The Industrial Giant Reborn

On May 26, 1977, Chen Zhiwen returned to Hong Kong from the United States, but instead of Cathay Pacific Airways, he rented a Taiwanese first-class G.1159 and returned to Hong Kong from New York.

But this kind of small aircraft can only fly three to four thousand kilometers at a time, so it took two and a half days to get to Hong Kong after refueling and maintenance at the airports in Los Angeles, Anchorage, Alaska, and Tokyo. Taking a Boeing 747 takes much longer, and the body feels uncomfortable, because the plane is too small, and it will vibrate very badly when it encounters air currents.

The current type of private jet is suitable for entrepreneurs who often fly short distances. For example, they often stay in the United States and Europe. It is very suitable. There is no need to go to the airport to wait for the flight. Just find a small airport for takeoff and landing, but it is obviously not suitable. Chen Zhiwen, who has stayed in Hong Kong for a long time and basically seldom goes to nearby countries.

Chen Zhiwen is optimistic about the Boeing aircraft. In fact, he sent someone to ask about it before, but Boeing seems to be indifferent to this order. Of course, the order will be accepted, but it will take two or three years.

During this period, the global economy began to recover, and all countries had a strong demand for aircraft. A large number of orders were placed on Boeing, the only aircraft that can fly across continents. First come, first served, and I only had one, so naturally I had to queue for a long time.

After thinking over and over again, Chen Zhiwen still gave up placing the order, because he knew that in less than two years, the second oil crisis would break out, the price of oil would rise from US$10 to US$30+, and the global economy would suffer again. In a critical attack, most airlines will suffer avalanches of losses. Boeing’s orders will inevitably be affected by then, and many airlines will default on the manufactured aircraft. , you can buy new aircraft directly, and the price will be much cheaper, even in stock, and you can get it earlier than placing an order directly now.

That night, when Chen Zhiwen returned home, a sumptuous dinner was naturally on standby. The family also recruited several highly capable chefs to take charge of the daily meals.

"Is the business in the United States going well?" Chen Tianfu asked while drinking some wine.

"It's okay, the chip production line has already been obtained, and I will be able to go to Hong Kong in a few months. I didn't participate in the LCD production line, but there will be no problem." Chen Zhiwen replied, although the liquid crystal thing is different from the chips of later generations. The industry is also the largest super factory in the electronics industry that needs investment, but it is far behind now.

Because before the appearance of LCD notebooks, the LCD industry was a very small industry, which could only supply products such as electronic watches, handheld game consoles, and calculators. These markets are not small, but they are not too big. Big electronics companies are also working hard to develop this technology, expecting liquid crystals to enter the TV field, but obviously, the current liquid crystal technology is still decades away from this goal.

Therefore, the current United States has no control over liquid crystal technology at all, as long as the money is in place, and although the liquid crystal industry was invented by RCA in the United States, Japan’s research in this area began in the early 1970s. At present, Japan has already Started to beat up American counterparts, and many related American companies are preparing to withdraw from this industry, because the current LCD industry is not important, so it has not received the attention of the White House like chips a few years later.

"That's good. During this period of time, Hong Kong's real estate market is also very good, and the trend of real estate speculation has risen again in many places." Chen Tianfu said.

"I don't know whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. If the housing price increases several times this time, Hong Kong's industry will not be able to support it." Chen Zhiwen smiled and shook his head. In fact, this is inevitable. The factory is so tiring, who wants to go in? How many countries have succeeded in relying on industrial development, and then began to hollow out their industries.

Unless industrial upgrading is carried out, but this is very difficult. The middle-income trap in many developing countries is actually the failure of industrial upgrading. Without high-end industries, ordinary people who have enough to eat and drink are unwilling to work in sweatshops, and the economy will be completely depressed. After a period of time, there will be no chance for industrial talents to die.

"The general trend is unstoppable, and we can only let it go." Chen Tianfu said: "The real estate market makes money much faster than the industry. Many factory owners in the 1960s also came to speculate on houses. Those who are capable He even started his own real estate company.”

"Anyway, our family is not losing money. We also make money in the real estate market. If the industry is not good enough, we will move out." Chen Zhiwen said indifferently.

Even if I prepare early and buy cheap land in advance to prevent my factory from being overwhelmed by rent costs in the future, labor costs will rise rapidly with housing prices. Even if Midea or Red Bull don’t care because of their large profits, other factories can. No, you must know that in many industries, especially low-end and low-value industries, the labor costs they can bear are limited, and once they are high, they will inevitably lose money.

