The Guangcai Programme is part of China's Western Development Strategy, through which, Creat Group deploys financial resources, sets up entity, implements training programmes, develops local and regional trade and aims to accelerate economic, educational, sanitary and cultural development in deprived areas. In 2002, Creat invested US$11.7 million (RMB80 million) through Andre Juice to establish a modern apple concentrated juice processing base. Creat works to a business model that marries commercial interests to those of the local farming community. Andre Juice introduced processing capacity, scientific research, distribution logistics and brand building to the local economy, and by 2002 was processing 140 thousand tons apples and generated additional income of more than US$ 7.6 million (RMB 52 million) of income for local farmers. This approach to local and regional development won high praise from Lars Thunell, Executive Vice President of the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, during his first visit to China during May 2006.