Zhuhai, Chinaļ¼A short biographical film chronicling the life and career of Dong Mingzhu, the high-profile chairwoman of Chinese home appliance giant Gree Electric Appliances, has won the Silver Award in the Biography category at the 47th Telly Awards, the company announced.
The accolade, announced in May 2026, places the film among elite company in one of the global television industry’s most recognized competitions. Established in 1979, this year’s Telly Awards drew nearly 14,000 entries from across the globe to honor excellence in video and television production.
According to the organizers, the international judging panel was drawn to the film’s focus on Dong’s career trajectory and her aggressive push for industrial and technological innovation—a corporate philosophy locally dubbed “GREE determination”.
“People may see her as strong-willed, but behind that strength is her deep conviction — her unwavering commitment to products and innovation,” an GREE colleague states in the award-winning production.
Dong’s rise from a frontline salesperson to the helm of a hundred-billion-yuan enterprise mirrors the broader transformation of China’s manufacturing sector as it attempts to transition from a low-cost competitor to a global tech leader.
A central focus of the film is the Gree Jinwan Smart Factory, a facility that embodies China’s modern automation push. Out of the factory’s 103 production processes, 86 are now automated, and all key processes are fully unmanned, resulting in a reported 200% increase in efficiency. GREE claims that every piece of core equipment on the production line was independently developed in-house. In 2025, the facility was designated as a “Pilot-level” smart manufacturing facility, the highest tier in China’s national industrial ranking.
To sustain this level of automation, the Zhuhai-based manufacturer has built a massive global research and production footprint. GREE currently operates 77 production bases worldwide, backed by 16 research institutes, 152 specialized laboratories, and 1,411 testing facilities. The company reports having filed nearly 140,000 patent applications, with 50 of its proprietary technologies officially classified by domestic industry bodies as “internationally leading”.
GREE’s commercial footprint now spans more than 190 countries and regions, relying heavily on regional product localization to capture market share.
In Saudi Arabia, the company has deployed specialized photovoltaic air conditioning systems that utilize desert solar energy to power cooling units in extreme heat, while in Australia, its climate control products are re-engineered to withstand intense temperature fluctuations exceeding 50°C. Meanwhile, in Canada, the firm has established showrooms in Toronto under its premium “Kinghome” brand, marketing high-performance heat pumps certified by AHRI and ETL to withstand harsh winter conditions.
As the company continues to expand across Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, it maintains that its long-term strategy remains tied to consumer-driven technology.
“Our greatest value is to bring meaningful change to people’s lives”, Dong said, reflecting on the philosophy that has underpinned the company’s growth for over three decades.
Media ContactCompany Name: EncyclovisionContact Person: Lu ZhangEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: http://www.gree.com.cn/