And if all these factories leave, Hong Kong’s industrial chain will be completely broken. Maybe Red Bull, a beverage factory with a simple supply chain, can stay, but Midea’s electronics industry must leave together. Let’s say the most common fan, Midea It is also impossible to produce all by yourself, let alone more complicated home appliances.

His goal is to build a top-level industrial company. It does not have to be produced in Hong Kong, but the management or technology research and development layer can be located in Hong Kong. Given Hong Kong's population and future housing prices, this direction is possible.

"It's good to have this idea. People like us, don't go against the trend." Chen Tianfu smiled, and said: "However, there are fewer and fewer people coming to our fund company to save money recently. People are using their funds to buy houses again.”

"Normal. Now that the real estate market is improving, who has money and doesn't want to buy a house? Many of those who have no money are people who don't dare to invest, let alone deposit money in our fund. After all, it's not a bank. Credibility It's still much lower." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said.

Many people can’t afford a house, not because they really can’t afford it, but because they don’t dare to go into debt, for fear that they will owe a lot of money and then they won’t be able to pay it back, or that the house price will plummet after buying it, and they are afraid that they will buy it themselves, and then hesitate , I missed the opportunity to buy a house. I could have bought a down payment of 120 square meters, but now I can only buy 80 square meters. If my mentality collapses, I will not buy it.

And this kind of people are also the most afraid of taking risks. They dare not touch other investments at all. They also live frugally in daily life, depositing money in the bank, and then the bank will loan the money to more rich people to speculate in real estate.

"Yes, but even if you don't receive any money, these shops can't be closed, otherwise it will cause anxiety to those who have already invested, and it will be troublesome." Chen Zhiwen continued.

"I know that. The shops are all mine, so I'll open them over there." Chen Tianfu nodded and said, "The most important thing for me now is to build up the properties at the subway entrances in Central and Admiralty."

"Yes, if you do it well, you will be famous in the entire Hong Kong real estate industry, and the MTR company will be more willing to cooperate with you." Chen Zhiwen said that the profit that a subway station can make is actually limited, but if you can cooperate with the MTR company Build a good relationship, that is the long-term profit.

"Galaxy Real Estate under your subsidiary has been relatively active recently, acquiring a lot of new land," Chen Tianfu said again.

"I don't pay much attention to this area anymore. Basically, they hand in the information. I have a look, and I agree with it if there is no major problem." Chen Zhiwen shrugged and said, now Hong Kong's real estate is in a period of growth, basically where to invest They can make money, and I am not a professional in real estate, basically I don't ask too much, just look at where the place is.

In 1975 and 1976, there were too many golden opportunities, so he would personally order something to be done. Now, after two years of self-development, Costco and industrial companies in Hong Kong have already entered a He needs to prepare for the expansion of the industry again, unless something similar to the acquisition of Wharf happens, otherwise, just look at the quarterly earnings of the real estate company, even including Hutchison, although Hutchison’s business It also involves other businesses, but at present, the real estate market is still the mainstream, because Hutchison will be able to develop other industries only after the huge profits earned from the real estate market.

"You are quite at ease. When my company is big enough, maybe it can be like this." Chen Tianfu said with a smile.

Hong Kong, in the southeast corner of the Midea Industrial Park, more than ten container trucks are working hard to load, a large amount of Red Bull drinks and Coca-Cola are being loaded into the container, dozens of employees are chatting while working, suddenly saw a group of very dressed A group of people in overalls came over and immediately stopped talking. When the group of people passed by, a worker pushing a forklift said, "That was Director Dai just now, he seemed to be fawning on the young people in the middle? Who is it? A client?"

"How could it be a customer? Our products are all exported, so the customer should be a ghost." Another person said.

"Could it be the boss? The big boss?" Another person said.

"It's really possible. No wonder I've been cleaning so hard these days that my waist is almost broken."

"You must have handed in too much homework, hahahaha."

"The sanitation is not bad, and there are no temporary make-up classes?" Chen Zhiwen asked with a smile after walking around the factory.

"There is one thing, but not much. We also attach great importance to hygiene work in our daily life. We also hired two Chinese from a Japanese food company to take charge of this area of ​​management." Qin Zhihao said.

