"IT'S all about being in the right place at the right time for Chinese investor Song Yuangang.
Almost exactly a year ago, a little Australian company, IMX Resources, was eagerly seeking an investor for its Cairn Hill project near Coober Pedy.
At the same time, self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur Song Yuangang had homed in on Australia after examining a field of 70 jurisdictions with a view to making a significant investment in the international resources sector.
The two sides heard about one another and sat down in Beijing late last year. They emerged just one week later with an agreement for Mr Song to invest $47 million in developing Cairn Hill and a shared vision of building IMX from a junior to a middle-ranked mining company.
"It just clicked," Mr Song said of that pivotal meeting.
That vision took a big step forward last night when bulk carrier Genco Leader sailed out of Port Adelaide's Outer Harbour with the first iron ore exports from Cairn Hill bound for China.
The moment also marked another point in Mr Song's extraordinary personal story from humble working-class roots to a multimillion dollar portfolio that stretches across sectors and continents.
Born in 1971, Mr Song started his working life as a carpenter at the age of 18.
But in tune with the fortunes of his home country, bigger things were soon on the horizon.
"The big picture is that in the past 30 years China has developed rapidly that's the environment which has enabled people to become entrepreneurs," he said.
He moved into sales and marketing but recognised environmental concerns meant there would be limitations on felling timber in China. So he shifted into selling steel, founding his own steel products company in 1997.
Steel remains the core business of his Sichuan Taifeng Group but it branched into real estate in 2000 and since added IT, education, hospitals, hospitality and mining.
To evolve from being a small business owner to the head of a growing empire was a slow and steady process.
"Fundamentally it's about choosing the right people, building teams and strategic planning," he said.
"And establishing a good name, a good reputation for the whole group."
Married with two children - a daughter, 15, and a son, 18 - Mr Song said family members would have to earn their place in the company.
Similarly, he believed in merit in the corporate world, saying Chinese companies should be regarded no differently from other foreigners when looking to invest in another country such as Australia.
He emphatically rejected suggestions Chinese companies were different because they were influenced by the Chinese Government.
"The decision-making is mine as chairman of the company," he said. "The Chinese Government has to approve the investment, but that's all.
"As long as it is a legitimate project and your money is from a legal source, there is no problem."
As an investor, Mr Song said he was concerned by the rising strength of the Australian dollar, with the rising exchange rate making Australia less competitive.
His immediate goal was to strengthen the resources segment of the Taifeng group, and the company's next step was likely to revolve around green technology.
"I would like to work with Australian universities to research and develop renewable energy projects," he said.
LCG Price at posting:
13.5¢ Sentiment: ST Buy Disclosure: Held
