The Great Peng Soars, Displaying Its Majestic Splendor—A Retrospective on the 23-Year Development Journey of Pengfei Group Co., Ltd. in Xiaoyi City, Shanxi Province

Born out of adversity in 1993, and steadily growing stronger and larger ever since, Pengfei Group has traversed 23 years of vigorous resurgence under the guidance of its guiding banner. Riding the powerful tide of epochal progress, and guided by that same banner, Pengfei Group has forged a path of remarkable prosperity.

Over the past 23 years, Pengfei Group has forged ahead with unwavering determination, fully implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development, driving transformation through innovation, and fostering an advanced corporate culture guided by new principles. By putting into practice the “Five‑Pronged Development” strategy, the company has significantly strengthened its overall competitiveness and continuously enhanced its capacity for sustainable development.

For twenty-three years, Pengfei has marched in step with the times and waved proudly alongside the banner. With poetic eloquence, melodic fervor, and fiery passion—let us sing its praise.

“The Great Peng Soars, Displaying Its Majestic Might”: A Development That Resounds Like a Song

There is a kind of development that weaves through the passage of time, takes shape in the course of history, and unfolds across the boundless, vibrant land of Sanjin.

This remarkable progress belongs to the Pengfei Group, now fully mature and ready to soar; it also belongs to the countless “Pengfei” sons and daughters who seize every moment and strive with unwavering determination. One might say that each day for the Pengfei Group is a vital element, each year a musical note, and every entrepreneurial endeavor a thrilling crescendo—collectively weaving, by today, a stirring anthem of development.

The melody of this song is powerful and deeply moving. To capture its essence, the author made three trips to Xiaoyi in search of its secrets, only on the final visit did he finally meet the founder of the highly bustling Pengfei Group—Chairman Zheng Peng.

At 47 years old this year, Zheng Peng is robust and well-built, with a sun-tanned face and modest attire, giving the impression of honesty and integrity, approachability and amiability, and an open and forthright character.

Listening to Zheng Peng’s account, you’ll feel a gust of vigorous energy, glimpse a profound wisdom, and experience an irresistible charm—charms that spring from the strength he carries within and constantly radiates. This power has flowed clearly through the very “essence” of “Pengfei,” unleashing immense potential and writing a stirring chapter: “On this vast, boundless land, who shall decide the ebb and flow, who shall forge glory?”

A memory of chasing dreams and enduring the hardships of entrepreneurship. Back in 1993, at just 23 years old, Zheng Peng set out on his entrepreneurial journey with high aspirations and boundless vigor, igniting a passionate dedication to the coal‑washing industry with fiery determination. He intertwined his destiny with the coal‑washing sector, never once pausing in his climb, and embodied the Lüliang spirit of “unceasing self‑improvement and bold innovation,” thus writing the legendary tale of an entrepreneur’s pursuit of his dreams.

People vividly recall how, leveraging the region’s abundant coal resources, he led his fellow workers to endure harsh conditions—eating and sleeping in the open—while overcoming such challenges as rudimentary tools and difficult living circumstances. Racing against time and striving for speed, they pooled their wisdom and efforts to establish a small coal‑washing plant, thus embarking on the coal‑washing business. A year later, he built the Pingxiang Furnace Coking Plant within his own facility, turning a new page in the realization of his life’s aspirations and leaving behind a legacy of remarkable achievements.

Over the following three years, he pressed forward with unwavering determination, establishing Xiaoyi Shengda Coal and Coking Co., Ltd., which now produces 3.6 million tons of premium coal annually; invested 150 million yuan to found Xiaoyi Pengfei Automobile Transport Company, with a daily transport capacity of 50,000 tons; and poured 500 million yuan into constructing a dedicated railway line, complete with a provincial‑level containerized coke‑shipping terminal and five shipping docks, each capable of handling 5 million tons per year, thereby propelling the company’s robust growth. All of this reflects the founders’ dedication, ingenuity, and hard work.

