Rebirth of the Industrial Tycoon

The lawn mower is the product Li Weidong intends to bring to the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition.

The lawn mower is not a new invention. As early as the seventeenth century, the British invented the manual lawn mower, and by the beginning of the nineteenth century, the internal combustion engine as the power lawn mower had appeared.

The largest market for home lawn mowers, of course, is the United States.

Most American families live in single-family homes or villas with their own yards and lawns. Since they have lawns, they need to be mowed regularly, otherwise the yard will be overgrown with weeds.

In addition, American law also requires residents to mow their lawns in time, otherwise they will face legal penalties, fines, or imprisonment, depending on how each state stipulates.

However, the labor cost in the United States is relatively high. If you hire someone to mow the lawn, a 2,000-foot yard will cost about $50 in California, and $30 in poorer states.

So many Americans are keen to buy a lawn mower and do the work of mowing the lawn themselves, which can save a lot of money over the years.

The market for home lawn mowers is still huge, with millions of lawn mowers sold a year in the United States alone, as well as markets in Europe, Canada and Australia. So Li Weidong intends to take a piece of the pie.

The structure of the hand-push lawn mower is very simple. With the technical level of Fukang Agricultural Machinery Factory, it is not difficult to imitate the hand-push lawn mower.

The key is that the imitation hand-push lawn mower cannot meet the product quality of foreign countries.

Compared with the United States, the domestic material technology is not far behind. Even after 30 years, it still has not caught up. The same set of lawn mower blades, the service life of domestic products, can be one-third of the original US, even if it is a high-quality product.

But Li Weidong is not worried about these. What he needs is not a high-quality lawn mower, but a cheap lawn mower.

In 1991, in the US market, the price of an American-made walk mower was more than one thousand dollars, and some better ones could reach fifteen hundred dollars.

And Li Weidong intends to reduce the cost of the lawn mower to less than 300 US dollars. When the time comes, when he goes to the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, he can quote the price at 400 US dollars, and the product price is half of similar products.

If all domestic materials are used, it is not difficult to reduce the production cost to three hundred US dollars. If China's industrial chain is more complete, the price can be even lower.

In later generations, China has become the world's factory, with a complete industrial chain, and enterprises can reduce the cost of push lawn mowers to more than one hundred dollars.

Li Weidong knows that his biggest advantage is price.

Compared with developed countries, the level of craftsmanship is not 100%; compared with developed countries in production technology, it is not an opponent of others. Li Weidong, a county-level agricultural machinery factory, is not technologically advanced even in China. The only thing that can be done is low cost!

To put it another way, the Chinese manufacturing industry in 1991 had to fight price wars if it wanted to compete with foreign manufacturing.

...

Du Jiahai pieced it together and put a copy of a lawn mower in front of Li Weidong.

"It looks like it, let's try it!" Li Weidong said.

Du Jiahai started the engine, and a harsh roar sounded.

"The noise is so loud!" Li Weidong couldn't help saying.

"No way, the domestic single-cylinder engine is like this, and the power and stability of the engine with less noise are not good." Du Jiahai looked helpless, and then said; "If you want to be low noise and easy to use, you can only import it from Japan. engine."

"Importing is definitely impossible!" Li Weidong rejected the suggestion without hesitation.

He carefully looked at the structural layout of the lawn mower, and then said: "Can a layer of sound insulation cotton be placed inside the shell of this lawn mower, so that the sound will be less."

"I can give it a try, but the effect is not guaranteed." Du Jiahai said.

"Remember to use cheaper soundproof cotton." Li Weidong instructed, then he stepped forward and tried to push the lawn mower.

"My hands are numb from the shaking! The vibration of this engine is too great!" Li Weidong said.

Du Jiahai nodded: "The engine is shaking a bit, and this is just the beginning of use. I estimate that if the time is long, the engine shaking will be even worse. For domestic engines, it is normal to shake a lot."

Li Weidong walked around the lawn mower and asked, "How big is the rear wheel?"

"The rear and front wheels are seven inches, and the wheels of that American lawn mower are seven inches," Du Jiahai replied.

"The rear wheel is changed to ten inches, so that it can have some shock absorption effect." Li Weidong said.

Du Jiahai quickly took notes on the paper.

Li Weidong went on to say: "Add a circle of sponge cover to the hand push rod, which can reduce the transmission of vibration, and can also play some role in shock absorption.

In addition, there are several mowing height gears, from 20 mm to 70 mm, and six different mowing heights can be set. The height of the handle is also set to be adjustable, which is convenient for people of different heights.

There is also a small storage box and a cup holder at the position of the handle. We can't compete with others in terms of product quality, but in terms of humanized design, we can't lose. "

...

