When Chen Jianhua left his job as a civil servant 15 years ago to start a glove-making business, he never thought he would become the largest sports glove manufacturer and exporter in Jiaxiang county, one of the world's major sports glove production areas.

His Shandong-based Jining Zhongxing Gloves Group, which owns five subsidiary companies and a technology service center, now produces 10 million pairs of sport gloves annually.

About 80 percent of Chen's gloves are exported to more than 30 countries and regions, including the United States, Italy, Canada and Switzerland. The company's exports were worth $10 million last year.