OUR FOUNDER
A Lifetime of Experience.
Your Brand’s Next Beginning.
Meet Kai Zhang, Founder and Chairman of ELOV. His journey from trading goods to manufacturing skincare shaped a belief that still guides the company today: every product should be developed with its market in mind.
WHERE HIS JOURNEY BEGAN
Kai grew up in Shantou, Guangdong. Around the age of ten, he began buying small quantities of goods and reselling them in his village. Sometimes customers paid with produce, which he would then sell.
Those early exchanges taught him to recognise demand, find a source and keep a business moving with limited resources. As a teenager, he left home for Guangzhou, where food preparation, delivery work and later trading opportunities in Guangzhou and Shenzhen brought both progress and setbacks.
Over time, his question changed from what might sell next to what kind of business was worth building for the long term.
CHOOSING A BUSINESS WORTH BUILDING
Personal care offered a lasting direction.
Kai was drawn to products that served everyday needs and helped people look and feel their best. He began working with household cleaning products, shampoos and body washes, gradually expanding into skincare.
After trying different ventures, he chose to concentrate on this field. Opportunities in other industries continued to appear, but he increasingly valued the expertise that came from staying focused.
That choice became part of ELOV’s foundation: keep learning, keep developing and build for the long term.
FROM TRADING TO MANUFACTURING
Around 1994, Kai opened a cosmetics wholesale business at Guangzhou’s Xingfa Plaza. Working directly with wholesalers and distributors gave him a close view of what attracted interest, prompted reorders and differed across regions.
He also saw the limits of relying on outside suppliers: margins changed, supply was not always dependable and popular products were not always available when customers needed them.
In 1996, he established a factory, extending the business into product development and manufacturing. Formula stability, product performance, batch consistency and the ability to turn a customer’s next idea into a workable product became everyday questions—and the basis for ELOV’s continued investment in technical talent and manufacturing.
MILESTONES IN KAI’S JOURNEY
Experience, built one decision at a time.
- Early yearsBegan trading goods and learning through direct contact with customers.
- Around 1994Opened a cosmetics wholesale business at Guangzhou’s Xingfa Plaza.
- 1996Established a factory and expanded into product development and manufacturing.
- TodayLeads ELOV’s continued development in skincare manufacturing and brand launch support.
START WITH THE MARKET
For Kai, product development begins with understanding the people who will buy and use the product.
Start with three questions.
- 01Who is it for?
- 02Where will it sell?
- 03How will it be introduced?
“Before we develop a product, I want to understand its market: who it is for, where it will be sold and how the customer will introduce it.”
In his earlier work with distributors, Kai would visit their businesses and speak with their sales teams. Their channels and feedback informed decisions about formulas, packaging, product formats and training.
His approach remains practical: treat each partnership as a project, with product development and sales preparation considered together.
SOURCING GUIDE
A clearer starting point for your product project.
See the questions, choices and factory context that can shape an early skincare brief.
TRUST BUILT OVER TIME
Kai’s experience with distributors also shaped his view of long-term relationships.
In the company’s earlier agency business, he sometimes declined orders that would undermine existing regional partnerships. An immediate sale had to be considered alongside the relationships and channel arrangements already in place.
He has remained in contact with customers long after individual projects ended, including businesses that have passed to a second generation.
For Kai, lasting trust grows through practical work: understanding the customer’s situation, discussing difficult questions and following through over time.
EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR NEXT SKINCARE BRAND
Today, that experience guides ELOV’s work with established business owners entering skincare. Many bring an existing business, distribution channels or an audience—and see an opportunity to create a brand of their own.
ELOV brings experience in product selection, formulation, packaging and manufacturing, alongside developing product training, short-form content and sales-launch support.
How will this product reach the people it was created for?
From his earliest trades to building a manufacturing business, Kai’s journey has been shaped by persistence, practical learning and a commitment to his chosen field. At ELOV, that experience is here to support your next beginning.