Li Weidong had to report to Ma Dexing that he was going to participate in the agricultural machinery exhibition in Hokkaido, so Li Weidong called Ma Dexing's office number.

"What? Do you really want to go to Hokkaido to participate in the Agricultural Machinery Exhibition? I said, Director Li, you can! The relationship with the Ministry of Agriculture is very strong!" Ma Dexing said in surprise.

In Ma Dexing's view, Li Weidong must have found a relationship in the Ministry of Agriculture for a county-level agricultural machinery factory in Hokkaido to participate in the agricultural machinery exhibition.

"Director Ma, you are laughing at me!" Li Weidong paused, then continued: "The Ministry of Agriculture saw that I was a county-level agricultural machinery factory, and they kicked me out without even accepting the registration form. "

"Didn't sign up? Then why did you go to Hokkaido to exhibit?" Ma Dexing asked.

"I used some personal connections to get a small booth. I can barely go to the exhibition!" Li Weidong didn't elaborate. The more vague this kind of thing, the better, let Ma Dexing guess for himself!

"So it is!" Ma Dexing did not ask in detail. After all, the company used personal relationships, and maybe some of them were lost, and it would be good to know.

I just heard Li Weidong say: "Director Ma, I have to report something to you. This time I am going abroad to participate in the exhibition, which is different from our domestic Canton Fair. I am the only one in our factory who can understand Japanese. It is not easy for me to find an interpreter for those who are not familiar abroad, so I want to trouble you, can you borrow a interpreter from the hall for me!"

"Okay, I'll lend you a Japanese translation, but you have to pay for all the expenses! Our foreign trade department won't pay for it!" Ma Dexing replied.

"No problem! As for the cost, you can rest assured." Li Weidong continued; "Director Ma, this translator, I want He Translator to go!

We have cooperated before, and we are familiar with each other, and the image of He Translator is better, just to be a facade for me! You also know that for something like an exhibition, a beautiful girl stops there, and it will naturally attract a lot of customers. "

"That's right, you are going to the exhibition this time, and the image of the translator is also very important. Then let translator He go with you!" Ma Dexing agreed.

Li Weidong made another call and found He Anan.

"Do you still want to go to Japan?" Li Weidong asked with a smile.

"You're going to Japan again?" He Anan was taken aback for a moment, and said, "I went there twice last year. It is estimated that this time, I will definitely not be allowed to go, and I have to leave the opportunity to other comrades!"

"Don't worry, I have already greeted your leaders. I will definitely let you go this time! Because this time I'm going to work." Li Weidong said.

"Okay then!" He An'an continued, "But for the third time in such a short period of time, I don't know where to go. I've already been to everything that can be played in Tokyo!"

Li Weidong immediately said: "This time, let's go to Hokkaido instead of Tokyo!"

"Hokkaido? What are you going to do?" He Anan asked subconsciously.

"Go to the hot spring!" Li Weidong continued: "The hot springs in Hokkaido are very famous!"

"Really? Then I have to bring a swimsuit." He Anan said.

"You don't need to bring a swimsuit. The Japanese take a bath in a hot spring. Whoever wears a swimsuit, they are all wrapped in a towel and go directly to the pool." Li Weidong couldn't help but feel a little radiant when he thought of He An'an wrapped in a towel.

"A towel? If it falls, you will see it all!" He Anan said.

"How could it be!" Li Weidong made a decent tone, and then said: "There are male and female baths when you go to take a bath, and this hot spring must be divided into male and female! At that time, I will be in the men's bath, and you will be in the women's bath. If you can't see it, you can soak it however you want."

"That's right. Well, I don't need to bring a swimsuit." He Anan replied.

Li Weidong thought badly, when the time comes, we must find a hot spring for men and women to bathe together!

...

Fukang Agricultural Machinery Factory has produced several different styles of lawn mowers, including hand-push models and rear-wheel-drive self-propelled models. There are also two ways to produce grass. The cut grass can be sent out from the side, or it can be collected in the grass collecting bag at the back.

The Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition is also approaching, and Li Weidong went to Hokkaido with several lawn mowers from the Beverly Agricultural Machinery Factory.

After arriving in Hokkaido, Li Weidong did not go to the Chinese pavilion led by the Agricultural Machinery Hall, but went to the pavilion of Nakano Co., Ltd. and found Kenjiro Shimizu.

The next day, Kenjiro Shimizu brought Li Weidong to his 50-square-meter booth.

"Mr. Li, this location is not bad!" Shimizu Kenjiro said with a bright face.

Li Weidong looked around and found that although the booth was not in the center, it was not close to the edge. It was a medium-sized booth.

However, for Li Weidong, it was his first time to participate in the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, and it was perfect to get such a booth.

