Did you know? At the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, the cosmetic pigments that made the performers’ makeup sparkle came from gold-flake powder sourced from Fuding.

This glitter powder is the latest product independently developed by Fuding City Grit Paint Co., Ltd. It has an equilateral hexagonal shape with a diameter of only 1/500 inch.

Founded in 2003, the company is a high-tech enterprise integrating the R&D, production, and sales of effect pigments. It primarily manufactures effect pigments widely used in areas such as Christmas crafts, candle making, cosmetics, and automotive paints. Its products are exported to Europe and the U.S. The company’s excellent product quality and cutting-edge R&D approach have earned it a stellar reputation in the international market. This enterprise, with an annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan, occupies just 30 mu of land and employs only 198 people—yet its R&D team comprises more than 30 specialists. How can a small company outperform industry giants from Europe and the U.S. and make a direct entry into the London Olympics? “The combination of industry, academia, and research; independent innovation; and a commitment to specialization, excellence, uniqueness, and novelty—these are the secrets behind our success,” says General Manager Lin Shifeng. Technology paves the way.

On the 27th, the reporter visited Gret's display case and was dazzled by hundreds of brilliantly shimmering glitter powder samples. Lin Shifeng told the reporter that many varieties have already been exported to countries including Germany, Brazil, and Pakistan. Domestically, hundreds of products—from paint pigments and leather goods to nail polish—rely on glitter powder as a key ingredient for their effects. “In the past, we had no choice but to import these products. Now, the glitter powder we produce is fully competitive with European and American brands,” he said.

The technology for producing glitter powder has been around for nearly 50 years. For a long time, domestically produced glitter powder was monopolized by imported products. From the very beginning, Grit was destined to compete with European and American companies. Lin Shifeng used to work in foreign trade. While acting as an agent for pigment products, he noticed that there was huge domestic demand for glitter powder—but no local manufacturers were available. After careful consideration, he decided to switch careers and start producing glitter powder himself. Securing buyers was the key. In its early days, Grit focused on ordinary glitter powder, gradually gaining a foothold through its excellent quality and competitive prices. However, the low technological content and intense competition prompted Lin Shifeng to turn his attention to universities. After partnering with Donghua University, Grit began shifting toward high-end products.

When the production equipment was first purchased, it could only manufacture products of fixed specifications. However, as market demands have evolved, specifications have had to be continuously innovated. With technical support from Donghua University, the company’s technicians have made improvements to the precision of both the machinery and the molds, enabling them to keep developing new products—ranging from 1/128 inch and 1/256 inch all the way down to 1/500 inch. The company has also appointed Yang Shuzi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as its technical advisor, and has subsequently established deep collaborations with Huazhong University of Science and Technology and the Institute of Applied Chemistry at Fudan University. By integrating industry, academia, and research, Gretter has reaped significant rewards: although its scale remains relatively small, it now ranks third globally in terms of output value within the glitter powder industry. Research and development know no bounds.

At Greet, R&D has always been the top priority. Although the company is small, it boasts its own R&D center. Among its more than 30 product lines, 85% are fully protected by independent intellectual property rights. The company’s annual R&D investment accounts for over 15% of its annual sales revenue. It’s not easy to gain recognition from the British—just look at the stringent tender documents for the London Olympics: they not only demand high product quality but also require companies to strengthen management in areas that consumers can’t see. These include rigorous quality assurance throughout product R&D design, production, and logistics, as well as higher, more internationally aligned standards in terms of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development...

“Since receiving an order from a British agent in 2010, our company has been organizing a dedicated R&D team to gain an in-depth understanding of British culture, comprehensively refine our production processes, and thoroughly optimize and enhance our back-end supply chain—ensuring that actors using our glitter powder-based cosmetic products shine brilliantly on screen,” said Lin Shifeng. To precisely capture the essence of British culture, Greeter’s R&D team immersed themselves in London life for half a year, incorporating every little detail they observed into the design of their effect pigments. As a result, they developed a unique equilateral hexagonal glitter powder that has earned high praise from the British Olympic Committee.

As customer demands for product quality continue to rise, Gret has recently successfully developed a new environmentally friendly glitter powder solvent. To this end, the company has leveraged the State Key Laboratory at Donghua University to conduct development and testing of the new product, which is expected to be launched onto the market early next year. Lin Shifeng said, “We’ve established a technology consortium, using projects as the driving force, and regularly engage in technical exchanges and collaborations with universities and research institutions in areas such as effect pigment technologies and major scientific research projects.” This deeper level of collaboration has accelerated the R&D process for high-tech products.

Right now, Gretter is once again focusing on expanding into the domestic market. The company has successively leveraged new materials, new technologies, and new processes to develop environmentally friendly products such as solvent-resistant and water-resistant cosmetics, which are widely used in industries including dyeing and printing, Christmas gifts, arts and crafts, footwear and leather goods, wall calendars and greeting cards, glass coatings, and cosmetics.

Not long ago, Greet launched its third-phase technological upgrade, creating more room for specialization in core technologies and flagship products. “We’re committed to shifting from ‘mass production’ to ‘specialty products.’ Our R&D team is working on gold-flake powder at the 1/1,000-inch level; once successful, the price difference could be dozens of times greater. From the current yield of 3.5 million yuan per mu to achieving a yield of 10 million yuan per mu by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan period, Greet is brimming with confidence,” said Lin Shifeng. (Huang Shaohè, Lei Shunhao)