An exhibiting area shows Zibo glass products. [Photo/SdChina]

From a 40-year-old manufacturer to a returnee-led innovator, glassmakers in Zibo, East China's Shandong province, are expanding globally with support from local foreign affairs services.

Shandong Heishan Glass Group, founded in 1981 in Zibo's Boshan district, runs over 30 production lines with an annual output of 150,000 metric tons. Its products reach more than 80 countries and regions, such as the European Union, the United States, Australia, the Middle East, and South Africa. 

The company also established stable partnerships with several Fortune Global 500 companies, supplying IKEA, Walmart, and Target. In 2025, its output value hit 950 million yuan ($141.76 million). 

Shandong Mengyou New Materials Technology, led by returnee Meng Weina, exports 90 percent of its tempered glass tableware. Meng introduced advanced overseas management practices and led her team to develop antibacterial tempered glass. The technology has been certified as internationally advanced, filling a domestic gap and steering Boshan's traditional glass industry toward high-end, tech-driven and green development. Thanks to matchmaking in foreign affairs, the company has won clients in Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, with its Middle East exports growing for two consecutive years.

The Zibo foreign-related comprehensive service platform, launched a year ago, has served over 2,300 enterprises, hosted more than 40 matchmaking events, and facilitated 203 cooperation projects worth a total of 670 million yuan.