Exclusive Interview | Russell Walker, Vice President: Making Cibes the First Choice for Every Home and Promoting Healthy Industry Development

姣姣玉兰花，不受缁尘垢。莫漫比辛夷，白贲谁能偶。

——清·朱廷钟《玉兰》

The magnolia blooms in pristine grace, untouched by the dust of the world.

Do not compare it lightly with other blossoms—who could rival its pure white elegance?

Magnolia — Zhu Tingzhong, Magnolia, Qing Dynasty

阳春三月，玉兰盛放。在浙江嘉兴的Cibes西柏思亚太总部制造工厂，西柏思中国区副总裁 万修哲（Russell Walker） 接受了新电梯网记者的专访。

西柏思中国区副总裁万修哲

Russell Walker, Vice President of Cibes China

采访中，万修哲副总裁围绕瑞典 Cibes品牌理念、产品设计、质量管理以及中国市场的发展趋势进行了深入分享，并表示：“让西柏思成为家的**，共促行业健康发展。”

In early spring, with magnolia blossoms in full bloom, Russell Walker, Vice President of Cibes China, received an interview from CNLIFT Website at the Cibes Asia-Pacific manufacturing headquarters in Jiaxing, Zhejiang.

During the interview, Mr. Walker shared insights into the Swedish Cibes brand philosophy, design principles, quality management, and the development of the Chinese market, emphasizing:“Our mission is to make Cibes the first choice for every home and to contribute to the healthy development of the industry.”

品牌背景与工厂介绍

Brand Background and Factory Introduction

新电梯网：万总您好！请您介绍一下Cibes西柏思品牌以及嘉兴工厂的定位。

CNLIFT Website:Mr. Walker, could you introduce the Cibes brand and the positioning of the Jiaxing factory?

万修哲副总裁 ：Cibes西柏思是来自瑞典的品牌，总部位于瑞典。zui初进入中国市场时，所有产品都从瑞典进口。

随着中国市场需求不断增长，中国客户在别墅电梯与装修风格匹配方面，私人定制化要求越来越高，我们逐渐意识到在中国建立本地化生产的重要性。2017年，我加入Cibes西柏思后，团队开始在长三角地区寻找合适的制造基地。经过多方面综合评估，我们选择在浙江嘉兴设立中国工厂。

如今，嘉兴工厂已经成为 Cibes西柏思全球四大生产基地之一，与瑞典、美国和波兰工厂共同构成全球制造体系，同时也是本土之外规模大、zui重要的生产基地之一，而且嘉兴工厂在2025年被评为省级外资研发中心单位。

目前，嘉兴工厂不仅服务庞大的中国市场，也向东南亚、美国、澳大利亚等其他国家出口，是Cibes西柏思定制化产品的重要生产中心。

Russell Walker:Cibes is a Swedish brand headquartered in Sweden. When we first entered the Chinese market, all products were imported from Sweden.

As demand in the Chinese market continues to grow, customers are placing increasing emphasis on how home elevators integrate with interior design styles in villas and residences, and the demand for personalized customization is becoming stronger. This made us realize the importance of establishing localized manufacturing in China.

After I joined Cibes in 2017, our team began searching for a suitable manufacturing location in the Yangtze River Delta region. After comprehensive evaluation, we ultimately chose Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province to establish our China factory.

Today, the Jiaxing facility has become one of Cibes’ four global production bases, alongside Sweden, the United States, and Poland. It is also the largest and most important manufacturing site outside Sweden. In addition, the Jiaxing factory was recognized in 2025 as a Provincial-Level Foreign-Funded R&D Center.

The factory now serves the Chinese market while exporting products to Southeast Asia, the USA, Australia and other regions, making it a key production center for customized Cibes solutions.

瑞典设计理念与中国市场

Swedish Design Philosophy and the Chinese Market

CIBES特殊设计的斜坡式按钮

CIBES specially designed sloping buttons

新电梯网：瑞典设计理念与中国市场有什么不同？客户在瑞典进口与中国生产之间应该如何选择？

CNLIFT Website:What are the differences between Swedish design philosophy and the Chinese market? How should customers choose between Swedish-imported and China-produced products?

