“About 10 to 12 years ago, I visited Nanjing as part of a Canadian national trade delegation accompanying the Canadian Prime Minister. At the time, I toured several industrial parks with 40 corporate CEOs. I fell in love with this city right then and there and made up my mind that I would definitely come here to do business in the future,” said Jacob Cooke, founder of the WPIC (Web Presence in China) Group.
WPIC is a multinational group based in Canada, and today, many years later, the Jiangbei New Area has become WPIC’s largest office location worldwide.
Business Expansion in Jiangbei
WPIC operates in numerous countries and regions around the world. It is a multinational group specializing in providing end-to-end managed services—including warehousing and logistics, customs clearance, platform store setup, and operational promotion—to help overseas brands enter the Chinese, Japanese, South Korean, and Southeast Asian markets.
For example, if a Canadian brand wants to sell its products in China, or a Chinese brand wants to enter the Southeast Asian market, they may have great products, but when faced with unfamiliar languages, complex platform rules, and discerning consumers, they often feel at a loss. This is where WPIC comes in, specializing in “bringing in” and “going out” and serving as a “guide for global expansion.”
WPIC establishes overseas warehouses based on local traffic conditions, policy advantages, and the business environment in each location, centralizing the storage and management of all goods. For multinational corporations in particular, site selection is a bet on the future.
Cool Jack believes that the Jiangbei New Area is a great place to do business.
“Jiangbei New Area is becoming increasingly attractive. We’re able to draw talent here from places like Shanghai and Suzhou—people are eager to come. In particular, we’re able to bring back those who studied in Nanjing but later went on to build their careers in other cities,” said Kujie Ke.
Since arriving in Jiangbei, the WPIC Nanjing team has grown from just one person to more than 130, serving over 100 overseas brand stores, and has established more than 23,000 square meters of warehouse space in Qiaolin Subdistrict.
Efficient Inventory Management, Streamlined Shipping
Qiaolin's warehouse is only a 20-minute drive from the WPIC office; it serves not only as Nanjing's warehouse but also as a key link in WPIC's warehousing network.
“We also have small warehouses near Seoul and Narita Airport in Tokyo, but they’re only about 1,000 square meters each. The vast majority of our inventory is stored in Nanjing,” said Kujie Ke. “Here, we have very high warehouse efficiency.”
Kujack gave an example: Sometimes different markets have different labeling compliance requirements—for instance, labels may need to be changed to Japanese or Korean. In the past, the company might have had to keep 10 sets of different packaging in stock, with all versions prepared in advance. Now, the company stores all products in a single warehouse and changes the packaging and applies labels only after an order is placed, which has greatly improved efficiency.
At the same time, the logistics infrastructure in the Jiangbei New Area is very well-developed; JD.com is right next to our company, and their order fulfillment and shipping operations are orderly, convenient, and efficient.
The response time is very fast
Currently, WPIC is preparing to establish a new overseas warehouse in Southeast Asia. The Yangtze River Delta Enterprise Overseas Development Comprehensive Service Center proactively reached out to provide on-site assistance, collaborating with partners in the ecosystem alliance to simultaneously review local industrial policies and warehouse regulatory requirements. By pre-screening suitable resources, the center helped enterprises avoid significant upfront costs associated with research and trial-and-error.
WPIC has also partnered with China CITIC Bank through its service center, establishing a key channel for the company’s cash flows in Southeast Asia.
Regarding tariffs, there had been concerns that the introduction of new tariff policies would have a significant impact on cross-border import companies. However, staff at the Jiangbei Office of the Jinling Customs quickly convened representatives from numerous companies—including Kujieke—within two days to explain the policies in a timely manner, helping the companies understand them correctly and avoid losses.
“The response was very quick,” Jack admitted. In Jiangbei, from recommending office locations to discussing business plans and implementing policies, the new district’s support has never been lacking.
Enjoy the beautiful scenery and spend time with your family
At the WPIC training center, executives from Japan, South Korea, and Canada are exchanging insights on the latest AI technologies. As a graduate of MIT, CoolJack has an almost obsessive passion for technology, yet his approach to AI is full of “humanity.”
“Here’s something interesting: When OpenAI released its new model last December, I came to China two weeks later. I had originally planned to show everyone this new tool, but I found out that the new district was already holding training sessions to teach people how to install and use it—and that was just two weeks after the model’s release,” said Cool Jack.
While embracing the AI revolution, CoolJack confidently stated that WPIC will not lay off any employees as a result; on the contrary, the company hopes they will have more time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and spend time with their families.
“My top employee, Jesse, is still with me! She joined the company before my child was even born. If AI technology can truly free us all in the future, I’d love for everyone to go see the beautiful scenery in the Jiangbei New Area—there are so many interesting places here waiting for us to explore and discover,” said Cool Jack.
Whenever friends ask CoolJack about the decision to set up operations in the Jiangbei New Area, he always speaks highly of the area with genuine enthusiasm.
He said that China will become the center of global e-commerce trade, and WPIC is fortunate to witness and participate in this; he likes to tell people the story of how it takes only 2 hours and 15 minutes to travel from his desk in Nanjing to his desk in Hangzhou; He likes to use hand gestures to mimic the sight of a high-speed train pulling out of the station, and he said he is incredibly excited about Nanjing North Station, hoping that the improved travel efficiency will extend to even more distant places.
“If you want to make a name for yourself, this is the place to be. Everyone here is down-to-earth, hardworking, and trustworthy. Plus, it’s a warm and welcoming place—like a home where you can put down roots,” said Cool Jack.
