The Industrial Giant Reborn

After Citigroup contacted Wal-Mart again, Chen Zhiwen and his team were also invited by Sam Walton. As Chen Zhiwen predicted, the founder personally intervened. After all, 10% of the shares were acquired by outsiders. Although the Walton family held More than 50% of the shares, but the shares are scattered, who knows what will happen in the future? There are contradictions among rich families in American dramas, but there are also many.

The aviation industry in the United States is very developed. Like the domestic high-speed rail in later generations, no one is better, only one is more suitable for the national conditions. The United States, which has a large land and few people, is naturally suitable for the aircraft industry. Not to mention, Boeing in the United States is the largest aircraft in the world. Manufacturing companies, even in the 70s, many models were the only ones.

New York is not far from Arkansas, and it took a 2-hour flight to reach the destination.

Wal-Mart still attaches great importance to Chen Zhiwen and his party, and specially arranged two commercial vehicles to receive them.

"This car?" Chen Zhiwen looked at the two cars that were much taller than one person, and said with a frown.

"Mr. Chen, what's the matter?" An American security guard was a little sensitive and asked when he saw the boss stopped here.

"It's nothing, let's get in the car." Chen Zhiwen waved his hand to show that he was okay, and said, "Danny, what kind of car is this car?"

"Is this a Ford commercial vehicle? This kind of model is relatively rare in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, and there may be a little more in other places." Danny explained.

"Business car? Okay." Chen Zhiwen nodded. After getting in the car, Chen Zhiwen felt as if he was sitting in an Iveco of later generations.

"Chen Sheng, what's the matter? Is there a problem?" Assistant An Qi asked.

"It's nothing, let's get in the car." Chen Zhiwen smiled and motioned for everyone to get in the car.

After everyone was seated, the two commercial vehicles started, and the vibration below made Chen Zhiwen feel that he was riding in a truck or a bus.

Chen Zhiwen asked Danny again: "Danny, is there a model called MPV in the United States?"

"MPV? I haven't heard of it." Danny thought for a while, then glanced at the other Americans around him, and shook his head in denial.

"OK, it's nothing, maybe I misremembered the name." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said. MPV should not have appeared yet. In his impression, the founding company of MPV should be the American Chrysler Corporation, and its project initiator is Lee Iacocca, one of the most powerful CEOs in American history.

The current second-in-command at Ford will be fired by Ford a few years later, and then join Chrysler, which was almost bankrupt at the time, and become the CEO of the latter, and then turn this almost bankrupt company into a loss within 4 years. In the fifth year, the net profit was as high as 1 billion US dollars, and the most credited project was the emergence of the world's first MPV.

It's just that this prophet seems to be of little use, not to mention MPV, even a motorcycle, Chen Zhiwen can't make it.

Wal-Mart's headquarters, in Bentonville, Arkansas, is neither small nor big. Even in the United States, most people don't know this city, but it gave birth to one of the most powerful companies in the future - Wal-Mart Supermarket .

After half an hour of driving, the team arrived at a 6-story building in the suburbs of Bentonville. Sam Walton's office was on the sixth floor, and he also met Chen Zhiwen here.

"Mr. Walton, hello." Chen Zhiwen saw this little old man who would become the richest man in the United States in ten years. If he hadn't met here, no one would have thought that this man who seemed to be a farmer in front of him would be The owner of a medium-sized supermarket chain.

"Call me Sam, Mr. Chen." Sam Walton said boldly.

"OK, Sam, you can call me Eric." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

"Please sit down, Eric." Sam Walton said with a smile, and made coffee for Chen Zhiwen himself.

"Thank you very much." Chen Zhiwen said after taking the coffee.

"These are coffee beans that I grow myself, and I prefer pure agricultural products, rather than imitating industrial production of agriculture." Sam Walton said.

Chen Zhiwen took a sip and said, "The taste is very good, but, doesn't our supermarket industry rely on industrialized agricultural products?"

"That's to save time for customers. Not everyone has enough time to do what they want to do like us," Sam Walton said.

"That's true." Chen Zhiwen nodded. Although many bosses are very busy, often even busier than the workers, this is the life he chooses. He chose to be "busy", while most of the workers are not. The choice can only be accepted passively, which is still very different.

"Eric, why did you choose to invest in Wal-Mart? Your investment in Wal-Mart is not a small amount. This money can be invested in many industries." Sam Walton asked with a smile.

"Because I am optimistic about the supermarket industry and Wal-Mart's business model." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile, a stock can rise 4,900 times within 27 years after listing, which can be said to be the greatest miracle in the history of human business. This cannot be done, because the market value valuation of many technology companies is not low when they go public.

Wal-Mart Supermarket was listed in 1970. By 1997, its market value was the largest in the world, close to 300 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 4,900 times compared to when it was just listed, with an average increase of 37% per year. It is stronger than Buffett’s investment, and it is normal. Stocks have a higher growth rate when the amount is small, and the same is true for Wal-Mart stock. Therefore, within two years of Chen Zhiwen's investment, the stock has more than doubled.

Of course, Chen Zhiwen's large amount of funds entering the market for acquisitions may have also increased the rise of Wal-Mart's stock.

"Which model of Wal-Mart does Eric think is good?" Sam Walton asked with a smile.

"Small profits but quick turnover." Chen Zhiwen said lightly: "Whether it is in the United States, Europe, or Asia where the economy is developing, the future retail industry will focus on small profits but quick turnover. Only by giving up to consumers to the greatest extent can we win the final victory.

Wal-Mart has followed this route since its inception, choosing to build supermarkets in the suburbs, reducing its gross profit margin and increasing sales. This is the main reason why Wal-Mart can develop to its current scale, especially after the oil crisis, the income of Americans has been severely affected However, daily consumption has been greatly increased due to oil prices and basic materials. Consumers also need high-quality and low-cost supermarkets. "

"So it was because of the oil crisis that you decided to invest heavily in Wal-Mart's stock, Eric?" Sam Walton nodded and asked with a smile.