Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 381 Steel Trading Gradually Getting Back on Track
After the meal, Yan Hui's reputation in Jinan grew without anyone noticing. Some people specifically inquired about Yan Hui's chemical plant, while others simply passed by and took a look.

The sheer size of the wall and the more than 50,000 square meters of the building is enough to intimidate many people.

Currently, the total value of Heng Hui Chemical's land, buildings, equipment, patents, and market has exceeded 5000 million yuan, with Yan Hui owning 80% of the shares and 100% of the decision-making power.

After discussing foreign trade matters, Yan Hui took another nap. In the morning, he ate something, called Song Zhiyuan, and held a meeting with the business department.

The factory is currently operating on a two-shift system, but it could easily operate on a three-shift system. The core issue right now is still business operations.

If the sales team couldn't secure enough orders, increasing production capacity would be difficult. Yan Hui also went out to meet with the sales team several times, and he knew how fierce the market competition was after Sika's price reduction. Yan Hui's requirement for the sales team was that they must build the brand and reputation, and not pursue quick profits for short-term gains; they must provide excellent service.

Having been in business for so many years, Yan Hui's initial forte was cost calculation, but now he is gradually shifting towards prioritizing service.

He regularly sends engineers to major clients to collect climate data and specially formulate more suitable polyurethane materials so that clients can use them freely in any season. In fact, for a large factory that consumes 4 tubes of polyurethane per month, Yan Hui will customize each batch of goods specifically for them.

“I’ve emphasized our service philosophy countless times, but recently I’ve found that some employees aren’t doing it well, and some customers have even filed complaints with the company. The company always takes complaints very seriously and will handle them according to our regulations. If you think something is unreasonable, you can directly report it to me,” Yan Hui emphasized again.

As a boss, he can't actually manage everyone in every little detail; he can only manage people through systems. Complaints that have been verified must be dealt with seriously.

"There's one more thing. Because we have a lot of business in Chang'an, Shanghai, and other regions, the company is considering setting up a branch office by the end of this year or next year. At that time, we will promote several regional business leaders. This is closely related to everyone's performance and ability. We hope that those who are ambitious and capable will seize this opportunity." Yan Hui finally made another grand promise.

When Yan Hui said this, everyone's eyes widened, and many people looked at each other, each with their own thoughts.

The company has strict management, but the benefits are also very good. Now, with such a good career advancement opportunity, the more capable people are, the happier they are.

After the meeting, Yan Hui went to the finance department.

The first batch of steel will arrive this afternoon, delivered by the steel mill's transport team. Yan Hui will be going to check on it, as it involves statistics and records. Yan Hui plans to take Zhou Ping with him.

As for Wang Yongjun, he went to the steel mill yesterday and will come with this batch of goods.

During their free time, Yan Hui and Zhou Ping talked about the ceramics factory.

In 2000, Yan Hui first met Mr. Zhou at a dinner party with his brother-in-law. At that time, Mr. Zhou had a net worth of about 400 million yuan, and his ceramics factory was almost entirely owned by him. At that time, his brother-in-law's net worth was not much different.

Eight years have passed, and Mr. Zhou has amassed a fortune of approximately ten million yuan, and has also invested in other tile factories. "My uncle used to mainly deal in pottery. He knew many commercial centers, and the market for pottery was decent, but selling tiles was always very difficult. You remember, he mortgaged four shops to secure a tile project. His asset appreciation over the years has mainly come from the appreciation of those four shops," Zhou Ping said.

"That's true. Housing prices have increased several times over since then. So why doesn't President Zhou invest in his own factory, but instead invests in someone else's?" Yan Hui asked, somewhat puzzled.

“It’s still a sales issue. My uncle’s tile-making technology is just average, while this new investment is better, with higher sales. He’s mainly investing here to expand his sales channels. However, he only owns 5% of the shares, so he basically has no say,” Zhou Ping explained.

"Is the new factory selling so well? How can it provide sales channels for a small shareholder?" Yan Hui felt that what Zhou Ping was saying was illogical.

"Um, I don't really know the specifics. My uncle will come to Jinan in a while, and I'll have him come find you, okay?" Zhou Ping said somewhat embarrassedly.

"Sure, Mr. Zhou, I'm free whenever you're coming." Yan Hui was certainly giving him plenty of face.

Yan Hui has a deep understanding of the complexity of the industries involved in construction sites. The first time he attended a reception hosted by General Manager Han, he saw many big names from various sectors. Now, he is one of those big names sitting at the forefront—a steel supplier. Those who are his equals are cement suppliers, core subcontractors, and the like.

In reality, being a primary steel distributor can certainly lead to many other business avenues. While it's difficult to succeed in the cement or subcontracting business, it's much easier to succeed in smaller categories like tiles or hardware – it's a natural progression.

In the afternoon, Yan Hui, along with Zhou Ping, delivered the first batch of steel to the construction site and completed a preliminary weight inspection on the spot. Quality inspection would take a few more days, but it wasn't difficult; Yan Hui had inspected the goods and found no problems.

Throughout March and early April, Yan Hui was constantly traveling between various construction sites and steel mills. After finishing his work, he would return to the chemical plant to oversee things, which was quite fulfilling.

Only after he and Wang Yongjun completed the entire process of two shipments did things ease up on the steel side. The only problem was that the plywood business had shrunk somewhat, losing about 10% of the market, but it wasn't a major issue.

Yan Hui told Wang Yongjun that as the steel market continues to develop, these side businesses, such as plywood, will be impossible to get rid of.

At Heng Hui Chemical, the construction of the office building is nearing completion. Some large machinery has begun to leave the site. The main building is now finished, and the remaining issues are the facade, water and electricity, and decoration. The decoration team has already started construction.

Renovation work can be sped up by increasing the number of workers. This house has three floors, with about 15-20 rooms on each floor, so theoretically, work can be done simultaneously. To speed things up, Yan Hui hired three renovation teams, each responsible for one floor, with materials provided by him. The renovation is expected to be completed within three months, at which point some departments can move in.

The company was so busy with various tasks that he had to delegate the supervision of the renovation work to his driver, Li Pengfei, and security guard, Liu Jianlei. These two were construction site workers themselves and were familiar with the process. As for Yan Hui's transportation, Chen Jian's driver would suffice.

(End of this chapter)