The birth of the Hong Kong Island family

On the second day of his wedding, Lin Zhichao came to Cheung Kong Industries in Tsuen Wan.

"Mr. Smith, I apologize for my poor hospitality yesterday!" Lin Zhichao said sincerely to Smith, the visiting 'zipper merchant'.

It turned out that Smith happened to come to Hong Kong yesterday to inspect Cheung Kong Holdings, but Lin Zhichao was getting married, so naturally he couldn't accompany him, so he asked Wang Liang to accompany him on the inspection and attend his wedding together.

Smith said happily: "Mr. Lin, you are welcome. To be honest, I am very satisfied with yesterday's harvest. First of all, I am very satisfied with the new zippers produced by your new machine; secondly, I admire you very much, you are really successful." We improved the automatic zipper machine and produced an automatic slider punching machine; finally, your factory management is as good as ever."

It is definitely difficult to improve the automatic zipper machine (rice arranging machine). The key lies in Lin Zhichao’s thoughts and creativity; otherwise, no machinery company would want to improve it, or at least it might be born a few years later.

The same is true for the development of automatic slider stamping machines. I am afraid that those zipper machine manufacturers have never thought that small sliders can get rid of manual mechanical manufacturing (it is also mechanical manufacturing, but with a high degree of manual labor) and use automated stamping machines.

After completing these two things, it has been determined that Yangtze River Industry will occupy a place in the world's zipper industry.

"In that case, why don't we go to the office and talk about increasing cooperation?"

"certainly"

Lin Zhichao was immediately very happy and invited Smith to the office area opened on the side of the factory. The area of ​​this one-story factory is 30,000 square feet (3,333 square meters), which is considered a large-scale factory in Hong Kong.

As far as Lin Zhichao knows, Smith is a large zipper businessman. He not only supplies part of the zipper share of the US military in Asia, but also acts as an agent for zipper sales in the United States.

Therefore, Lin Zhichao attaches great importance to Smith's cooperation.

In the office, Smith said as expected: "Mr. Lin, I know that your costs have been significantly reduced, so I plan to increase my order from you, with no less than 50,000 meters of zippers per month."

Lin Zhichao's heart skipped a beat. A new zipper rice arranging machine can line 1,000 meters of rice per day (5,000 to 6,000 pieces). As soon as Smith made the move, he provided the production capacity of two machines, and he has become a VIP member of Yangtze River Industry. P.

At the same time, Japanese zipper agents and Southeast Asian zipper agents have increased the number of orders. The business of the five automatic zipper machines that have just been added has reached 60% to 70%.

The Southeast Asian zipper agent added orders because the unit price given by Cheung Kong was lowered again, and Cheung Kong only earned them 1 Hong Kong dollar per meter. With the unit price reduction, it is natural that there is no room for handmade zipper products in Southeast Asia. However, the supply of zippers in Southeast Asia is still produced by old-fashioned machines.

The RB zipper agent placed additional orders because Cheung Kong provided new machine products, and the price began to drop. Cheung Kong only earned 0.8 Hong Kong dollars per meter.

The old machine can produce 200,000 meters a year, and the new machine can produce 360,000 meters a year. At present, the annual output of Yangtze River Industry has reached 3 million meters; there are also five new rice arranging machines, which are expected to be delivered in March. The output value will reach 4.8 million meters. Of course, this is an ideal situation, it doesn't matter if there are so many orders.

"No problem! Aluminum alloy zippers will cost you 70 cents per meter, and copper zippers will cost you 95 cents per meter. We guarantee you the best price, and we don't make much profit."

Gross profit is around 30%, which does not include the value of machines and workshops, only the selling price of the zipper itself minus the cost price. For example, assuming that Cheung Kong produced 4 million meters of zippers in 1949, the gross profit would reach about 3.5 million Hong Kong dollars.

This output is not high. In the late 1950s, the total output of YKK zippers in the previous life was already 400 million meters, which is around the world.

Smith heard the words, looked at Lin Zhichao's expression, and knew that the price did not come and go. Because it was like this last time, the young man's offer was a 'no second price', neither counter-offering. The reason why he is so "beautiful" is very simple, the zipper is the cheapest in the world, and the quality is at the first-class level.

"There is no problem with the price, but my zipper needs to be produced by all new machines. The material must be aluminum alloy produced in the United States. Of course, if you can also make the same aluminum alloy yourself, I will admit it." After speaking, Smith smiled. stand up.

It was a joke behind, he did not believe that Lin Zhichao could invest in aluminum alloy smelting in Hong Kong.

Lin Zhichao responded: "Of course there is no problem! By the way, Mr. Smith, I have invested in a factory in Singapore, and I may ship goods from there in the future." Get vaccinated in advance to avoid being abandoned later.

In fact, during the peninsula war, Hong Kong products could also export eagle sauce, but there must be complicated procedures and difficulties. Importantly, the raw materials will definitely not be imported, so the zipper company in Singapore will come in handy.

"Hey, Mr. Lin is expanding so fast!" Smith said seriously.

