"Yunfu Smart Manufacturing" Representative Wayon Stone Wins Over Global Buyers at the Canton Fair
On October 28, Nanfang Daily and its digital media platform Nanfang+ published an article titled "Made in Yunfu" Wins Over Global Buyers, documenting Yunfu's participation in the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair). Among the featured companies was Yunfu Wayon Stone, whose ultra-thin flexible stone attracted attention from international buyers.
With a thickness of just 2–8 mm, the material is lightweight and bendable, while retaining a texture and appearance close to natural stone. Its fire-resistant properties and suitability for both interior and exterior wall cladding and ceiling decoration also drew considerable interest from overseas visitors.
A stone sample being touched, bent, and examined for testing reports may look like a busy exhibition scene. But behind these interactions lies a familiar process in international procurement: buyers ask about material performance, explore installation scenarios, review compliance documentation, and assess delivery capabilities before discussing price.
Looking at these questions together reveals much more about the changing expectations of global buyers than the phrase "winning over buyers" alone.
Why Does Stone Need to Be Flexible?
The challenge with conventional stone is not its appearance, but its weight and limitations when applied to curved surfaces.
Ultra-Thin Flexible Stone was developed to address these two challenges: reducing material weight while making curved-surface applications more practical.
The real difficulty, however, goes beyond simply making stone thinner. It requires balancing three factors: lightweight flexibility, authentic stone-like textures, and consistent quality in mass production.
These requirements often compete with one another, making them difficult to achieve through manual processing or conventional single-line equipment alone.
To address this challenge, Wayon invested in a fully automated production line, becoming one of China's early source manufacturers specializing in Flexible Stone.
In practical applications, overseas buyers paid particular attention to outdoor weather resistance, fire performance, and installation convenience. Their questions covered whether the material could be used for building facades, curved walls, and renovation projects involving existing buildings.
Many visitors requested testing reports on-site and expressed interest in visiting the production lines.
Requirements also varied across markets. Buyers from Europe, the Middle East, and South America focused more on weather resistance and installation requirements. Some customers from North America and Africa placed greater emphasis on design aesthetics, construction compatibility, and project delivery. Australian buyers, meanwhile, paid particular attention to crystalline silica-related testing documentation and applicable compliance requirements. The specific requirements still need to be evaluated according to the product's intended application and local regulations.
For a new material to enter the market, its performance must first be verified. Only then can procurement discussions move forward.
Four Product Lines at Booth 13.2G29-30
Wayon participated in the second phase of the Canton Fair, held from October 23 to 27, 2026. The company occupied two specially designed booths, 13.2G29-30, in Hall 13.2, Area B of the Canton Fair Complex.
The year 2026 also marks Wayon's 44th anniversary, its 20th consecutive year participating in the Canton Fair, and its 40th session at the exhibition.
The exhibition presented four core product lines: Quartz Stone, Silica-Free Quartz, Ultra-Thin Flexible Stone, and Terrazzo.
Behind these product categories are three key business areas: traditional stone manufacturing, innovative building materials, and customized engineering fabrication.
Over 44 years, Wayon has gradually evolved from a traditional stone processing factory into a manufacturer with its own brand and integrated engineering supply capabilities, expanding from natural and engineered stone into innovative, environmentally conscious building materials.
Among the products on display, Silica-Free Quartz attracted particular attention from buyers in North America and Australia. Relevant testing reports can provide technical supporting documentation for Australian import compliance reviews.
Looking back at 20 years of Canton Fair participation, the questions asked by international buyers have changed considerably.
In earlier years, visitors typically started by examining stone slabs, comparing prices, quality, and colors. They inspected samples, exhibition booths, and factories, often purchasing established materials in standard sizes, with each order treated as an individual transaction.
Today, buyers increasingly arrive with drawings and specific project requirements. Their questions focus on whether a supplier can provide integrated engineering solutions, whether environmental and health-and-safety testing results are available, how strong the company's R&D capabilities and patent portfolio are, and whether its scale and operating history can withstand due diligence.
Price still matters, but it is no longer necessarily the first question.
At this year's exhibition, Wayon welcomed buyers from North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Southeast Asia, and other international markets. The customer base was more diverse than in previous years, and procurement requirements were increasingly specific.
