Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 273 Domineering Management (Second update, please subscribe)

After entering March, after more than nine months of hard work, Borneo has begun to enter the harvest season - one factory after another has been put into operation.

Since there are also machinery manufacturing factories, there are also textile factories. Although the scale of the factories is small, most of their products are produced and sold by themselves to meet the needs of the local market.

Among these factories, Nanguo Shirt Factory was just established last year. Although the factory is not big, it is one of the few factories in Borneo that employs hundreds of female workers.

Although it is already six o'clock in the afternoon, it is still bright, because Sandakan is near the equator. Unless it is a rainy day, there is usually no need to turn on the lights even at six or seven o'clock.

Although it was already the end of the day, work was still very intense in the factory workshop. The sound of electric sewing machines was everywhere. The female workers, who had long been accustomed to the noise in the workshop, were concentrating on sewing shirts.

Half an hour ago, after the workshop foreman announced overtime, the female workers all sighed. Although they were said to be paid overtime, the overtime pay was pitiful. At this time, they all looked very tired, but they were still busy.

They were concentrating on their work, with their mouths and hands busy.

"Really, if you only pay a few cents for an hour of overtime, it's better not to work overtime at all."

"No, it's better than a meal."

"I really want to quit..."

The foremen seemed not to hear the complaints of the female workers, but they said a word or two from time to time. They seem to be used to this.

In fact, overtime pay is calculated based on the daily wage. When the daily wage is only a few cents, the overtime pay for an hour is only a few cents, and it does not even include a dinner.

But even so, no one refuses to work overtime. After all, the few cents here are not the same as in China, which can buy a meal. One dollar can be used to prepare a banquet with more than ten dishes. Even the silver dollar in their past memories has never been so valuable.

Of course, you still have to complain. Only after you complain to your boss will he add a few pieces of meat to your dinner the next time you work overtime.

The complaints of the female workers fell on Ma Pengcheng's ears word for word. He worked in the Economic and Trade Section of the Trade and Industry Department of the Office of the Commissioner, and contacted more than 20 factories. As a docking specialist, he helped companies solve problems in production and operation. Nanguo The shirt factory is one of them.

Listening to the complaints of the female worker, although she looked thoughtful, Ma Pengcheng did not stop and went directly to the office. The so-called office was an attic separated by wooden boards above the factory building.

Before people reached the second floor, factory director Ding Mingjun came over and said enthusiastically.

"Commissioner Ma, before you come, you should make a phone call so that I can greet you in person."

"Director Ding, you're welcome. Just don't think I'm intruding."

"Oh, look what you said, that's disturbing. You didn't come here to help me that time. If it weren't for the help from the General Affairs Department, how could I have bought a factory from Manila?"

Ding Mingjun's words were filled with gratitude from the bottom of his heart. In fact, he originally had concerns about setting up a factory in Borneo.

Not only are the wages high, but pension insurance is also paid, there is even cooperative medical insurance. Although the factory only needs to pay 6 cents per worker per month, hundreds of workers will cost more than ten or twenty yuan.

These are all costs!

But now he is really glad that he chose this place. Ever since he set up the factory, a specialist has been in contact with him to provide him with some help. Initially, he didn't think that this specialist could do anything. He even felt that the commissioner could do nothing to help him.

Originally, he came here to set up a factory in a place he was unfamiliar with. Sales was a problem, but the problem was that the demand for shirts here was huge - just tens of thousands of office officials and company employees needed more than 100,000 or 200,000 shirts a year. Although There is a clothing factory here, but it mainly produces T-shirt linings for laborers, and the output of shirts is very limited.

Due to their high quality and low price, the shirts produced in Nanguo were very popular in the market as soon as they were launched. It was for this reason that Ding Mingjun came up with the idea of ​​expanding production. Although this idea was good, it was not easy to implement.

Expanding production first required machines such as sewing machines.

Since these routes are currently cut off, it is natural that they cannot import European and American garment-making machines. Even the equipment in his factory is second-hand equipment bought from Hong Kong.

Therefore, Ding Mingjun took the attitude of giving it a try and raised the problem of the factory not being able to buy equipment to Commissioner Ma. Unexpectedly, it only took half a month for Commissioner Ma to bring the good news - there is a Japanese-owned building in the Philippines that has been seized. The clothing factory had sewing machines, hemming machines and other equipment. I asked him if he was interested.