“The Great Peng Soars, Displaying Its Majestic Might” — Boundless Love

In Pengfei’s 23rd year, the interplay of time and space is brimming with vitality at every turn.

The relationship between industrial development and agricultural support is vital to the national economy and people’s livelihoods; giving back to society safeguards the interests of the general public; and contributing to one’s hometown enhances a company’s reputation. Over the past 23 years, the group has consistently prioritized the immediate interests of its employees, raising their incomes in tandem with corporate growth, and addressing pressing concerns such as housing, food, transportation, cultural life, and employment and education for employees and their families. Actively responding to the calls of the Party and the state, the group has complied with all relevant laws and policies, placing national and public interests above all else, and devoting itself wholeheartedly to giving back to society, alleviating poverty, and supporting those in need, thereby driving development in surrounding rural areas.

In promoting rural development through industrial growth and supporting poverty alleviation, the group, in line with its own business realities, has created employment opportunities for 600 university graduates and 1,300 members of the general public, helping more than 3,000 employees secure jobs and lift themselves out of poverty. It also contributed RMB 700,000 to support new‑rural construction in Zhenxing Subdistrict, thereby helping over 30,000 people in five townships of Xiaoyi City escape poverty. These efforts have significantly eased local employment challenges and reduced the burden on both the government and society.

In its efforts to give back to society and alleviate poverty, the group has remained committed to serving the public and improving people’s lives while growing stronger and larger, vigorously implementing “People‑Benefiting Projects.” First, it has actively engaged in social welfare initiatives, donating RMB 100,000 to support the development of religious affairs in Xiaoyi City and contributing RMB 300,000 to aid earthquake relief efforts in Sichuan. Second, it has allocated RMB 5 million to projects such as road construction, riverbank reinforcement, and urban landscaping in Xiaoyi City. Third, it has carried out the “Bringing Warmth and Showing Care” campaign in a solid and sustained manner, with cumulative donations totaling RMB 4.3 million, and established the “Gaoyang Education Fund” in Xiaoyi City to support the construction of 13 schools across five townships. Additionally, it provides annual benefits worth RMB 220,000 to villagers in Gaoyang Village…

This means that the highest virtue is like water, which nourishes all things with its boundless generosity; it signifies offering timely help in times of need and extending love without limit; it also means that moving songs and touching stories are widely celebrated across the land of Lüliang and amidst the picturesque landscapes of Xiaoyi…

Each and every virtuous deed, each concrete act of kindness and assistance to those in need, is like sunlight shining upon the body and warming the heart.

This is the group’s vivid portrait of giving back to society and benefiting its hometown. It is a grand canvas of our times, a long scroll painted in the rich hues of the era—such a masterpiece deserves to be celebrated with heartfelt joy.

As the enterprise has grown, its employees’ wages have steadily risen, comprehensive social security benefits have been fully implemented, and living standards have continued to improve. The company’s cohesion has strengthened, while its public image and influence have steadily increased, earning it accolades such as “Top 100 Enterprises in Shanxi Province,” “Top 100 Manufacturers in Shanxi Province,” and “One of the Nation’s 100 Trustworthy Enterprises.” Chairman Zheng Peng has been recognized as a “Meritorious Entrepreneur” of Shanxi Province, awarded the “Touching Campus” Annual Figure Prize, and honored by Xiaoyi City with titles including “Benefactor for ‘High‑Yang Love, Fulfilling University Dreams’” and “Distinguished Contributor to the Construction of Wutong New District.” He has also been appointed by Xiaoyi City as a “Supervisor of Government and Business Conduct” and by the Shanxi Provincial Higher People’s Court as an “Integrity Supervisor.” Additionally, he was elected Executive Director of the Sixth Council of the Shanxi Enterprise Federation and the Shanxi Entrepreneurs Association, and serves as President of the Lüliang Coking Industry Association. On the eve of this year’s May Day holiday, Zheng Peng was awarded the “May Day Labor Medal” of Shanxi Province.