[Interview] Zuo Quan talks about the development of ALD Group: Taking compliance as the cornerstone, sticking to the innovative development strategy

MarketInnovation
Jun.23.2022
[Interview] Zuo Quan talks about the development of ALD Group: Taking compliance as the cornerstone, sticking to the innovative development strategy
2FIRSTS was able to interview Zuo Quan and he described the company's initial start: "Before the company was founded, it had already accumulated a lot of experience in the field of electronic cigarettes, and also some customer resources at home and abroad. The establishment of the company can be regarded as a natural process driven by the market."

On June 15, 2022, the "2022 6th E-Cigarette Industry Standard and Compliance Conference and the E-Cigarette Export Trade Development Conference" hosted by the ECCC was held in Shenzhen Baoan, JW Marriott Hotel. During the conference, 2FIRSTS was able to interview Zuo Quan and he described the company's initial start: "Before the company was founded, it had already accumulated a lot of experience in the field of electronic cigarettes, and also some customer resources at home and abroad. The establishment of the company can be regarded as a natural process driven by the market."

 

A foundation in experience and customer resources, market-driven, and natural path- these keywords may be difficult to think of as the reason for the establishment of a business. The director and co-founder of ALD Group proudly terms them "Versailles".

 

On June 15, 2022, the "2022 6th E-Cigarette Industry Standard and Compliance Conference and the E-Cigarette Export Trade Development Conference" hosted by the ECCC was held in Shenzhen Baoan, JW Marriott Hotel. During the conference, 2FIRSTS was able to interview Zuo Quan and he described the company's initial start: "Before the company was founded, it had already accumulated a lot of experience in the field of electronic cigarettes, and also some customer resources at home and abroad. The establishment of the company can be regarded as a natural process driven by the market."

 

Technology is the Primary Productive Forces

 

ALD Group is located in Bao'an District, Shenzhen. It is a vaporization technology company specializing in the manufacturing of electronic products. Since the establishment of the company in 2009, it has been more than 12 years since the company entered the trade. The company has always adhered to the development principle of "technology is the primary productive force". During the interview, we learned that in order to improve the production level and R&D capability of the company, ALD has established a close R&D cooperation relationship with domestic universities. They include the establishment of a research center with the School of Chemical Engineering of Sun Yat-Sen University

 

Zuo Quan said: "The company currently has a strong R&D and business development team. We also have deep accumulation in advanced intelligence and automation manufacturing capabilities. The R&D cooperation with various domestic universities is mainly in safety compliance, environmental protection materials, and user experience. These aspects are important to help the healthy development of the company. It also helps the strategic development direction of the entire company.”

 

Facing the Challenge Head on, Compliance is the Cornerstone

 

Although the development of ALD Group is "successful", it was not "smooth". As an emerging industry, in the process of internationalization facing some regions with unclear regulations, the product export still faces huge policy barriers.

 

With the vigorous development of the e-cigarette industry in recent years, many newcomers have been pouring in, bringing new vitality to the market, but also causing negative phenomenon such as infringement of intellectual property rights and price wars. "This is very harmful to enterprises as well as the entire industry. Due to the relatively short development time of the industry, the market also has large fluctuations." Zuo Quan said.

 

At this conference, Zuo Quan, emphasized in an exclusive interview with reporters that no matter how much the market fluctuates, ALD Group will face difficulties with a positive attitude. Talking about the core point of future development, he affirmed: "The company has always stuck to the focus of innovation in face of future development. Before that, compliance is of course the foundation of everything."

Korea’s MFDS sets 2026 plan to manage and disclose harmful constituents in tobacco products
Korea’s MFDS sets 2026 plan to manage and disclose harmful constituents in tobacco products
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said it has established its 2026 work plan to systematically manage harmful constituents in tobacco products and disclose related information under the Tobacco Harmfulness Management Act, which took effect in November 2025.
Jan.16 by 2FIRSTS.ai
California DOJ publishes first-ever Unflavored Tobacco List; products not on the list are ineligible for sale
California DOJ publishes first-ever Unflavored Tobacco List; products not on the list are ineligible for sale
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the publication of the first-ever Unflavored Tobacco List (UTL), listing unflavored tobacco products lawful for sale under California’s flavored tobacco restrictions. Any covered tobacco product not appearing on the UTL is deemed a flavored tobacco product and ineligible for sale.
Jan.04 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Germany Sees 18.2% Jump in Taxed Tobacco Substitutes in 2025, Including E-liquids
Germany Sees 18.2% Jump in Taxed Tobacco Substitutes in 2025, Including E-liquids
Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said 66.4 billion cigarettes were taxed in 2025, up 0.2% from 2024, while long-term volumes have more than halved since 1991 and per-capita consumption fell to 795 cigarettes. Taxed tobacco substitutes such as e-cigarette liquids reached 1.5 million liters, up 18.2% year on year.
Jan.26 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Russia’s Public Chamber official opposes “generational ban” on tobacco sales, citing rights concerns
Russia’s Public Chamber official opposes “generational ban” on tobacco sales, citing rights concerns
Vladislav Grib, deputy secretary of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, said a “generational ban” on cigarette sales—restricting sales based on year of birth—would not resolve smoking and would instead lead to human rights violations. He argued older cohorts would buy and share, and the approach would split citizens into two categories.
Jan.08 by 2FIRSTS.ai
Texas college data show rapid shifts in top vaping brands, with Geek Bar/Vape surging by 2025
Texas college data show rapid shifts in top vaping brands, with Geek Bar/Vape surging by 2025
A short communication in Drug and Alcohol Dependence examined changes in the most commonly used nicotine vaping brands among Texas college students from 2023 to 2025. The study analyzed 6,049 students aged 18–25 who reported past-30-day nicotine vaping across three repeated cross-sectional spring surveys. The report found that use of Esco Bar, Elf Bar, JUUL, and Puff Bar declined from 2023 to 2025, while Geek Bar/Vape increased.
Feb.27 by 2FIRSTS.ai
STG UK refreshes XQS nicotine pouch packaging: new flavour indicators, hitting retail from March
STG UK refreshes XQS nicotine pouch packaging: new flavour indicators, hitting retail from March
Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK (STG UK) has announced a rebrand across its XQS nicotine pouch range. The updated packaging will be visible at retail from March, with the recommended retail price remaining £5.50. The new packs feature a bolder logo and glossy textures, retain nicotine strength indicators, and add a side flavour profile indicator to show the flavour type.
Feb.28 by 2FIRSTS.ai