Major Chinese rod OEM stops taking 2021 orders as it copes with surge in demand

A major Chinese rod and pole OEM has been forced to stop taking on new work for the rest of the year as it strives to fulfill orders delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alberto Solza, EVP of Sales for Weihai Julia, told Angling International that its factory in the city lost 25% of production in 2020. “We basically lost five months on our production output, resulting in a 25% decrease in sales compared to the previous year because many customers did not place orders during the start of the pandemic.

“From June 2020 we have been committed to fulfilling orders to such an extent that our order book shows that in 2021 Julia will double its turnover against last year and 55% above 2019 levels. This means that production is fully booked and we cannot accept new orders for delivery in 2021.

“Fulfilling orders has not been an easy task considering that our top level management cannot travel to China. We managed to get some of our Italian engineers over there to ensure quality, but the process of gaining entry into the country took seven months and required three months’ quarantine in a COVID hotel.

“We have the best customers that we can wish for and they have all been very proactive in terms of forecasting and ordering product. Dealing with some of the best brand managers in the industry has helped us a lot in achieving such an outstanding result.”