万修哲副总裁：Cibes西柏思在瑞典已经拥有 70多年的制造历史，产品设计延续了北欧一贯的简约与现代风格。

中国的一些客户则更偏好具有文化特色的设计，例如更加喜庆的颜色。因此，我们也会针对中国市场提供一些定制化选择，例如红色等配色方案。

目前Cibes西柏思在中国嘉兴工厂已经建立了完善的生产体系，包括关键部件生产线，自有喷涂生产线，可提供20多种标准颜色方案，基本可以满足大部分客户需求，同时也支持个性化定制。

无论产品来自瑞典还是中国工厂，质量标准始终保持一致。所有产品符合欧洲EN标准或中国国家标准，并通过我们的质量实验室以及 20米测试塔进行严格测试。

举例来说，我的一位同事 Mikael曾先后在瑞典工厂和美国工厂工作，之后由总部派驻到中国工厂支持相关业务。这也体现了西柏思作为一家全球化企业的运营方式——在全球各个生产基地都执行统一的质量标准。

事实上，中国嘉兴工厂的制造能力在集团内部也扮演着越来越重要的角色。在工厂成立后的几年里，我们不仅服务中国市场，也开始向集团其他工厂提供关键部件，例如驱动单元等，实现向瑞典等海外工厂的反向出口。同时，中国嘉兴工厂在生产和管理方面的一些经验，也逐渐成为集团内部的重要参考，被其他工厂借鉴和学习。

因此，对于客户来说，无论选择瑞典生产还是中国生产的产品，都能够获得同样稳定可靠的品质体验。

Russell Walker:

Cibes has more than 70 years of manufacturing history in Sweden, and its products follow the Nordic design philosophy of simplicity and modern aesthetics.

Some Chinese customers prefer designs with more cultural expression, such as festive colors. Therefore, we also provide customized options for the Chinese market, including colors like red.

Cibes has established a comprehensive manufacturing system at its Jiaxing facility in China, including key component production lines and an in-house coating line. The factory offers more than 20 standard color options, which meet the needs of most customers, while also supporting personalized customization.

Whether produced in Sweden or China, all Cibes products follow the same global quality standards. They comply with European EN standards or Chinese GB/T standards and are tested in unified laboratories and a 20-meter testing tower.

For example, one of my colleagues, Mikael, has worked at both our Sweden and U.S. factories before being assigned by headquarters to support operations in China. This reflects how Cibes operates as a truly global organization, with consistent quality standards across all our manufacturing facilities.

As a result, products manufactured in China deliver the same level of quality and reliability as those produced in Sweden.

In fact, the manufacturing capability of the Jiaxing factory in China has been playing an increasingly important role within the Cibes Group. In the years since the factory was established, it has not only served the Chinese market but has also begun supplying key components, such as drive units, to other Cibes factories, with some products even exported back to Sweden and other overseas factories.

At the same time, certain practices and experiences developed at the Jiaxing factory in production and management have gradually become valuable references within the group and are now being adopted by other factories.

Therefore, for customers, whether a product is manufactured in Sweden or in China, they can expect the same level of stable and reliable quality.

中国家用电梯市场竞争格局

Competition in China’s Home Elevator Market

新电梯网：近年来中国家用电梯市场竞争非常激烈，您如何看待当前行业的发展阶段？

CNLIFT Website:China’s home elevator market has become increasingly competitive in recent years. How do you view the current stage of the industry?

万修哲副总裁：从时间轴来看，中国家用电梯市场并不是一个刚刚出现的行业。

实际上，这个市场大约在 2012年前后开始逐渐形成，到今天已经发展了十多年。

随着行业规模不断扩大，市场竞争也逐渐进入 高度竞争阶段。

从监管层面来看，单一家庭自用的家用电梯目前尚未被纳入《特种设备目录》，行业主要依据 GB/T 推荐性标准进行规范。

这些标准本身是专业且严谨的，Cibes西柏思也参与了部分相关标准的制定。

关键在于，这些标准需要在行业实践中被持续严格执行，并作为安全底线。

Russell Walker:From a timeline perspective, China’s home elevator market is not a newly emerging industry.

In fact, the market began to take shape around 2012 and has now developed for more than a decade.

As the industry has grown, competition has gradually entered a highly competitive stage.

From a regulatory perspective, home elevators for single-family use are currently not included in China’s Special Equipment Catalogue. The industry mainly follows recommended GB/T standards.

These standards themselves are rigorous and technically well-developed, and Cibes has also participated in the drafting of some of them.

