[2] In 1984, Ren used a loan of RMB ¥10,000[3] to start Bluestar Company (蓝星公司), an industrial solvents factory, together with seven young employees.
[5] Starting in 1996,[4] Ren created the ChemChina empire by taking control of more than 100 troubled chemical factories all over China, which remained government-owned.
His management style was to keep lay-offs at a minimum by shifting workers to the company's Malan Noodle restaurant chain, and to modernize by bringing in outside consultants.
[3] In May 2004, after the State Council of China approved a merger of companies formerly under the Ministry of Chemical Industry as the China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina), Ren Jianxin became its General Manager, as well as Deputy Secretary of the Committee of the [Communist] Party in the company (became the Secretary since 2010).
Since December 2014 he has been promoted to the chairman of the board of directors, on top of his position as the highest ranking Communist Party member of the firm.