The rapid development of this young man is incredible.

After a few words of humility, the two were ready to sign a formal supply contract.

After getting Smith's order, Cheung Kong needs to export a large number of zippers to the European and American markets.

Lin Zhichao's idea is to send people directly to find the market.

Of course, he will not go to Europe and the United States to sell in person. Recently, because there are many people from the mainland who have sought refuge in Hong Kong, Cheung Kong has really recruited a lot of talents.

The so-called talents are nothing more than those who have read books, know English, or even studied abroad. They are talents in this era. Especially knowing English is enough for a person to find a job with a monthly salary of hundreds of dollars.

at the same time.

The YKK zipper far away in RB encountered troubles and managed to own four automatic zipper machines. As a result, the orders were not full and the price was suppressed.

At cost:

The cost of one meter of Cheung Kong's aluminum alloy zippers is less than 2 Hong Kong dollars (0.4 Hong Kong dollars per piece), while the cost of YKK zippers is as high as 3 Hong Kong dollars (0.6 Hong Kong dollars per piece), because Cheung Kong Industries has adopted a new type of automatic zipper machine, and the raw material procurement is large in volume. The tax is low and it seems cheap, even the labor is cheaper.

Now, Cheung Kong Industries only earns 1.6 cents per unit, and its RB agents are also selling at low prices in order to stabilize their own market. Therefore, YKK has no choice but to lower prices and barely keep prices at the same level.

But in this case, profits will be low, and it will be impossible for Tadao Yoshida to grow rapidly.

Calculated by mass:

The zippers supplied by Yangtze River Industrial to Japan all use new automatic rice arranging machines and automatic slider stamping machines, which are one level better than YKK zippers.

Therefore, in the Japanese market, Hong Kong zippers have won half of the market.

Tadao Yoshida knew that changes had to be made, otherwise Hong Kong's zipper development would get better and better, and it would become increasingly difficult for him to survive.

He immediately approached Hitachi Machinery Factory to seek cooperation because he knew that Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Industries had adopted a new type of automatic rice arranging machine and automatic slider punching machine.

Finally, the president of Hitachi Machinery Factory inspected YKK zippers, but the results were not satisfactory.

"President Yoshida, you want to improve this machine or develop and produce a slider automatic punching machine, but you don't have specific direction and experience to give us now, which is obviously not possible. After all, we are not familiar with this machine. And, according to what you said, Hong Kong is already using new machines, and I doubt whether you will be able to repay it if we spend huge sums of money on research and development. So, you need to prove yourself first before seeking cooperation between us."

Tadao Yoshida also knew that he was too eager, and he was not ready either in terms of market or technology.

However, he was really too impatient and felt like he was always passively chasing after others. He had a feeling that the man in Hong Kong had understood his idea and realized it one step ahead.

You know, he was impressed by the products of an American zipper merchant in 1947, and later wanted to use an automatic rice arranging machine. Unexpectedly, he was taken the lead by the Hong Kong people.

"President Matsushima, can you ask Hitachi Machinery Factory to send two excellent mechanical R\u0026D engineers to conduct research on this automatic rice rowing machine first. After all, our little RB empire does not have such machines yet, it is a blank. Hong Kong's industry is There is no advantage. Once we can build better machines, then YKK zippers will become the world's zipper giant, and I am willing to hand over all the machinery to your production."

When it comes to writing bad checks, Tadao Yoshida is not a modern person.

However, Songdao still said: "I'll think about it when I go back. Anyway, I still hope you won't be anxious and take more time to prepare."

Tadao Yoshida had no choice but to watch Matsushima leave.

He is now in a dilemma: zipper prices can only make a small profit, and the order schedule is not satisfactory; he is worried that Hong Kong zipper manufacturers will make another surprise move and completely suppress the Japanese zipper industry.

Especially if you fall behind one step, you will fall behind every step, so YKK zippers must come up with new machines as soon as possible.

In fact, Tadao Yoshida feels that there is no hope of coming up with new machines within a year, and it may not be possible within two years. After all, RB has never survived an automatic zipper machine, so everything needs to start from scratch.

"I will not give up!" In the end, Tadao Yoshida showed a determined look.

"My situation at this time is much better than that of the manual period, so why admit defeat!" Although the orders for the four machines are not enough, they are really making money.

"Let Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Industries take the lead for two years, and YKK Zipper will definitely have the last laugh in the future." He still firmly believes that Hong Kong's industrial development is far less potential than RB.

Tsuen Wan.

'Nan Hai Textile', founded by Tang Ping-yuan, is located in Tsuen Wan, together with Cheung Kong Industries and Oriental Textiles, both on Castle Peak Road. They were among the first large-scale factories in Hong Kong to settle in Tsuen Wan after World War II.

Tang Zhongyuan brought his wife Song Qiaoling to Nanhai Textile, but when he saw the two factory buildings standing there, he couldn't help but sigh at the wealth of his cousin Tang Bingyuan.

