The Story of Jonah and Tengye

Fresh Out of College: Achieving $1M Sales at Innuovo Magnetics

The magnet of opportunity seemed to pull me in a certain direction. Just before my graduation, I applied for an international sales position at a company called Innuovo. The intriguing part was that I wasn’t aware of the exact products I would be dealing with until my first day on the job. I worked there for a year and a half immediately after my college graduation. It was a well-known company in the industry, offering a robust platform.

During my time there, I acquired knowledge and experience in business development, sales negotiations, supplier management, project management, and, notably, magnet expertise.

I managed to achieve a sales figure of one million US dollars in my first year, most of which came from the business I developed on my own.

Jonah Jin assemling magnet rotor in the factory — This photo was taken on August 5, 2020. At that time, Jonah Jin was working at the magnet workshop in order to get familiar with and learn deeper about neodymium magnets through first-hand experience.

Inspecting magnet products before shipping to overseas customer — In order to deepen his understanding of the magnets he sells, Jonah would personally examine the magnets in the office prior to DHL’s package collection. In this photo, he is inspecting a linear Halbach array.

Jonah's first business came from a German magnet distributor, who was 88 years old at that time. The customer couldn't use email to send a document. Eventually, he sought his daughter's help and used iMessage on an iPhone to send the PO. — Jonah’s first business came from a German magnet distributor, who was 88 years old at that time. The customer couldn’t use email to send a document. Eventually, he sought his daughter’s help and used iMessage on an iPhone to send the PO.

His office desk back in my early days at Innuovo, when he was immersing myself in the study of everything related to permanent magnets, from material properties to a wide array of applications.

Even on weekends, Jonah would head to a local cafe and delve into magnet knowledge by studying materials from other well-known companies. Here's the brochure from MS-Schramberg as an example. — Even on weekends, Jonah would head to a local cafe and delve into magnet knowledge by studying materials from other well-known companies. Here’s the brochure from MS-Schramberg as an example.

examining the visual quality of neodymium magnets — Jonah was examining the visual quality of magnets. These are zinc-coated and used in electronic devices. Interestingly, he arranged them into the shape of a dog for some amusement.

The Reason I Left Innuovo: Looking Beyond Just Price

However, I realized soon that a significant part of my work revolved around competing on price. This situation didn’t align with my career goals.

I had a stronger inclination towards exploring different applications of magnets and applying my technical expertise to address design challenges for tech companies that integrated magnets into their products.

So, in 2021, I made the tough decision to leave Innuovo, even though I had promising career prospects there.

Starting Tengye with Mr. Lu: Two Minds, One Goal

Starting my own company from scratch was a bold move, especially since small companies often struggle to gain the trust of tech companies and magnet distributors. In the magnet industry, trading companies lacking their own manufacturing facilities face challenges. This awareness prompted me to establish a collaboration with Mr. Lu, the forward-thinking founder and proprietor of an NdFeB magnet factory.

At that time, Mr. Lu’s OEM factory mainly served PM motor manufacturers and magnet export companies in China. We both agreed on the idea of providing raw magnets and magnet assemblies to customers abroad with a focus on delivering solutions and exceptional customer service to global tech companies and magnet distributors.

Our value in the market extends beyond price competition. Our emphasis is on magnet solutions driven by technical expertise and exceptional customer experiences rooted in dedicated service.

Jonah Jin

Mr. Lu’s manufacturing facilities, certified with ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, gave us a solid edge. He also valued my past achievements and insights into the magnet industry and its market. In addition, I was merely 24 years old when we connected, and he saw a great deal of potential in me. This led to our partnership under the name “Tengye”, which translates to “helping customers succeed”.