Mu Canxian: Building a global high-end formulation brand - The confidence behind targeting the upper 90th percentile

Mu Canxian: Last August, our Country Manager for Argentina, Cristian Riguero, asked me a question: ″Why does our company’s ZC formulation perform better than the tank mixture with the same active ingredients, even when the active ingredient dosage per hectare is the same?″ A colleague in China has also asked me: ″Why does our PILARTEP^® (Pyraclostrobin + Tebuconazole 345 g/L SC) perform better and have superior efficacy compared to similar products on the market?″

I have been thinking about these two questions for a long time and realized that the answer lies in our attitude toward product development: What is the foundation behind Pilarquim’s confidence in building a global high-end formulation brand and positioning itself in the 90th percentile?

90th Percentile Brand Essence -- 6 Basic Values

Pilarquim expects every employee in each position to adhere to the spirit of craftsmanship with the attitude of ″do our best in making pesticides, at least be worthy of our time and effort,″ strictly controlling every step to create the best products. This is mainly reflected in the essence of our 90th percentile brand, which includes:

1. Adhering to an Innovation and Differentiation Development Strategy

We define Pilarquim’s corporate mission as ″Continuously Innovate for Quality Harvest,″ establishing a world-class innovation center to create globally leading formulation products. Our focus is on driving innovation in compositions and formulations, particularly in pesticide innovations based on PILARCORE^® and PILARNANO^® technologies. In this field, we position ourselves at the 95th percentile, striving for excellence and global leadership.

Pilarquim has made significant advancements in pesticide microencapsulation, specifically through PILARCORE^® Technology, particularly in areas such as sustained release, precise release, extended efficacy, and reduced dosage. A series of innovative technologies and products have been developed, which have shown remarkable results in reducing pesticide usage and application frequency, delivering extraordinary value to end users.

Pilarquim has developed pesticide nanotechnology, namely PILARNANO^® Technology, with finer particle sizes. This technology enhances spreading performance and targeted delivery, providing more thorough protection for crops. This technology improves absorption and penetration, reducing pesticide usage while maintaining excellent efficacy and longer-lasting effects, ultimately helping users reduce costs and increase yields.

The continuous innovation of PILARCORE^® and PILARNANO^® in pesticide formulations is the foundation of our confidence in achieving globally leading formulation standards.

2. Consistent Stability in Product Quality Standards and Performance

Pilarquim implements a global quality management system based on OECD or CIPAC standards, with quality indicators driven by superior application performance. Our internal quality controls exceed international standards. After the product launch, performance and efficacy are continuously optimized. Our standard in this area is at the 90th percentile, requiring us to ″carefully craft″ each product and infuse our pesticide formulations with ″artistic quality.″

Pilarquim’s formulation products maintain a leading position in the following areas:

1) The selection of raw materials

In terms of raw material selection, including technical and adjuvants, Pilarquim chooses only the highest quality raw materials to produce products. We strictly control the incoming inspection process and impurity indicators to ensure consistency across every batch of technical. Adjuvants with excellent performance can significantly enhance the product’s performance, especially in maintaining the quality stability of the formulation system. Therefore, Pilarquim has forged long-term strategic partnerships with globally leading adjuvant companies such as DOW, TAKEMOTO, and DUPONT.

2) Formulation and dosage

The development principle of Pilarquim’s formulations is to focus on-field performance, experience, and reputation. We aim for each product to stand out among its peers, ensuring that performance and value come before cost control. For example, our NANO PILARTEP^® contains over 25% adjuvants, far exceeding the 4%–8% used by competitors. With its exceptional surface tension and penetration enhancement ability, it is guaranteed to deliver outstanding results.

Pilarquim’s product recipe development focuses on matching the product’s usage scenarios, physicochemical properties, mode of action, biological targets, and applicable crops. For example, by considering the optimal surface tension, target carry-over, and permeability of the crop, the product ensures greater efficiency during application. This approach has proven to give Pilarquim’s products a clear advantage over most competitors or tank mixtures.

3) Quality and quality control standards

Each of Pilarquim’s products adheres to the quality standards of OECD or CIPAC, with internal quality control indicators set more strictly than international standards. For example, the suspensibility for SC/ZC products is controlled at over 98% and even exceeds 99% (where the global standard is 90%). For SC/WG products, we control the average particle size to be below 0.6 μm, which is one-tenth of the international standard.

Pilarquim has also established an innovative quality standard: evaluating product performance and effectiveness based on user feedback rather than just relying on physical and chemical indicators. This requires all departments, including the marketing department’s application technology research and the sales department’s effectiveness verification, to be involved in product quality assessment.

3. Strict Production Control for High-Quality Agrochemical Products

In terms of engineering equipment configuration and intelligent management, Pilarquim has established management processes and systems that meet QSHE standards, adhering to the spirit of craftsmanship and building a professional and proactive manufacturing team. Pilarquim’s standards in this area are set at the 90th percentile. 

Taking the suspension concentrate production line as an example, our products undergo five stages of sand milling in a sterilized deionized water, low-temperature, and nitrogen-protected environment (a six-stage high-efficiency sand milling process is applied for nano products). This ensures small and uniform particle size, maximizing the effectiveness of each active ingredient particle.

The difference between DN90 and DN50 of NANO PILARTEP^® is minimal, indicating that its particle size distribution is highly concentrated, with uniform particles that ensure each one is effectively utilized. 

Pilarquim maintains strict control over product quality at every stage of manufacturing, from internal quality management to packaging, always striving for excellence. Additionally, safety, environmental protection, and occupational health management are rigorously adhered to in accordance with OECD guidelines.

4. Value Experience and Realization: World-Class Customer Reputation

 ″Pilarquim’s promotion and service are comparable to those of multinational companies″ and ″Among Chinese enterprises, only Pilarquim places such emphasis on product promotion,″ as many industry experts have commented. Pilarquim drives and implements its ″158″ and ″133″ service strategies, actively focusing on user experience and value marketing, striving to enhance the value of our products and company. In this regard, our standard is at the 90th percentile.

Pilarquim adheres to the value of being ″Customer-Centric,″ believing that user experience, feedback, and reputation serve as the benchmark for product quality and standards. This is the fundamental principle behind our efforts to establish an international high-end formulation brand.

5. Collaborative Win-win Cooperation among Stakeholders: Creating Value for Suppliers, Distributors, Retailers, and Users

Pilarquim aims to cultivate a group of suppliers and distributors who will grow and collaborate with Pilarquim in the long term, as well as a large number of users who experience and align with Pilarquim and its product value, striving to become lifelong customers. Our standard in this area is at the 90th percentile.

6. International-Level Personnel Capabilities and Quality Structure, with a ‘Customer-Centric’ Service Culture

Pilarquim fully implements a high-level talent and human capital strategy, focusing on selecting outstanding talent based on ″entrepreneurial spirit,″ building a customer-centric service and marketing system, and cultivating a marketing service team dedicated to creating value for users characterized by diligence and optimism. Our standard in this area is the 90th percentile.

Pilarquim has consistently upheld the six fundamental values mentioned above, especially in creating value and additional value for users. We remain committed to a strategy of innovation, differentiation, and global development, with the goal of building Pilarquim into a global high-end formulation brand.