A few years ago,Jingzhou does not have original tea breeding place or an open platform as in other metropolitan cities. However, Tong Chao, born in 1980s in Gong’an, was notcontent with the status quo and led his team to practice the idea of “drinkinggood tea in a simple way” and created a brilliant future for Jingzhou’s teadrinking industry.

At the FirstChina International Import Expo, Tong Chao, on behalf of Merlin Bird ModernAgriculture Co., Ltd., signed a 100-million US dollars cooperation agreementwith Turkish Wanshida FoodCo., Ltd. 

Tong Chao, inhis late thirties, has opened and operated milk-tea shop, clothes store,express company, trade company, and vehicle repair plant successively, whichcontributes to his rich experience in management and the accumulation oforiginal capital. In 2012, he established Merlin Bird Modern Agriculture Co.,Ltd.

Based on marketresearch on the tea industry in the nationwide, he found that, only 5% of teadrinkers drink tea in a traditional way in China while the rest preferinstant-tea brands. During the early development of the company, he injected theidea of “drinking good tea in a simple way” into the production process ofcup-tea, which makes tea drinking a habit for more consumers.

Different from traditionalenterprises, Tong Chao’s Merlin Bird provides customized service for commercialreception and meetings rather than following the traditional sales channelssuch as supermarkets. Through online and offline sales, Merlin Bird owns awider market. In 2013, its cup-tea went to the overseas market for the firsttime and in 2016, it has become the first listed company in Gong’an County.

At present, thetea products developed by the company have increased from 6 varieties to morethan 200 ones in 4 series. It has also obtained more than 60 Chinese andoverseas patents. Moreover, it has established friendly relations andcooperation with 29 countries and regions including the U.S., South Korea, and theU.K. and maintained long-term trade contacts with them.