At the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, the best booth must be reserved for Kubota Co., Ltd. After all, this is an agricultural machinery exhibition hosted by the Japanese. Of course, the best agricultural machinery enterprises in Japan should be placed in the most important position.

In addition to Kubota, companies such as Mitsubishi, Toyo, Yanmar, and even Honda also produce agricultural machinery. Although these brands have not been as deeply engaged in agricultural machinery as Kubota for many years in the field of agricultural machinery, they are also well-known large companies in Japan, and they must also obtain better booth.

At the same time, agricultural machinery giants from Europe and the United States will also come to participate in the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition.

For example, Deutz Farr is going to exhibit a tractor. Can you give me a good spot? For example, New Holland will come to exhibit their combine harvester, can you give a good position? For example, Kuhn wants to exhibit their agricultural machinery, can you give me a good position?

These European and American agricultural machinery giants may have better technology than Kubota, and their background is even deeper than Kubota.

The agricultural machinery giants occupy the best position, and the middle position is divided up by the second-tier agricultural machinery brands in Japan.

The characteristic of Japanese agricultural machinery is that no matter the crop category or the operation link, it is very complete, which is the so-called whole-process mechanization.

To plant onions, you must have a special onion planter; to feed pigs, you must have a special pig feeding machine; to harvest beets, you must have a special beet harvester.

This kind of niche but professional agricultural machinery is basically the battlefield of Japanese second-tier agricultural machinery brands.

These second-tier agricultural machinery brands, if they sell tractors, will definitely not be able to compete with agricultural machinery giants like Kubota; and agricultural machinery giants like Kubota are busy competing with European and American countries in the fields of tractors and combine harvesters, and they do not have so much energy to develop small Farm machinery.

Nakano Co., Ltd. is a second-tier agricultural machinery company, famous for its onion planting machines. Their booth was in the middle, and Li Weidong got a middle booth because of Nakano Co., Ltd.'s light.

Of course, this is also because the booth that Li Weidong wants is not large, only 50 square meters. For the outdoor agricultural machinery exhibition, it is enough to just find a place.

And other unknown small agricultural machinery brands, as well as ordinary foreign exhibitors, can only set up exhibition areas in relatively peripheral places.

The Japanese hold exhibitions, of course, to promote their own products, and their agricultural machinery enterprises must occupy a better position, and they are not obliged to give good booths to foreigners. If it is not the agricultural machinery giant, it can only stand on the sidelines.

For example, China's agricultural machinery exhibition group can only stay in the outer exhibition area.

It is also the first time for the Chinese agricultural machinery exhibition group to participate in the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, but they do not have such a strong relationship as Li Weidong, and they can get into a middle position.

Like Yituo Factory, which is the top tractor factory in China, everyone has to hold it.

But in the international arena, compared with agricultural machinery giants like New Holland and Itzfar, YTO is not even qualified to be a younger brother, so it can only stay in the most marginal exhibition area.

For China's agricultural machinery enterprises, this time, in addition to showing their products, it is also an eye-opener to see what the world's top agricultural machinery looks like, and to recognize the gap between themselves and the world's top ones. Clear the direction of future development.

...

The uncle Mediterranean and the black-faced man were both selected by the Agricultural Machinery Hall and also came to the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition.

However, due to the limited exhibition funds, their products have not been shipped. The agricultural machinery is basically relatively large, and the transportation cost is not low.

The duo brought only a few mockups of the product, as well as a thick stack of colorful brochures.

Both of them also knew that with a few models and a few brochures, the chances of selling agricultural machinery were slim.

What's more, their agricultural machinery is almost the most backward product in this agricultural machinery exhibition. No customer will buy the backward product without buying the advanced product.

So the two simply wandered around the agricultural machinery exhibition site, met the world by the way, and envied other people's children.

The two of them were dazzled by all kinds of advanced agricultural machinery.

Although both of them also make agricultural machinery, there are too many types of agricultural machinery in Japan. There are many agricultural machinery, and the two of them have never seen each other, so the two of them are like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden. Transform into two curious babies.

"Have you seen that harvester? Specialized in harvesting corn stalks, this harvester can complete the entire operation of cutting, conveying, flattening, and throwing and loading corn stalks! I've only heard of it before, This is the first time I've seen it!"

"This cultivator weeding machine is different from the weeding machine in our country. What did they design the ring buckle for?"

"Is that the one who sprayed pesticides? It also brought such a big fan. This is to blow pesticides on the crops! Aren't you afraid that the seedlings will be damaged!"

"Fruit sorting machines, the Japanese are very good. They have special machines for sorting fruits. If you use machines to sort fruits, are you not afraid of breaking them?"