"Okay, the most important thing is to pay attention to food safety, otherwise, one incident can ruin the entire company." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said.

"Our inspections are all conducted by professional laboratories. We have invested millions of Hong Kong dollars in the testing equipment alone. Chen Sheng is absolutely assured of this." Qin Zhihao assured that Red Bull's profit itself is very high , Naturally, he was willing to pay for the required investment.

"Okay, you can just control it." Chen Zhiwen said again: "Come to Red Bull today, to see the factory is secondary, there is another thing, Costco, Pierce wants to make more products by himself, It used to be very cola, but now it has taken a fancy to food. It is an ordinary snack. I discussed it with him and planned to make potato chips in Hong Kong.”

"Potato chips?" Qin Zhihao thought for a while and said, "There are also a few small factories in Hong Kong that produce potato chips, but basically they are not popular brands, or OEM for foreign brands. If we do it, we will get it from them You can’t learn anything, basically you can only start from scratch.”

"This kind of small food brand can basically only go to the rural market. Food is related to safety, and big supermarkets attach great importance to it. Therefore, we either do not do it or do it, but we must do it well. Costco is just a starting point. In the future If there is an opportunity, we will also supply to other markets." Chen Zhiwen continued.

"Of course, if we want to do it, we need to make it bigger. The raw material of potato chips is potatoes, and the potatoes in Hong Kong are basically supplied from the mainland. It is very easy to buy high-quality potatoes from China Resources, but if you want to make them well, the taste is the most important thing." , High-quality taste is the biggest selling point. In this regard, we have no reserves at all. I am afraid that this team will take a while to build." Qin Zhihao thought for a while and said.

"I have also considered the taste. In Hong Kong, there is a company called Taohua Datong. They have been established for more than 50 years. They are mainly good at making sauces and soy sauce. You can recruit people from them." Chen Zhiwen said .

When Pierce suggested Hong Kong to make food, Chen Zhiwen was already thinking about the taste, because the main raw materials of all snacks are similar, and if he is willing to spend money to buy good materials, there will be no difference between any one. For example, potato chips, the raw material is potatoes, as long as Chen Zhiwen is willing to spend money, the potatoes he can buy are not necessarily worse than Lay's, unless there are regional differences, resulting in different crops.

In addition to the main ingredients, the taste is controlled. There is a lot of metaphysics in it. It is not a high-tech, but it depends on the combination. It needs long-term experience to facilitate it. It can also be seen from the annual reports of many food companies in later generations that R\u0026D investment may even increase sales. Stable products basically don't need research and development, but when they are newly opened, it is a very troublesome thing.

In the whole of Hong Kong, the deepest research on flavoring is Taohua Datong. This company was established in 1908. It has been researching in this area for 60 to 70 years, although it is not researching on the taste of snacks.

"Taohua Datong? My family's soy sauce is also theirs." Qin Zhihao thought for a while and asked: "Chen Sheng, as far as I know, Taohua Datong also has a lot of land, or you arranged for Hehuang or Xinghe to buy it It, it will be more convenient for me this way?"

"Acquire them? Are you also interested in real estate?" Chen Zhiwen asked.

"No, I just thought that the progress of poaching people is still too slow. Even if we poach people with high salaries, many of the ingredient patents that these people are familiar with are still in the hands of Taohua Datong. I don't know how long it will take to develop from scratch. It's a long wait. The time is too long. Since Costco put forward this request, it should be hoped that we can supply it as soon as possible, and with Taohua Datong, based on their experience, in addition to potato chips, many other snacks may be made quickly. Come out." Qin Zhihao continued.

"Although Taohua Datong is a listed company, it was acquired by a Malaysian company very early on, with a holding ratio of more than 45%. There is no way for me to force the acquisition. I can only discuss it. I will entrust Huodoli to try it out. Give it a try." Chen Zhiwen thought for a while and said, "It's just that Taohua Datong Group also has a lot of food business, such as frozen dumplings, glutinous rice balls, moon cakes, and rice dumplings. Are you looking at these?"

"If it can be acquired, let them continue to operate on their own. These markets are too small, and they are only aimed at Chinese, and the market is limited." Lei Shengli shook his head and said: "I only fancy their seasoning department."

"Okay, then wait a little longer. If Huodoli can't do it, you can spend money to poach people from there." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

Taohua Datong does have some land under its umbrella, but it is not irreplaceable, but the seasoning department is indeed of great help to the entire food business.