79-Year-Old Founder Revives Lao Gan Ma with AI and Record Revenue
At age 79, Lao Gan Ma founder Tao Huabi returned to management, implementing AI-powered visual inspection and full-link supply chain upgrades that drove 2025 annual revenue to a record-breaking 5.4 billion yuan. This case study demonstrates how traditional manufacturing enterprises can successfully reverse declining fortunes and achieve new heights by integrating modern AI and smart manufacturing technologies. The newly adopted AI visual inspection system uses high-speed industrial cameras to identify moldy and spotted chilies within 0.3 seconds, reducing the defective product rate in critical processes down to 0.02%.
## BACKGROUND
Lao Gan Ma is a globally recognized Chinese chili sauce brand whose business previously suffered when leadership changed hands and ingredient standards shifted. Full-link supply chain management and AI-driven quality control are modern digital transformation methods used to optimize manufacturing processes, ensure product consistency, and eliminate human inspection errors.