The Industrial Giant Reborn

"Mr. Chen wants to invest in Haier?" Zhang Ruimin was not very surprised. In fact, he had also thought of this possibility. It was not certain, but there was a certain probability. If he came here just out of curiosity, although it cannot be said that it is impossible, it is just a bit pass.

Another one, curiosity or optimism is itself an important reason for choosing to invest. Since Chen Zhiwen praised Haier for focusing on quality, it is normal to invest again.

"Yes, just like Jianlibao, I invested in them, and they also obtained enough foreign exchange to purchase overseas equipment and even technology patents, and also allowed their drinks to enter my sales channels." Chen Zhiwen nodded.

"Sales channels, Mr. Chen, do you mean that Jianlibao has gone overseas?" Zhang Ruimin asked quickly. It is naturally impossible for him to know this kind of thing. He can check it if he wants to, but it has nothing to do with him before, so naturally he will not check it. .

"That's not true. Jianlibao now uses Red Bull's domestic sales channels." Chen Zhiwen paused and said, "But that was only in the early days. In fact, Jianlibao is now more popular than Red Bull's drinks in China. They have already I am building my own channel.

As for the foreign market, the beverage industry is already very mature. It is difficult to go abroad. Jianlibao's current factory cannot meet domestic demand, so there is no export business. We will consider this matter when the domestic market is saturated in the future. "

Historically, Jianlibao did not go overseas. It mainly focused on the domestic market. Not to mention its later decline, in the early 1990s before its decline, Jianlibao was still developing rapidly in China. Now it owns nearly half of the shares. Those The things that caused the decline of Jianlibao may not happen, and Jianlibao is also developing better domestically. Therefore, when considering overseas, it needs to be at least close to the 21st century. This will wait until later.

"Then you want to invest in Haier. I wonder if Haier can also go abroad?" Zhang Ruimin asked.

"You want to do export business? I can understand that everyone wants to earn foreign exchange, but the domestic market is still huge, so there is no need to be so anxious." Chen Zhiwen said.

In his impression, Haier was the first domestic brand to conquer the European and American markets, but he didn’t know the specific year. He had seen documentaries on this before. At that time, Europe and the United States looked down on Chinese products. It must be the late 80s or early 90s. No matter what, Zhang Ruimin must have done it much earlier than others.

"My goal is to make Haier's product quality no less than that of foreign imported brands. I also know that there is a huge gap at the moment and exporting is not realistic now, but at least there is hope." Zhang Ruimin said.

"Having such an ambitious goal is naturally a good thing." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said: "Actually, this goal is not difficult. Midea can achieve it, and you, Haier, can naturally do it. What you lack is the latest technology production line and the ability to use it skillfully. their workers.

We agree on this point. The production line we looked at before can indeed produce refrigerators that meet domestic needs, but they are far behind compared with foreign countries. So, you accept my investment and then buy the latest production line again. At least in theory, it is possible to produce refrigerators with the same quality as Midea or other foreign brands. "

"This is just a theory. In fact, talent is the most important thing." Zhang Ruimin said.

"Haha, yes, no matter how good the equipment is, it still can't work without anyone. It all depends on your own research and learning abilities." Chen Zhiwen smiled and said: "I can provide you with foreign exchange, and even help you introduce high-quality equipment supplies. Businessmen, with us as the middleman, they don't dare to cheat you. When you make high-quality products, you can also sell them through my overseas channels, but the production process in the middle is up to you."

Midea's home appliances have great potential in the future, but no matter what, it is impossible for one company to become the dominant one. Historically, at its peak, the market share in the global home appliance market was less than 5 points. Midea will surely do the same. Again, this is the law of the market. Without administrative orders, it is impossible to change. This is true for any large market, with the exception of the software Internet.

In this case, Chen Zhiwen definitely needs to supplement his income through investment, not only in terms of market value, but also in the entire industry chain. If Haier can still have the scale it once had in history, even if its industry chain is In one's own hands, half of it also has very high returns, and at the same time it can help stabilize one's position in the industry chain. The larger the scale, the lower the cost, the better the quality. This also makes other companies in the same industry and even competitors rely on oneself. Just like Samsung in the electronics field.

