Tethia Lungmeng: Making Stone from Paper

On 18 Feb 2011, paper made from stone rolled off from a factory in the city of Huaibei, makingTethia Lungmeng Environmental Friendly Products Co. Ltd. (TLM天象龙盟) the first company to produce commercial stone paper in China. TLM's founder and chairman, Kong Ling Fa, (孔令发) gave his visitors his stone paper business card and put one business card into a glass of water. Half an hour into the conversation, he pulled out the card, shook off the water and passed it around. The stone paper business card felt the same as ordinary paper and yet was completely waterproof. Stone paper is paper made from limestone, which is an abundant raw material. Kong felt that he was breaking new ground with this new material, and that it had commercial potential. He believed that stone paper's potential goes beyond replacing traditional paper. How readily would consumers accept it? How should TLM promote the value and potential of stone paper? Which markets should he target? Should TLM focus on China or reach out to more developed countries in the West? What would be the appropriate business model? TLM licensed the technology from Taiwan and had exclusive rights only in Anhui province. Although TLM was the first to produce stone paper commercially, three other companies were in the process of starting up production. How should TLM exploit its first-mover advantage? How should TLM develop the resources and strategic capabilities to ensure success? How could it leverage on the reputation and experience that Kong and TLM had accumulated over the years? Was it sustainable?

• Growth strategy
• Start-ups
• Business models