Qin Zhou – Marble and sandstone exporter

A business in China

Before coming to Australia, Qin Zhou and her husband, Yanfu Che’s, main business was to import sandstone blocks from Australia, and then process them into plates and carvings in China to install on the exterior walls of high-end buildings.

Relocating to regional Queensland

The couple wanted to be closer to the sandstone market, to ensure a streamlined and consistent supply to their stone company partners in China. They also wanted to provide a quality international education for their young son, Cheng Che.

Once their Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) was granted, the couple made the move to the regional city of Rockhampton, which is close to the quarry.

Flirting with disaster

Qin says that, at the beginning of their business journey in Queensland, the quality and quantity of their main suppliers was not always stable.

“Once, when a client urgently needed sandstone, we waited nearly a month for the product. We had to rush to inspect a new mine. Without adequate investigation and understanding of their credit standing, we almost signed a contract with them and were ready to make full payment. Upon further inspection, we found that the mine had been closed by the government. Following this near disaster, we found a suitable back-up sandstone mine and branched out into marble exporting.”

Trade and Investment Queensland’s support

During the process of finding new suppliers, Qin says that connecting to the greater Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) China and regional offices through Migration Queensland was invaluable.

“We received a lot of help from staff at the TIQ Beijing and Shanghai offices. They gave us timely and professional advice and resources, so that I could directly connect with the Queensland suppliers I needed.”