China Sourcing & Supply Chain
China home appliance sourcing, from inside the factory floor
I'm Gerry, based in Shenzhen. For more than ten years I worked inside China's home appliance manufacturing industry — alongside Midea, Galanz, Gree, Haier and Skyworth. I'm not a trading company, and I'm not a general sourcing agent. I help brands and distributors find, verify and negotiate with factories: on site, in Chinese, reported back in English.
Who I work with
Three groups, all sourcing from China — none of them with their own team on the ground.
Overseas brands & distributors
Small and mid-sized appliance brands, and distributors who want to buy direct instead of through a trading company. They know what they want to make but not who can make it, or whether the factory they found is real.
Companies with no China team
Businesses already buying from China who need someone to visit the line, chase a delayed shipment, or check whether the quote they received is fair. No office to set up, no headcount to justify.
Sourcing & procurement firms
Consultancies and sourcing companies with clients in China but nobody local to run the visit. I work as a contractor, project by project or by day, and report in your format.
What I do
Six services. Most engagements start with the first one.
01 Sourcing feasibility
Which cluster actually makes your product, what it should cost, what MOQ and tooling to expect, and a step-by-step plan with the work involved in each step. Two to three weeks.
02 Supplier identification
Screen 8–12 candidates, verify business registration and scope, and get at least three comparable quotes — compared on MOQ, tooling, payment terms and lead time, not just unit price.
03 Factory audits
On site, conducted in Chinese, written up in English. Real production schedule and work in progress, not the showroom line. Capacity, quality records, and who actually owns the processes that matter.
04 Negotiation support
Price, MOQ, payment terms, lead time, and the one most people forget: who owns the tooling. A supplier who holds your mould holds your ability to leave.
05 Production follow-up
Sample approval, pre-shipment inspection against AQL, and handling the exceptions that appear between a signed order and a container leaving port.
06 Ongoing supplier management
Quarterly site visits, production chasing and exception handling, for companies that need someone in China but not someone on the payroll. Monthly retainer.
Where I work
China's appliance industry is not one place. Knowing which cluster makes what — and what each one costs — is usually worth more than the negotiation itself.
Shunde, Guangdong
Life appliances · the biggest cluster
Around 3,000 manufacturers and suppliers, with roughly 80% of components sourced within a 50 km radius. The world's largest base for rice cookers and microwaves. Fast tooling, deep supply chain, higher cost than the alternatives.
Cixi, Zhejiang
Small appliances
Over 2,000 finished-goods makers and more than 10,000 upstream and downstream companies. Produces roughly 60% of the world's small appliances. Cheaper on unit price, longer on tooling lead time.
Hefei & Qingdao
White goods
Hefei is China's largest appliance production base, led by the four major categories. Qingdao hosts the national innovation centre for high-end smart appliances. Where you go for refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners at scale.
The specialists
Category clusters
Shengzhou and Haining for integrated stoves, Suzhou for most of the world's vacuum cleaners, Zhongshan for kitchen appliances and gas, Lianjiang for rice cookers, Wuhu and Zhuhai for compressors and air conditioning.
I'm in Shenzhen. Shunde and Cixi are both a day trip. When a supplier says a mould will take eight weeks, I can drive there and check.
How I charge
My fee is quoted separately from your supplier's price, and I tell you what it is. You see the factory's ex-works cost and my fee as two line items.
This matters more than it sounds. When a sourcing agent is paid by the factory, the incentive is to recommend the factory that charges more — and the markup is invisible to the buyer. In one third-party review of 22 supplier quotes, five contained a hidden mark-up, averaging 9%.
I'd rather you see both numbers. It keeps the advice honest, and it means you can judge whether what I'm charging is worth what you're getting.
Feasibility study
$2,000–5,000
Two to three weeks, fixed scope.
Sourcing & audit project
3–5%
Of order value, with a minimum fee.
Ongoing management
Monthly
Retainer, quoted per engagement.
Disclosure
I am an independent consultant. I am not employed by, and do not hold an equity stake in, any of the manufacturers I assess or introduce.
Where I receive a fee from a supplier in connection with an engagement, I disclose the amount and the source to the client in writing before the order is placed.
I do not accept payment from both sides of the same transaction. I work for the party that hires me.
Product quality, delivery and regulatory compliance are matters for the supply contract between buyer and manufacturer. My role is to reduce the chance of getting them wrong, not to underwrite them.
Sourcing from China?
Tell me what you're making, or trying to make. If China isn't the right answer for your product, I'll say so — and if it is, I'll tell you which cluster, what it should cost, and how long it will actually take.