The Industrial Giant Reborn.

Chapter 354 The ambition of the automobile industry

Zhou Jiayang replied: "Yes, the name of this company is Yanjing No. [-] Machine Tool Factory. It is the largest machine tool factory in Yanjing City and even North China. It is mainly good at milling machines. It belongs to the first rank in China. , other lathes and grinders are almost a little bit worse, this may also be a special arrangement in China before the re-opening."

"Milling machine? What about other machine tools?" Chen Zhiwen asked. In fact, he didn't know much about machine tools, but he probably knew the types.

"Basically, this seems to be a deliberate arrangement before the re-opening, but I heard that other machine tools are also being studied now." Zhou Jiayang replied. He has been in China for so long, and he also knows the domestic economic model before the re-opening. Yes, that is the assignment from the superior, and the subordinates are only responsible for production, because different places are good at different technologies.

"How big is this company?" Chen Zhiwen asked.

"It's very big, with nearly 1 employees, and an area of ​​several hundred acres. There are several factories in Yanjing. In terms of products, it is basically easy to sell in China. The annual sales are also several hundred million. I have never been there. , but it is roughly estimated that if we want to invest, we must invest at least tens of millions of dollars in it, and this kind of company has a high status in the country and belongs to a central enterprise. If we want a joint venture, I am afraid that it needs the approval of the central government of the mainland." The Zhou family Yang said.

"That is to say, we need to take the initiative to talk about this with the mainland?" Chen Zhiwen asked.There is a huge gap in cooperation negotiations between self-initiated requests and domestic ones. Before Chen Zhiwen’s companies invested in the country, except for the agricultural canned food procurement plan in cooperation with his uncle, the others were basically proposed by the country. of.

"Yes, and for such companies, even if we take the initiative to apply, the mainland may not necessarily agree. Even if they want to cooperate, they will also want to cooperate with colleagues with certain skills and introduce technology." Zhou Jiayang said.

"That's not a problem. Find a company with a decent scale from Europe, America or Asia, and communicate with the local investment bank. We can pay for the acquisition. In this case, we can form a joint venture with a domestic machine tool factory?" Chen Zhiwen thought for a while and said.

"In this case, of course, it's also possible. It's just that we buy an overseas company in a field that we are not good at, just to cooperate with China. I am worried that this investment will not be able to pay back." Zhou Jiayang said with some hesitation.After accepting the task of auto parts localization, he originally thought that he only needed to find a suitable manufacturer, and then buy shares and provide foreign exchange funds to introduce overseas equipment. In the purchase of ordinary processing equipment in China, at most high-tech equipment is imported.

But in this way, the shift from supporting first-tier suppliers (direct suppliers of automobile factories) to supporting second-tier suppliers (suppliers of first-tier suppliers), and even supporting equipment, the investment in this , not only need a lot of money, but also a lot of energy and resources.

"In Hong Kong, I remember that there is no such company?" Chen Zhiwen asked again. Although he has never paid attention to this field, if there is a scale that is okay, he should have heard of it.

"Not in Hong Kong, but there are a few in Wanwan, but the level is much lower than that of Europe, America and Japan." Zhou Jiayang said.

"Then give priority to buying such companies from Wanwan. The domestic side actually doesn't need very sophisticated processing equipment. At least our cars rarely need it. If there is a shortage, just buy this kind of high-precision machine tool directly. What we need to solve is the general shortage." Chen Zhiwen said.

Not to mention now, 50 years later, when the domestic economy has developed to the extreme, there is still a vacancy for high-end machine tools. However, in any industry, the largest market is universal general demand, and the demand for high-end machines is very small. , In the automotive industry, except for a few parts such as engines and drive shafts, such high-precision equipment may be required, and others are basically not required.

"Okay, then I'll arrange for someone to go to Wanwan to try it out." Zhou Jiayang nodded and asked again.

"Well, other issues are also similar in thinking. The whole purpose is to invest in some domestic companies based on Hutchison Huang. If these companies can meet the conditions of AMC with only foreign exchange conditions, it will be better naturally. , if it doesn’t work, then see if you can switch to another company. If it still doesn’t work, Hutchison needs to participate in it personally, such as buying similar overseas companies and providing technical cooperation, but this is only limited to industries with relatively large development potential. industry, then just buy some patented technologies directly.” Chen Zhiwen said.

"Okay, I understand." Zhou Jiayang nodded. At this moment, he already knew that his boss was obsessed with the localization of AMC auto parts, that is, to build an industrial chain at all costs. It is very large, but if it is really established, the subsequent domestic economy develops, and the demand for automobiles increases, then these investments will be well-returned.

"By the way, the factory in Yanjing City is the first choice for cooperation. If there is really no one, then choose Shanghai, Guangdong, or the big cities in the coastal provincial capitals." Chen Zhiwen also said that the current layout of domestic factories is still very remote. Locally, this is for national defense and security reasons, but from an economic point of view, it is too bad. The domestic road itself is not good, and there is a shortage of trucks. If you choose a factory in such a place, you will not be at a loss.

