Danish businessman hails Shanghai's business environment

Simon Lichtenberg is the founder and CEO of Trayton Group, a leading Nordic furniture manufacturer based in Shanghai's Minhang District.

Over the last three decades, the Dane, who first came to Shanghai way back in 1987, has witnessed the city's rapid economic development and the improvement in its business environment.

The winner of the city's Magnolia Gold Award, given to foreigners for their local contribution, in 2019, Lichtenberg began his China journey as a student of Chinese at Fudan University.

Back then in the late 1980's, he experienced a planned economy, cramped buses and streets as well as the deserted Lujiazui area, which was just some acres of paddy field.

Then in 1993, he set up a trading company for products imported from Denmark in a hotel room in Hongqiao, which was among the first batch of foreign enterprises in Shanghai.

Lichtenberg's firm is now a world-famous furniture brand with over 2,000 employees. More than 1,000 containers of furniture designed and manufactured by his company in Shanghai and neighboring Zhejiang Province are exported across the world every month.

Praising Shanghai, he points out that the attitude of the government has become more open, friendly and service-minded. "This has always been helpful during every stage of my entrepreneurship in the city."