BEIJING- Ding Shizhong, a high school dropout, arrived in Beijing in the late 1980s with 600 pairs of shoes made in a relative’s factory. He sold them, used the profits to start a small workshop, and gradually built a footwear business during China’s early wave of private entrepreneurship.
That small start grew into Anta, now a major Chinese sportswear company expanding globally through acquisitions like Arc’teryx and Salomon, and even taking a stake in Puma. Ding has long aimed high, saying he wants Anta to become a global powerhouse rather than just “the Nike of China,” directly challenging industry giants Nike and Adidas.
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