How could you not be interested? However, after learning that the entire factory would need to be bought at the auction, Ding Mingjun hesitated because he didn't have that much money.

He could scrape together the money to buy dozens or even hundreds of sewing machines, but he just purchased a factory.

This is a bit difficult.

"I will find a way to help you solve your financial problem."

Then everything was like a dream. With the help of Commissioner Ma, OCBC Bank, which had just opened a branch in Sandakan, not only provided him with a loan, but also provided financing in the form of equity participation. In this way, Ding Mingjun actually bought the large factory with more than a thousand sewing machines, cutting machines, ironing machines and other equipment.

"Look what you said, it is the responsibility of the General Industry Department to help enterprises, and it is also my job. By the way, I am here this time to see your new products. Last time you said that you were trial-producing new shirts, so I came here specially have a look."

"Haha, Commissioner Ma still remembers that you came just in time. Look..."

Ding Mingjun quickly took out a white shirt and said.

"This is the product I am preparing to launch. It imitates the latest American style. The material is made of high-quality fine cotton and the workmanship is the best. I dare say it is definitely not worse than the Simai Tie shirt produced by the Starlight Standard Underwear Factory."

As a former partner and designer of Starlight Standard Underwear, Ding Mingjun's obsession is to make a better shirt than Sima Tuo, which was the brand they created before the war.

He held his glasses and carefully inspected the workmanship of the shirt. Although he didn't understand it very well, he could tell that the materials used were of the highest quality. Ma Pengcheng nodded and said.

"Director Ding is an expert in making clothes. As long as you think it's good, you can't go wrong. What do you think? Do you want to sell shirts to Europe?"

"Sell to Europe?"

Ding Mingjun was stunned.

"Yes, it means selling to Europe. If you are interested, the Office can sell your products to Europe through a trading company, but the trading company has certain requirements for the supply of member companies."

The trading company Ma Pengcheng mentioned is Global Trading Company. It was a company originally established by Li Yian in the UK to specialize in the trade of scarce materials such as sugar. It has now transformed into a company specializing in international trade.

In Li Yi'an's industrial planning, it is not so much an operating company as an information platform. It uses the intelligence advantages of large companies to collect business information in the international market, connects with domestic enterprises in an emergency, and provides them with business information. , coordinating domestic factory production.

Generally speaking, Global Trading Company is the fist of Borneo's commodity exports to the international market. It collects intelligence overseas for Borneo companies and opens up the market for them.

"Commissioner Ma, I don't know what the supply requirements are, but I will definitely try my best to meet the company's requirements."

Sell ​​shirts to Europe!

This is something that Ding Mingjun never dares to think about. Even though Simaituo is famous for its high quality, it has never entered the European market, that is, it has certain markets in Hong Kong and Nanyang.

As we all know, the profits in the European market are much higher than those in Nanyang.

"First of all, you need an international trademark. Nanguo...the English pronunciation is a bit awkward."

Although he is not a businessman, after working for such a long time, Ma Pengcheng also knows that selling goods is not only about quality, but also about trademarks. It is difficult for a brand with an awkward pronunciation to really open up foreign markets.

"This is a small matter. I will register a new trademark."

Isn't it just to come up with a western name? Why Starlight Underwear uses "Simaituo" is not only because of the western style, but also because foreigners say it in a smooth manner. How could Ding Mingjun not understand this reason?

"Also, you have to accept the company's export management."

"what?"

Ding Mingjun said in confusion.

“What is export management?”

"The company will sign a long-term contract with you and provide market information to Nanguo. The export volume and export price of shirts produced by Nanguo are set by the company. In order to avoid vicious competition, the company will set a minimum guide price for all Manufacturers must abide by this price, and they also need to cooperate with the production in accordance with the company's regulations to avoid the proliferation of products. If you violate the rules, the company will sue you in court for breach of contract, and the liquidated damages may be several times the amount of the order you received."

Ma Pengcheng continued.

"Although it seems a bit strict, with the help of the company, your products can enter overseas markets as soon as possible. Are you interested?"

"This this……"

Ding Mingjun looked at Commissioner Ma with a puzzled face and said without worry.

"This is my own factory. I can't be the boss no matter how much I produce at any price. This is too overbearing."

(End of this chapter)