The Story of SINOFN Group Founder Mrs. Liu Guohong

(Adapted from CCTV’s “Jin Si Xiao Zao Li Cangzhe de Shangji”)

In Cangzhou, Hebei Province, the harvest season for the region’s famous golden‑thread jujubes is the busiest time of year. Farmers rush their freshly dried fruit to the bustling local market, where traders ship them to major cities like Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, or sell them to nearby factories for processing.

For decades, jujubes were seen as a modest agricultural product — good for dried snacks, candies, or fruit pastes, but offering limited economic value. But one woman saw something entirely different.

A Doctor Who Saw What Others Missed

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Liu Guohong was a physician at the Yanshan County People’s Hospital. In 1994, she and her husband, Mr. Cui Jun, left their stable jobs to start a distillery producing baijiu and jujube wine. Later, they expanded into real estate, earning millions each year.

Life was comfortable until 2002, when Liu announced she wanted to start a completely new venture: deep‑processing jujubes.

Her friends were stunned. Why risk everything when she already had a thriving business?

The Discovery That Changed Everything

Years earlier, while producing jujube wine, Liu met Professor Liu Mengjun, head of China’s Jujube Research Center. He shared a breakthrough: scientists had identified a rare bioactive compound in jujubes - cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate), known as the body’s “second messenger,” a molecule so valuable that chemically synthesized versions sold internationally for $8,000 per gram.

And jujubes contained more of it than any other natural source.

For Liu, a trained doctor, the potential was obvious. If she could extract cAMP from Cangzhou’s abundant golden‑thread jujubes and develop it into medical nutrition products, the market could be enormous, both in China and globally.

Her husband supported her vision. Together, they invested over 70 million RMB, money earned from their distillery and real estate ventures, to build a new factory.

A Dream Meets Harsh Reality

But the moment the factory was ready to launch, disaster struck. A bumper harvest caused jujube prices to collapse. Farmers, losing money, began cutting down their trees.

Without raw materials, Liu’s entire investment would be ruined.

She acted quickly — negotiating contracts with growers, guaranteeing both purchase volume and price, even providing free drying equipment and expert training. Her efforts saved entire orchards from being destroyed.

Yet the real challenge was still ahead.

A Product Too New for the Market

By 2004, the factory finally began production. Liu and her husband believed their new cAMP‑based medical food would sell through their existing liquor distribution channels.

But consumers had never heard of cAMP. Retailers didn’t understand it. Doctors doubted that such a compound could be extracted from jujubes at all.

The product didn’t sell. The factory halted production. And Liu burned through all remaining funds — while still obligated to buy jujubes from farmers each year.

Over two years, she lost another 12 million RMB.

Her husband urged her to sell the factory. A buyer even offered 90 million RMB, which was enough to recover most of their investment.

But Liu refused to give up.

“It’s always darkest before dawn.”

On the eve of signing the transfer contract, Liu told her husband:

“We’ve already survived the hardest part. Dawn comes after the darkest hour. Give me one more year — I won’t let this company lose money again.”

Her conviction moved him. They agreed to hold on for one final year.

A Turning Point

In 2007, a new trend swept China: dairy companies began launching jujube‑flavored milk and functional beverages. Liu seized the opportunity, supplying them with concentrated jujube juice.

For the first time, her factory broke even.

But her true goal — building a national market for cAMP remained out of reach.

A Medical Expert Opens the Door

At a 2008 nutrition medicine conference, Liu met Dr. Ma Fang, a respected expert in medical nutrition. After reviewing the science, he immediately recognized the value of natural cAMP and began recommending it for patients undergoing chemotherapy, those with aplastic anemia, and people suffering from chronic fatigue or insomnia.

Sales finally began to grow — but too slowly.

The Bold Decision That Changed Everything

By 2010, Liu realized she needed a professional sales leader. She interviewed many seasoned executives, all promising huge profits within months.

But one young candidate, Yuan Xin, stood out.

He told her bluntly:

“If I take this job, we won’t earn a cent for the first six months. In fact, we’ll need to spend several million. Are you prepared for that?”

His honesty and strategic thinking impressed her. But the company had no money left.

So Liu made another courageous decision: she sold two of her family’s apartments to fund the new marketing strategy.

Building the Missing Piece

Yuan Xin spent six months rebuilding the company’s entire commercial system — branding, product lines, training manuals, sales tools, and a nationwide distribution model.

In August 2010, the new system launched.

The results were explosive.

A Nationwide Breakthrough

By the end of 2011:

• SINOFN’s products were sold in over 200 cities across China

• Annual sales reached 150 million RMB

• The company prepared to enter international markets

The tiny golden‑thread jujube had finally revealed its hidden power — thanks to a woman who refused to give up.

Media Contact
Company Name: Sinofn (Tianjin) Pharm-Tech Co., Ltd.
Email: Send Email
Phone: 022-24928910
Address:No. 60 Weiliu Road, Airport Zone
City: Tianjin, 300308
Country: China
Website: https://www.sinofnhealth.com/