"Okay." Zhou Jiayang nodded, he understood what the boss meant.He also said: "There are still some more complicated parts, such as the engine, steering system, transmission system, etc., which cannot be made or not done well in China. I discussed with the AMC people. They mean that these are only It can be localized in the end, because the investment is huge, and it will take a few years to see the domestic market situation.”

"Okay, no problem, localization doesn't mean all localization at the first time, step by step." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said, this kind of big investment can be localized by 5% within 50 years, even if it is very successful, in the end The complicated ones will naturally have to wait until the end.

"In this case, in a short period of time, as long as AMC passes the review, I can promote Hutchison to start a large number of joint ventures with some domestic factories. The remaining problems are after the joint venture, after the joint venture company purchases overseas equipment and patents. , will there be any more problems?" Zhou Jiayang said, if the boss is willing to spend money, then at least the early stage will be much easier to handle.

"OK, Hutchison's investment in China, apart from infrastructure, needs to focus on these things now. We don't need to do it in person. We just need to participate in the auto industry indirectly with funds. Professionals can do professional things." Chen Zhiwen paused , turned to Lei Shengli again, and said with a smile: "Old Lei, guess what you are here today?"

"It seems to be related to the auto industry. Midea also has a subsidiary that makes auto parts. Is Chen Sheng planning to let us invest in China?" Lei Shengli asked.

At the beginning of its establishment, Midea acquired Universal Electronics at that time. With this former platform, Midea entered the auto parts industry and provided center console radios for Japanese cars. Later, the boss also went overseas to acquire a well-known German brand. The company, with the help of this company's technology, entered the field of automotive air-conditioning and refrigeration. Originally, all the senior management of Midea, including Lei Shengli, believed that auto parts would be one of the company's key businesses in the future, but unexpectedly, Midea was in the game. The rapid expansion of the arcade and electronic consumer fields, and the growth rate of the auto parts business is also very fast, but the comparison is too far behind. It is estimated that many insiders of Midea have almost forgotten this auto parts subsidiary.

"Yes, Midea is currently proficient in motors and air-conditioning refrigeration, and it can also build factories in China, but this is just a trivial matter." Chen Zhiwen said: "My hope for Hutchison is that it will use a large amount of capital to support the growth of capable domestic companies. Then benefit from it, but Hutchison itself does not participate in the manufacture or research and development of auto parts, because it does not have the ability.

But I hope that Midea can focus on participating in the research and development of various high-tech component technologies, just like Bosch in Europe. "

"What does Chen Sheng mean, let Midea be a supplier of various high-end technologies?" Lei Shengli asked.

"Yes, I don't want Hutchison to participate, because in the field of traditional automobile technology, most of the patents are basically monopolized, and it is impossible for outsiders to have a chance to get a piece of the action, even if Hutchison has sufficient funds, plus There are a lot of potential talents in the country, but that’s not enough, because patents basically can’t get around.” Chen Zhiwen said: “But the current society, with the development of electronic technology, has given us a good opportunity to break through, because cars, sooner or later A large number of electronic control systems, electronic enjoyment configurations, comfort configurations, etc. will also be added. Whether it is BBA or Toyota Volkswagen, they have not realized it yet, or even if they are aware of it, they are only just beginning to study it. Traditional parts companies don’t have much advantage, and everyone in this line is similar, and this is our opportunity.”

Not to mention Chen Zhiwen's little capital, it means that so many domestic auto giants and the country have invested a lot of money in research and development and market promotion in later generations, but they still failed in the end. Traditional auto brands strictly control the three major parts of the car (engine, gearbox, chassis) ) technology patents, it is too difficult for many domestic manufacturers to get around it. It has lasted for nearly 40 years, and domestic auto brands barely catch up with internationally renowned brands in the three major areas.Of course, China has seized the opportunity of electric vehicles again, which is another matter.

"Develop electronic components in automobiles? Can Mr. Chen give some direction?" Lei Shengli asked after thinking for a while. The reason is actually very simple. With the development of electronic technology, many industries will change, such as many automations. The factories are becoming more and more popular, and various factory safety facilities are becoming more and more perfect. Then, the electronic technology that can be used in the common industrial field can also be used in the automobile field where human beings have gathered industrial achievements. However, because of the essential Not the same, the direction is not the same, which requires a lot of thought to study what kind of electronic technology is needed in the car.

"The simplest thing is to talk about the air-conditioning system and radio that Midea is good at. At present, the air-conditioning of cars is controlled by manual control of the air volume. Then the air conditioner controls the air volume by itself, which can save fuel and make everyone in the car more comfortable. We can even use two sets of controls for the front and rear of the car, because in fact, when the air conditioner is turned on, the driver in the front will be cold, and the driver in the back will be cold. The driver is hot. If we can control the air volume of different front and rear air conditioners according to the different temperatures of the front and rear seats of the car, so that all parts of the car are very comfortable, and can also ensure the quietness of the air. Wouldn’t it be more perfect? Is it?" Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.