The key point is that these standards should be consistently treated as safety baselines within the industry.

市场变化与消费者挑战

Market Changes and Consumer Challenges

新电梯网：在缺乏强制验收监管的情况下，市场发生了哪些变化？

CNLIFT Website:What changes have taken place in the market without mandatory inspection and acceptance supervision?

万修哲副总裁：市场准入门槛在一定程度上有所降低。

近年来，一些新的市场参与者通过品牌注册、展示样机等方式进入家用电梯销售领域。但这些条件并不一定代表企业具备完整的技术体系、安装能力以及长期服务能力。

这在一定程度上也带来了 市场信息不对称 的问题。

消费者在选择产品时，往往难以判断：

什么样的产品更可靠

什么样的方案更适合家庭环境

谁能够承担长期维护责任

我们在实际市场中也遇到过一些案例，有些客户一开始选择了价格较低的产品，但在使用一段时间后发现安全、运行或维护方面的问题，**后不得不重新更换设备。

对于消费者而言，这意味着二次成本和潜在风险；

对行业而言，这是信任的持续消耗。

Russell Walker:The market entry threshold has been lowered to a certain extent.

In recent years, some new players have entered the home elevator market by establishing brands, displaying demo units, and providing product catalogues. However, these conditions do not necessarily indicate that a company has a complete technical system, installation capability, or long-term service capacity.

This situation can lead to information asymmetry in the market.

Consumers often find it difficult to determine:

which products are truly reliable

which solutions are suitable for their homes

who will take responsibility for long-term maintenance

In some real cases, customers who initially chose low-priced products later encountered operational or maintenance problems and eventually had to replace or upgrade their equipment.

For consumers, this means additional costs and potential risks; for the industry, it may gradually erode overall trust.

西柏思的市场定位

Cibes’ Position in the Market

新电梯网：在这样的市场环境下，西柏思如何定位自己？

CNLIFT Website:How does Cibes position itself in such a market environment?

万修哲副总裁：在这样的市场环境下，我们并不认为单纯参与价格竞争是**重要的。

更重要的是帮助客户理解：

价格差异背后往往代表着体系完整性、责任边界以及长期安全投入的差异。

因此，Cibes西柏思始终坚持长期主义，通过稳定的产品质量、完善的服务体系以及持续的技术投入，为客户提供更可靠的选择。

Russell Walker:In such a market environment, we do not believe that simply competing on price is the most important strategy.

Instead, it is important to help customers understand that price differences often reflect differences in system integrity, responsibility boundaries, and long-term safety investment.

Cibes therefore remains committed to long-term value, providing customers with reliable solutions through stable product quality, comprehensive service systems, and continuous technological investment.

Cibes西柏思别墅电梯安装于家庭住宅楼梯中间场景

Cibes home lift installed in the middle of staircase of private house

中国市场未来发展

The Future of China’s Home Elevator Market

新电梯网：您如何看待中国家用电梯市场的未来？

CNLIFT Website:How do you view the future of China’s home elevator market?

万修哲副总裁：我们对中国市场始终保持长期信心。

随着消费者认知不断提升，行业一定会逐渐从 “只看价格” 转向 “看安全、看责任、看长期价值”。这是一个必然的发展趋势。

Cibes西柏思也将继续坚持自身的品牌理念：让Cibes西柏思成为家的**，共促行业健康发展。

Russell Walker:We remain confident in the long-term potential of the Chinese market.

As consumer awareness continues to grow, the industry will gradually shift from price-only comparisons to evaluating safety, responsibility, and long-term value.

This is an inevitable trend.

Cibes will continue to uphold its mission:to become the first choice for every home and to promote the healthy development of the industry.

新电梯网与Cibes西柏思相关人员合影留念

Group photo of representatives from CNLIFT Website and Cibes following the interview

结语｜新电梯网

Closing | CNLIFT Website

家用电梯并不是一次性消费品，而是一项需要长期负责的家庭安全机电系统。

安全与责任不应被削弱。

在行业不断发展的今天，企业的长期价值与社会责任，也将成为推动行业健康发展的重要力量。

Closing | CNLIFT Website

A home elevator is not a one-time purchase, but a long-term household safety system.

Safety and responsibility should never be compromised.

As the industry continues to evolve, long-term value and corporate responsibility will play an increasingly important role in driving sustainable industry development.