This is the fact. Tang Bingyuan brought 80 Shanghai-based skilled workers to Hong Kong last year. This strength is not comparable to that of Tang Zhongyuan. You must know that when Tang Zhongyuan returned to Shanghai, he finally hired only more than 30 skilled workers.

"Our family has been living here recently. Although it is remote, the Nanhai Textile Factory is big enough, which is convenient for work and a good place to live." Tang Bingyuan introduced with a smile.

Tang Zhongyuan nodded and said, "The factory is quite impressive!"

Tang Bingyuan said: "Your new factory is quite impressive. It will be built in the second half of the year. There is no need to be envious!"

He has long since let go of his cousin's successful career development. No matter what, we are still part of the same family.

At this time, Wen Jinmei wanted to compare, and then said: "It's hard to get orders now. Your cousin worries about this matter every day, and finally opened up. Our monthly production now exceeds 100,000 pounds of cotton yarn and 200,000 square meters of cotton cloth." code."

Dilibala talked a lot, praising Tang Bingyuan's ability and winning a large number of orders, which was 30% higher than that of Oriental Textile.

Tang Bingyuan is really powerful. When he was in the Mainland, he was already a member of the National Supreme Economic Council. His connections are in Europe and the United States, so it is natural for Nanhai Textile to have such achievements.

After Wen Jinmei finished speaking, she didn't forget to look at Song Qiaoling. The two Tang family daughters-in-law were naturally indispensable for comparison. Of course, they were also in the same social circle, and their relationship was not bad. However, Song Qiaoling's rise was very strong after arriving in Hong Kong. This made Wen Jinmei was a little unhappy.

Song Qiaoling said with a smile: "We are all happy! We at Oriental Textile have doubled their orders recently, and the factory is currently overwhelmed. We are looking forward to the completion of the new factory so that we can move in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, even Tang Bingyuan looked at his cousin Tang Zhongyuan curiously.

"Cheung Kong Industrial has invested in five new automatic zipper machines, one equal to the previous two. In addition, their orders are growing rapidly, so the demand for textile fabrics has also increased. Especially orders from Europe and the United States have very high requirements for textile fabrics. Fortunately, my son-in-law warned me half a year ago, otherwise Oriental Textile might have missed the opportunity."

Tang Bingyuan and Wen Jinmei were immediately shocked. Of course, they were not shocked by Oriental Textile, but shocked that Yangtze River Industrial was developing so fast. Its one-time production capacity had more than doubled, and its orders were also immediately doubled. Wouldn't it mean that it was earning millions of Hong Kong dollars a year?

In fact, these people underestimated the quantity of textile cloth required by Cheung Kong Industrial. After all, although the zipper cloth is small, it cannot support the large quantity. Because of this, YKK Zipper in its previous life opened its own textile factory, smelted its own copper, smelted its own aluminum alloys, and developed its own nylon, a one-stop industrial chain.

To put it bluntly, Tang Zhongyuan has no problem becoming one of the top five textile companies in Hong Kong by relying on Cheung Kong Holdings. If he works harder, there is a good chance that the top three companies will be able to form a large group of "spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing".

As for the ready-made garment industry, it is currently a cooperation between the two parties (still in preparation).

Wen Jinmei asked in shock: "Changjiang Industrial is developing so fast?"

Song Qiaoling said proudly: "What does this mean? Their zipper products are of better quality and cheaper than those in Europe and the United States. They will deliver several machines this year. Once they enter the European and American markets, the production will have to increase. So, we are now I can’t wait for the new factory to be built and put into production soon.”

Damn it, I was outdone by this woman again, Wen Jinmei said in her heart.

Tang Bingyuan happily patted Tang Zhongyuan on the shoulder and said, "Okay, if we two brothers meet together, we can create new glory for the Tang family in Hong Kong."

Tang Zhongyuan smiled and nodded, and said, "That's right! I just don't know if Brother Zengyuan will come to Hong Kong?"

Tang Zengyuan is also a textile tycoon in the south of the Yangtze River. His grandfather is the biological brother of Tang Bingyuan and Tang Zhongyuan. He is equivalent to the ancestor of Yuan's descendants. They are the same person, that is, the Tang family cloth village in Piling.

"I'm not sure what he means, but I guess he sent Xiang Qian to Hong Kong and he stayed in the mainland. We Tang people also have to keep people in the mainland. If the situation in the mainland gets better and clearer, we will still have to go back after all. " Tang Bingyuan looked north.

His mentality is that of many wealthy people in Hong Kong.

But it wasn't Tang Zhongyuan's psychology, he was calmed down by what his son-in-law said.

"Well, if Xiang Qian comes to Hong Kong, he can also make a career in the textile industry. The three flags of the Tang family will definitely regain the glory of the famous family in Lining."

Tang Bingyuan and Wen Jinmei couldn't help but sigh that their cousin had changed and became ambitious and confident. In the past, no one from their lineage had the right to speak. Only Tang Bingyuan and Tang Zengyuan of the Pilingtang clan could be considered 'qualified to speak'.

All this is due to his 21-year-old son-in-law!