-Shop
Ninestar understands your business needs, including having an expanding range of products and services its partners can pass on to their customers. Its commitment to innovation now offers the industry’s broadest, comprehensive product portfolio including A4 printers and A3 refurbished copiers, IP safe new-built and eco-friendly reman inkjet & toner cartridges, inks, ribbons and label cassettes, managed print service software solutions, and an exciting new range of value-added products like label printers and portable photo printers
The G&G product family continues to grow with new products including photo printers and hand-held scanners.
Consistent Quality Hi-tech Products
At present, Ninestar has 37 automated production lines: 32 for inkjet and ink products and the other five for toner cartridges. It was the first aftermarket company to find a more cost-effective and consistent method to provide stable, quality cartridges. The transformation from low-tech, low-input, low-threshold to high-tech, high-input, high-threshold manufacturing reduces failure rates and now provides partners the opportunity to “design” their own needs in a cartridge to provide a truly bespoke or tailor-made solution. All thanks to innovation and automation working hand-in-hand.
State-of-the-art automated production lines provides G&G products with a consistent 99.6% success rate.
Firmware Upgrade Solutions
Data reveals Ninestar released first-to-market update solutions for solving OEM firmware upgrades more than 70 times since 2014.
It has innovatively taken further steps by developing its UFU (Unismart for Firmware Upgrade) solution, where updates can be made seamlessly in a matter of seconds without having to remove the cartridge from its packaging to save time and return freight costs and to minimize the frustration experienced by end-users.
The patented UFU solution for firmware updates has raised operation efficiency to 75%.
Stronger Commitment to Social Responsibility
• Our Environment: Ninestar has a long history with remanufacturing. Being a responsible corporate translates into taking additional steps to reducing our carbon footprint.
This means our catalog of products and services will offer a broader, eco-friendly, and comprehensive range including remanufactured toner and inkjet cartridges. These “green” solutions—which are stable in quality and cost effective—are already trusted and being by global users including hospitals, universities, banks, and government entities. Ninestar’s strict environmental policy and “going green” strategy has seen a million-dollar investment in the proper treatment of sewage including the treatment of waste inks as well as free, return-your-cartridge, close-the-loop recycling services for consumers.
Ninestar G&G remanufactures hundreds of thousands of toner and ink cartridges as part of its “Going Green” strategy.
• Our Community: Ninestar continues to be engaged by giving back to needy communities. Way back in 2007, Ninestar’s Founding Chairman Jackson Wang signed a collaboration with the Chinese Red Cross—Ninestar Angel of Love—to establish a special fund for helping poor children suffering from leukemia. In addition, a significant annual contribution being donated to Chinese Red Cross every year for protecting the environment. Ninestar will ramp up its training support to break the cycle of poverty in rural villages. By teaching skills and commencing enterprise projects, parents can afford to educate their children and hope is delivered to poor communities.
Ninestar’s Jackson Wang (left) hands over a check for CN¥1 million (US$155,000) to the Chinese Red Cross in 2007
to help poor children suffering from leukemia.
• Our Staff: Additional high standard, comfortable apartment accommodation will be provided for staff in China close to their workplaces to reduce travel time and expenses.
At the same time, more women will be targeted for leadership roles after actively and intentionally identifying, training and empowering all staff.
An architect’s impression of the yet-to-be-completed Employee Residential Project for Ninestar staff.
Steps to Maturity and Trust
Having been founded on June 28, 2000, the Ninestar Group has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic growth. On December 2013 it was successfully listed as a public company (Stock Code: SZSE 002180) and enjoys an annual revenue of US$3 billion. As a leading innovator and eminent print solution provider in printer and imaging supplies markets, its 18,000 employees, located in 60 countries, provide a quality, environment-friendly and cost saving user experience for some 200 million users.
The company invests more than 6% of its annual revenue on R&D. With more than 3000 engineers worldwide, Ninestar leads the aftermarket with 4,661 granted and 934 pending patents as of December 31, 2020. The enormous portfolio includes patents in printer technology, chip technology, ink and toner cartridge technology, ink technology and 3D printing.
Having control over its own supply chain and distribution network removes all fear over potential disruptions due to product shortages. Being a world-class, vertically integrated manufacturer, Ninestar is not exposed to the supply chain vulnerabilities that hamper so many of its competitors. Employing enhanced inventory-management techniques, the company ensures that every link in its supply chain is rock solid and monitors production of all its cartridge components and finished goods to protect its customers from shortages. In addition to its supply chain, Ninestar has established an extensive worldwide distribution network that serves customers in 170 countries.
Nothing gives the thousands of employees and their leaders more satisfaction and pride than seeing clients delighted with the products and services that build success in their respective businesses. The company’s goal is to help accelerate the growth potential and build the competencies that empower them. For Ninestar, the best label is-
