Alen CEO: Air purifiers ready to serve a million Chinese

Bite of China's market

Data from GfK, a market research and consultancy firm, shows that about 1.7 million air purifiers were sold in China in 2013, a 116 percent year-on-year increase.

"The competition is really fierce here in China. When I started the company 8 years ago, there were only about 10 competitors in the US. Now because air purifiers are popular in China, the market has 200 to 300 brands," said Lee.

"We can't be just one of them", he said, adding that a focus on their customers is what differentiates the Alen brand.

"We are committed to the Chinese customers. We are creating a company that takes good care of clients and designs products to suit their individual needs. We want to serve our customers and help them live better and healthier for their lifetimes," said Lee.

Lee founded Alen Corporation in 2006, and has been the CEO and owner since the start.

"Alen Corporation is unique as it's a niche company and focused on air purifiers. Many brands are in the home appliances market and thus do not know air purifiers as well as Alen. Our primary advantages are: we have an in-depth knowledge of the air purifier industry, we are intensely focused on taking care of our customers and we have a passion for helping our customers breathe, feel and live better and healthier," he said.

Although operating in the US for eight years, the company committed itself to the Chinese market last year and plans to set up its Chinese headquarters in Beijing.

"It took less than three days for me to feel the impact of air pollution in Beijing. Now that I have experienced the effects of air pollution, I can relate with what the Chinese customers are experiencing," said Lee, admitting that he would travel with an air purifier with him during his entire trip to China.

At present China accounts for less than 10 percent of the Alen's total sales. But Lee is dedicated to changing that.

The Alen BreatheSmart F750 VOC will be available for purchase through Alen's homepage, China's e-commerce website JD.com, Amazon.cn and retail agents.

"It's going to be a revolutionary product for us and our customers. Our goal is to be as good as if not better than the leading products," said Lee.

20 percent Chinese

"It's very fulfilling for me to come back to my homeland and help Chinese customers," said Lee, who is Chinese American.

Growing up in a Chinese family and educated in America, Lee sees himself "80 percent American and 20 percent Chinese."

"Most Chinese parents want their kids to be more successful than they are. My parents were worried as they felt I should work in a big company and retire there," said Lee, recalling the time when he started his first company.

"I am immersed in the American culture and there's such an entrepreneurial spirit in the US that there's a part of me always wanting to build something," he added.

His childhood closely resembles a typical Chinese upbringing. He studied a musical instrument and focused on science and math. Lee is a university graduate with a master in mechanical engineering and a MBA.

His entrepreneurial inspiration came to him when he was suffering from allergies. According to Lee, Austin, Texas, is the high-allergy capital in the US and where he first encountered flu-like symptoms from the air.

"The medicine made me sleepy. It has my body adjust to the environment, but why not adjust the environment to the body, which is why an air purifier makes more sense."

He said he appreciates his mechanical background, but prefers to focus his efforts on learning and understanding customer's needs.

"I consider an advantage to have some technical background because the marketing side helps me understand customer needs and the engineering side helps me figure out a solution to take care of the needs," said Lee.

Taking advantage of his background and the experience of running the company for several years, Lee said he is steadfast in his commitment to customer service.

"Alen Corporation hopes to bring pure air and better lives to customers, employees and partners," Lee concluded. "China is the best place in the world to do just that."