However, the future overseas home appliance giants have now taken shape, and their potential is not as good as that of several domestic companies. Therefore, he will naturally focus on investing in several domestic companies. In particular, these companies can also get early help from themselves, and maybe their future achievements will be even higher.

However, they can help in terms of funds, resources, and channels, and can even make the other party dependent, but they still have to rely on themselves for their own operations and research and development.

"Of course." Zhang Ruimin nodded and said.

"So, we can reach a preliminary intention?" Chen Zhiwen asked again. In fact, in China, for a small company like Haier to be favored by him, to put it bluntly, it is an honor, and basically The only option left is to buy it yourself, and I guess the local government will be happy to agree. This is true in history. In the past, in the 1980s and 1990s, many local brand companies with potential were sold to the government. Foreign investment came in, and then it was hidden again, and it was completely fooled by foreign investment.

And I really want to help the other person develop. This is the way to maximize profits for yourself.

"Haier is not my personal company, but a local state-owned enterprise in Qingdao City. Although I am the director of the factory, I am only a manager and cannot decide such things for the factory. But I think the Qingdao City Government will not refuse. This requirement." Zhang Ruimin said.

"Yes, I guess there is no problem with them, but I still respect your opinion, Director Zhang." Chen Zhiwen said: "Rather than saying that I am investing in an electrical appliance factory in Qingdao City, it is better to say that I am investing in you. , a Zhang Ruimin who attaches great importance to quality. For me, talent is the most important thing. Without you, I wouldn’t necessarily want the shares of this factory given to me for free. "

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Chen." Zhang Ruimin said with a smile, and then asked: "How many shares does Mr. Chen need?"

"My shareholding in Jianlibao is 49%. This is also the highest shareholding currently allowed in domestic joint ventures. How much do you think is appropriate?" Chen Zhiwen asked rhetorically.

"Mr. Chen, 49% is too much. In my personal opinion, it is 30% of the shares. I cannot make the decision on the government." Zhang Ruimin thought for a moment and said, "It's just that Haier is a state-owned enterprise. Although I contracted it, In this matter, I’m afraid my advice will be ineffective.”

Contracting is a model in which the government grants operating rights to individuals in order to save some local state-owned enterprises that are on the verge of bankruptcy or have serious local financial burdens. It is similar to leasing. The two parties reach an agreement. Either the individual pays how much money to the government every year, or it saves the government. How much money can an individual earn after a business, etc.

The factories to be contracted are different for every person and every place, and there are hundreds of contracting models, but the core ownership is still owned by the government. Once the issue of shares is involved, the contractor naturally has no right to speak.

In particular, the premise of contracting is that the enterprise is no longer viable. Now that foreign capital comes to invest or acquire, the enterprise will survive, and naturally there is no need for a contractor. Although there is a contract in advance, there is no way to compensate for the breach of contract legally. .

"I respect your opinion, but it doesn't mean that I agree to it. What will happen next depends on our three-party negotiation." Chen Zhiwen said.

The main reason for investing in Haier is for Zhang Ruimin. Naturally, you need to respect him. However, you still have to get the benefits you deserve. Just find a balance. Smart people like Zhang Ruimin may have thought about privatizing Haier. They want it. Too many shares may have the opposite effect on investment.

In this regard, Li Jingwei of Jianlibao is not as good as Zhang Ruimin. First of all, Li Jingwei has never thought about equity issues. Historically, in the early 1990s, someone suggested that Jianlibao go public, but he rejected it. In fact, this is a very good opportunity, even if it cannot be privately held. Huajian Lipao, at least he can get a lot of shares, and with a Hong Kong background, the subsequent game of local government will inevitably be constrained by the Hong Kong capital market.

Unfortunately, it was not until the local government asked Li Jingwei to retire that he realized that the company he had controlled for more than ten years had no legal say. In the end, there was internal fighting between the two parties. As a result, both sides suffered losses, and the beverage group with annual sales of billions fell. .

"Thank you, Mr. Chen." Zhang Ruimin said sincerely. If Chen Zhiwen didn't care about his opinion, he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. At most, he could only change places and leave. Then his hard work in running Haier for so long would be lost. It was all in vain.

"You're welcome. I have great respect for entrepreneurs like Director Zhang who value quality. I hope you can continue to maintain this business philosophy in the future." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

"This is inevitable." Zhang Ruimin said confidently.