More buyers now conduct preliminary research before approaching the booth. They have often already reviewed the company's brand, technical data, engineering cases, and qualifications.
What they want to verify in person is whether the supply chain is reliable, whether the manufacturer can fulfill delivery commitments, how quickly technical and commercial teams respond, and whether the company is a suitable long-term business partner.
The focus of decision-making is shifting from simply comparing prices to evaluating overall manufacturing and service capabilities. Even factory visits have evolved. Buyers are increasingly interested in R&D, management systems, production capabilities, and whether a supplier can work with them to complete an entire project.
The supporting documentation required for these discussions has also become more comprehensive. This includes ISO management system certifications, NSF/ANSI 51 certification and relevant EU CE certifications or compliance documentation for selected product categories, SGS third-party testing reports, BV factory audit documentation, and silica-free stone testing reports for the Australian market.
Beyond documentation, buyers also look for integrated support covering material selection, technical assistance, and customized engineering fabrication.
For international project buyers, this information is often reviewed even before a quotation is requested.
As more visitors actively seek innovative materials and differentiated products, new offerings such as Ultra-Thin Flexible Stone and Silica-Free Quartz are attracting attention. After examining the samples and requesting technical reports, discussions naturally progress toward project quotations, technical coordination, and delivery arrangements.
Some engineering projects have already entered more detailed quotation and technical consultation stages.
Once samples have been tested and reports reviewed, the real evaluation takes place at the production facility and throughout subsequent project coordination.
An exhibition booth is rarely where a deal is finalized. The transition from a single material sample to a complete engineering solution, and from a one-time transaction to a long-term partnership, is reflected not in the quotation itself, but in the project drawings buyers bring with them when they walk through the door.
Beyond the Quotation: Managing Market Uncertainties
What gets featured in a news report is usually the few days spent at the exhibition. But the factors that extend an international order cycle often emerge long after the exhibition ends.
Exchange rate fluctuations can directly affect quotation margins. Changes in ocean freight rates and shipping schedules can force customers to reconsider arrival times, warehousing arrangements, and cash flow planning.
Neither factor is fully within a manufacturer's control, yet both have to be accounted for in the same quotation.
Quoting too early may leave insufficient room to absorb exchange rate movements. Quoting too late may mean losing customers who cannot wait. Even a one-day change in the shipping schedule can require adjustments to delivery commitments.
Wayon's approach is straightforward: rather than simply passing these risks on to customers, the company adjusts quotation validity periods to reflect actual market conditions, remains flexible with shipping arrangements according to vessel schedules, and communicates with customers promptly when fluctuations occur to realign delivery schedules and costs.
The objective is to maintain competitive pricing while identifying and managing potential risks before a contract is signed.
Ultimately, international engineering orders are not won simply by offering the lowest price. They are won by suppliers who can clearly explain uncertainties, manage changing conditions, and deliver on their commitments.
"Having good products is essential, but so is the ability to respond to changes in international markets."
This principle applies to every export-oriented manufacturer.
For Wayon, material selection, technical documentation, customized engineering fabrication, and shipping arrangements form one interconnected process. An exhibition may bring customers to the booth, but every subsequent stage must be supported by capabilities that can be verified and delivered.
Twenty consecutive years of Canton Fair participation have helped Wayon develop more than just its products. They have also built the experience and patience required to break down uncertainties, address individual requirements, and fulfill orders one project at a time.
Beyond the Headlines
From a bendable stone material to a complete set of testing reports, scheduled deliveries, and manageable exchange rate and shipping arrangements, Wayon's performance at this Canton Fair was not simply about presenting a popular product. It was about demonstrating the strength of an integrated operating system.
On October 28, Nanfang Daily brought the story of "Made in Yunfu" to a wider audience, with Wayon featured among the manufacturers representing the region's industrial capabilities.
Beyond the newspaper coverage, however, quotation decisions, shipping schedules, technical documentation, and customer coordination represent another side of the same exhibition — one that rarely makes the headlines but ultimately determines whether a business partnership can move forward.
Being featured in a newspaper is a moment. Turning every question about whether a customer will buy into verifiable capabilities across production lines, documentation, and services is the longer journey behind it — one that Wayon has been building for 20 years at the Canton Fair.