The 39-year-old winner first came to Nanjing city as a commercial representative from Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany in 1996. In 1998, he became general manager of Leitz Tooling Systems (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., located within the Jiangning economic development zone.

Under Gusten's management, the company, which produces woodworking machinery, has attained rapid progress over the past five years, with its sales volume up 50 percent annually.

Last year, Leitz reported a total sales volume of 45 million yuan (US$5.4 million). To date, it has 2,500 customers in China and has established branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan and Guangdong.

As a foreign manager, Gusten feels quite proud of the employees' loyalty to his company.

"Few employees have resigned or left since the founding of our company," said Gusten, attributing it to their higher salaries and sound working environment.

According to official sources with the administrative committee of Jiangning economic development zone, Gusten is held in high esteem and supported by his employees due to his caring and attention for their lives and work and for upholding and respecting their rights and interests.

The selection of a foreigner into the Nanjing youth elite also epitomizes a more open attitude on the part of the city, said officials with the Nanjing City Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, which organized the appraisal and recognition of the city's ten youth elite.

(People?s Daily April 30, 2003)