"The onion harvester is specially designed to harvest onions? How much is a pound of onions? You have to use a machine to harvest them. Is that enough money!"

The two were taken aback and finally walked to Li Weidong's booth and saw the household push lawn mowers placed in the exhibition area.

"What is this trolley?" Uncle Mediterranean asked subconsciously.

"Didn't you read what's written on it, household push lawn mower!" The black-faced man pointed to the sign.

Uncle Mediterranean nodded: "Is it a lawnmower? I've never seen such a lawnmower before!"

Uncle Mediterranean regards this as a weeder in the farmland.

"It's not a lawnmower, it's a household lawnmower." The black-faced man was still somewhat knowledgeable, and he explained: "The function of this lawnmower is to cut the grass when it grows taller!"

Uncle Mediterranean frowned: "But this is too small, right? I went to Inner Mongolia to investigate before, and I have seen the kind of lawn mower used in state-run pastures. It is so big, how can it be so small? An average-sized lawn mower can’t cut the grass that a cow eats in half a day.”

The uncle Mediterranean thought of the large lawn mowers used by herdsmen on the grasslands to harvest pasture.

"Look at your knowledge!" The black-faced man curled his lips and continued, "This kind of machine is not for mowing grass, but for gardens. When the lawn in the garden grows taller, they push this kind of cutting grass. Machine, cut the grass shorter!"

"The lawn in the garden? You mean people who live in bungalows and have a yard at home, right?" Uncle Mediterranean laughed and then said, "If you have a yard at home, you must grow vegetables. How can weeds grow in the yard? I don't know who came up with such a useless machine!"

The black-faced man gave the uncle Mediterranean a white look and said, "Don't forget, this is the International Agricultural Machinery Exhibition, and the agricultural machinery here is sold to foreigners! The foreigners are not you, you live in a bungalow and still grow crops in the yard. A row of green onions and two leeks! Foreigners are popular, and the yard is covered with lawn!"

"That's right! This thing is sold to foreigners." Uncle Mediterranean nodded.

The two were about to walk forward when they saw a young man standing on a ladder in the lawn mower exhibition area, hanging a promotional banner.

"That guy seems familiar!" said the uncle Mediterranean.

The black-faced man looked at Li Weidong, then nodded: "It's a little familiar, I should have seen it somewhere! Let me think about it..."

Probably because of age, their memory has declined. For a while, the two really didn't remember where they met Li Weidong.

At this time, Li Weidong had already hung up the propaganda banner and asked He An'an below: "Is it correct?"

"Leave a little further to the left!" He Anan said.

"Go to the left, okay, this time, okay?" Li Weidong then asked.

"It seems to be a bit biased..." He Anan replied.

"It's almost enough. It's an outdoor agricultural machinery exhibition anyway. Even if it's upright, a gust of wind will blow it crooked!" Li Weidong replied.

Li Weidong and He Anan spoke Chinese, which the uncle in the land and the black-faced man could understand. At this time, they all understood that the young man and woman on the opposite side were Chinese.

"It should be our Chinese students, come to work here! I said how to look familiar, it turns out that we are Chinese!" Uncle Mediterranean said subconsciously.

"We have a billion people in China, can you look familiar?" The black-faced man snorted coldly and slapped his head: "I remembered, it's him!"

"Who is it?" Uncle Mediterranean asked immediately.

"It's that little comrade, we've all seen it!" said the black-faced man.

This obviously did not arouse Uncle Mediterranean's memory of Li Weidong, and Uncle Mediterranean still had a confused expression on his face.

The black-faced man had to explain: "You forgot, on the day the Ministry of Agriculture filled out the application form, he filled in the county-level collective enterprise in the column of the nature of the enterprise! At first we thought he filled in wrong, and taught him how to Fill it in, and when I ask later, he is really a county-level collective enterprise!"

"I remembered! It's really that little comrade!" The black-faced man confirmed Li Weidong's identity, and then he said, "It's not like he didn't sign up at that time, the comrades of the Agricultural Machinery Department simply confiscated his registration form, he Why did you come to the Hokkaido Agricultural Machinery Exhibition?"

"How do I know this!" The black-faced man shook his head, then looked at the logos of the companies in the exhibition area, which were available in both Japanese and English. Among the Japanese logos, the word "Fukang" was written in Chinese.

"Fukang Agricultural Machinery Factory! I remember that the company this little comrade is in is called Fukang Agricultural Machinery Factory!" said the black-faced man.

"Yes, it's called Fukang Agricultural Machinery Factory!" Uncle Mediterranean nodded, and then showed a very surprised expression.

The next second, Uncle Mediterranean couldn't help but exclaimed:

"He's here to participate in the exhibition! But isn't he a county-level enterprise?"