"That's good." Chen Zhiwen nodded.

Chen Zhiwen has no interest in understanding the current situation of Haier Company. He came here to invest mainly because he is optimistic about Zhang Ruimin and his team. As for whether Haier is losing money or making money, it doesn't matter. At most, he will follow up on his own The investment funds in charge of the Mainland will assess the value of the joint venture company based on the current situation after detailed review of the entry, and negotiate with the local government or Zhang Ruimin's team on the amount of shares to be purchased and other issues.

Of course, this also includes issues related to industrial chain cooperation. In recent years, in the Mainland, whether it is investment from the electronics industry, the automobile industry, the daily light industrial product trade driven by Galaxy Trade, etc., there is a rigid requirement, that is, to join relevant Supply chain requirements.

However, it is not absolute coercion, but consultation and cooperation. At most, it requires a certain proportion, priority, etc., and because its supply chain is large in scale and has high technology, it is absolutely cost-effective in terms of cost performance. So far, there is no such thing. An example of a company suffering losses due to the use of Chen Zhiwen's various industrial chain combinations.

Although in the long run, everything is controlled by outsiders, in the short term, it is definitely a super bargain. This is also a conspiracy set up by Chen Zhiwen. Once you join, many companies with potential in the future can develop faster, but they are too dependent on external parties.

As for whether anyone would still consider building their own? It's possible, but definitely not many. When others are completely mature, it is not easy for others to overtake on the same straight track!

Later, when the officials of the Qingdao City local government learned that Chen Zhiwen was going to invest in Haier, they immediately showed an amazing courtesy. It felt like they didn't care even if they gave Haier to Chen Zhiwen in its entirety. This was naturally rejected by Chen Zhiwen.

…

After leaving Haier Company, Chen Zhiwen originally planned to leave, but the Qingdao City Government tried its best to persuade him to stay, so he only stayed for one more day.

Early the next morning, Chen Zhiwen had just finished breakfast and was about to go to the beach when Director Zhao from the Qingdao City Industrial Bureau came again.

"Sheng Chen, I have taken the liberty to visit you. We would like to ask you one more thing. I wonder if you are interested in investing in some companies in Qingdao City. We still have many very high-quality companies here." Director Zhao asked with a smile. .

Attracting foreign investment has now become one of the main economic development directions of many cities in China. The most successful one is in eastern Guangdong Province.

Before the reform, the economy of Eastern Guangdong Province was average, ranking around 15th in the country. It was neither strong nor weak, and it was not necessarily as good as Shandong Province. However, after the reform, Hong Kong capital invested heavily in Eastern Guangdong, allowing the local economy to develop rapidly. , directly reaching the top five in the country, and more importantly, the export of a large number of Hong Kong-funded factories has generated a large amount of billions of foreign exchange, which can make other companies that are struggling to earn less than 5 million US dollars a year The provinces are envious.

But they rely on the advantages of geographical location, language and language, so they can't envy it. Other provinces can't win over Eastern Guangdong Province even if they rack their brains.

The only exception is the investment of Hong Kong's big capital in the country. The biggest among them is naturally Chen Zhiwen. There are a large number of super factories in Yanjing and Shanghai, plus highways or large office buildings and hotels, etc. These alone are enough to surpass hundreds of ordinary people. Invested.

Originally, Qingdao City didn't have this idea. After all, its conditions were not good, but Chen Zhiwen unexpectedly took the initiative to invest in a company, so it was natural to build a good relationship.

In fact, as long as Chen Zhiwen invests here, he can use it as a reason for his own publicity.

"Director Zhao, investing in Haier is just a casual interest of mine. It is not a strategic plan of our group." Chen Zhiwen explained politely.

"We also know this, but accidental interest is also an opportunity for us to cooperate. Maybe there are many other companies in Qingdao City that can bring interest to Xun." Director Zhao then took out the hand from the person behind him. A document said: "Mr. Chen, this is the list we compiled overnight. It is all the companies in Qingdao City that have a certain scale or reputation, except for some special industries."

"Director Zhao is so polite." Chen Zhiwen could only accept it and took a serious look. Suddenly, a familiar name came into view:

"Qingdao City Beer Company!" (End of this chapter)