According to the temperature inside the car, the air conditioner is controlled as early as the 60s. After all, companies with a little vision will think of this. General Motors is the first to install this control system on its own high-end cars. Follow-up Some big brands have also followed suit, but this is just a very simple control mode, which is similar to the air conditioner at home, setting two high and low temperature points. When the temperature in the car is higher than this point, the air conditioner will start, and if it is lower than this point , the air conditioner is turned off, and the car is always kept within this temperature range. Such a setting is naturally much better than letting the car owner adjust it by himself, but it cannot be very comfortable. These two temperature points cannot be set very small, because the interior of the car The temperature of the air conditioner changes too quickly. If it is set closer, the air conditioner will inevitably start and stop frequently, resulting in a more uncomfortable feeling.

If you want to be comfortable, you must have a certain amount of computing power. The chip keeps the mobile phone signal and then controls the air conditioner. This is the capability of the electronic technology field. The current electronic chips can already do this, but the car companies Traditional companies, and the replacement of auto parts are also very sensitive. Automobile factories have always focused on stability, so various changes are very slow. In other words, if you get used to cutting leeks, even if they have good functions, they will Slowly squeeze out like toothpaste.

And if you want to develop and grow in this field, you have to be smarter than others.

"However, the car air conditioner can't be made into frequency conversion. It's a bit difficult to stabilize the temperature inside the car with a fixed frequency air conditioner." Lei Shengli thought for a while and said.

"But the clutch can be controlled by a solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve can be controlled intermittently. If we develop in this direction, it will not work." Chen Zhiwen said.Limited by the source of power, the car air conditioner cannot be converted into frequency, at least not on fuel vehicles.

"Clutches and solenoid valves are not what we are good at. If we want to develop them, we need to start from scratch or acquire related companies." Lei Shengli said.

"This kind of research and development is always like this. It is very costly and time-consuming. It is easy to acquire European and American companies, as long as they are not top local companies. Besides, we have always been doing the simplest car air conditioners. It is also impossible to grow bigger. You can’t compete with traditional giants. If you want to be bigger and stronger, you must develop in the direction of parts assembly. The temperature control system of the entire car is made by us, so that we can gain a firm foothold in the field of auto parts .” Chen Zhiwen said with a light smile.

In fact, any research and development needs to invest a lot of money, resources and time. Midea was an exception before, because the various games provided by Chen Zhiwen were all hits. The concept of the body computer and several office software that are bound to be explosive models make the research and development very simple, because the direction is correct.

Just talking about games, how many big electronic companies in the world, after seeing the dividends of Midea, also want to enter the market, but they have no direction, so they can only keep trial and error, and they need to develop the market by themselves, and the result is millions or even thousands. [-] U.S. dollars was invested in it, and Midea’s sales were booming, and all of them were in vain. Even if a medium-to-large electronic company failed two or three times in a row, it would not be able to bear this kind of investment.

Nowadays, Midea has earned huge profits from video games, and the future personal computer market can also get a share, and Chen Zhiwen's main business has also officially entered the automobile industry. Then, Midea's mission has added a new one. Field, through the development of the electronics industry, to enter the auto parts market.

In this industry, auto giants or auto parts giants lack a large number of electronic talents, or they don't have this awareness yet, and electronics giants, how can they have time to enter the automotive field?The electronics market is a bigger blue ocean. Even car companies who want to recruit people in this field have to compete with electronics giants headed by Silicon Valley. The cost is not small. Besides, the car industry itself has been stable for decades, and various innovations Also very slow.

Midea can now be said to have a strong first-mover advantage, but no matter how first-mover, the research and development of this type of technology is also very difficult, which will inevitably require a lot of investment, but for Midea who does not lack funds, No big deal.

"Understood, as long as we can develop a complete car interior temperature control system, then we can use this to gain a large market share." Lei Shengli nodded and said, although the profit of auto parts is definitely far lower than Consumer electronics products, but the market size is very large. As long as a small part of the automotive industry can be won, the scale is in the unit of [-] million US dollars.

"Yes, how to accurately temperature requires the ability of electronic chips, which is our specialty." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said: "However, the air conditioner assembly is just an example, such as the radio, we can find ways to develop the whole The center console, with the center console as the core, controls various small electronic components in the car, such as fans, heating pads, window appliances, etc., which is also a way of thinking.”

PS: I read in the comment section that it is said to focus on the protagonist’s business rather than financial real estate, but why does my backstage show that the chapters involving financial real estate have very high subscriptions, while the chapters involving industrial technology have dropped terribly .
(End of this chapter)