The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 250 Announces Appointment: Director of the Factory (Director-General Level)

As the year draws to a close, Zhou Zhiqiang, the factory director, has less and less work to do.

The specific execution tasks can be left to the comrades below. The busiest part of the day is researching and implementing composite machining technology for CNC machine tools.

I've just been busy with other things lately, and there are many things that need to be done before the end of the year.

After leaving Secretary Li's office, Zhou Zhiqiang went back to his office, found the documents, and then went to see Deputy Factory Director Liu.

Just as he was about to leave the office for the dispatch department, Liu Wenzhou was stopped.

"Director Liu, I have a task for you. Our factory is about to become a provincial-level factory, and the corresponding supporting facilities and workers' needs must be met."
But all of this will have to be done year by year. Next year, the Planning Commission will probably allocate some investment funds, which I plan to use first for the construction of supporting factories. Here are the relevant plans and documents; please take a look.

After handing the documents to Liu Wenzhou, Zhou Zhiqiang continued, "These two factories are small factories under the Henan Provincial Research Institute. Compared with our factory, they are considered small factories. They have expanded their production capacity before, but it is no longer appropriate to keep them in Henan Province after we continue to expand."

So I hope you can go to Henan Province after the New Year and arrange for these two factories to build new factories in Beijing. At least 40% of the management staff and workers should come, and then we can find local people to train them.”

After taking the document, Liu Wenzhou read it and quickly understood the factory's plan.

Jiuzhou Machine Tool's main factory is located in Beijing, and its CNC branch factory and mechanical parts branch factory are also located here. Only the other two parts factories are located in Henan Province.

Their factory's production tasks will increase significantly next year, and the small factories in Henan Province cannot keep up with the production capacity. Moreover, the repeated transportation trips waste the train's transportation capacity.

The best of the old city is moved here and placed in remote counties around the old city. This not only facilitates transportation but also boosts the economic development of the surrounding areas.

The First Ministry of Machine Building also agreed to this, and the next step is to report it to the State Planning Commission next year. However, the State Planning Commission is unlikely to object.

Currently, the State Planning Commission mainly reviews and supervises key investment and development enterprises and factories, leaving the factories to decide how to develop themselves.

After reading it, Deputy Factory Director Liu asked, "Factory Director, when should I depart?"

Zhou Zhiqiang said, "Let's talk about it in the month after the New Year. I'll communicate with the Henan Province side in a couple of days. You can come along too, and it'll be better for you to participate directly and understand the situation than for me to relay the message."

"Okay, then I'll wait for your message, factory manager."

After finishing his story, Zhou Zhiqiang left Liu Wenzhou's office and went back to his work.

The next day.

Director Wu Jun and Secretary Sun Zhi of the Mechanical Parts and Components Branch, along with Tian Wenguo of the CNC Branch, arrived at the main factory early.

When it was almost time, Zhou Zhiqiang, Li Younian, and a group of other leaders and cadres from the factory were waiting inside the factory for the ministry and organization department to come.

None of the people waiting there whispered to each other. After about seven or eight minutes, Zhang Yaoguo jogged over from the direction of the gate, pointed to the factory gate, and said, "Here he is."

When everyone realized the leaders had arrived, they even straightened their posture.

Several cars then slowly drove up and stopped in front of Zhou Zhiqiang and his group. A dozen or so people got out of the cars. Zhou Zhiqiang only recognized the group led by Deputy Leader Wu from the Ministry of Machine Building, and didn't know much about the people in the other two cars.

Zhou Zhiqiang stepped forward, nodded, and said, "Sir, Director Ren."

"Come, Director Zhou, Secretary Li, let me introduce you."

With a smile, Deputy Leader Wu introduced another leader to Zhou Zhiqiang, saying, "This is Li Hongwen, Deputy Leader of the Organization Department. He's here today to announce the appointments of your factory's cadres."

"Director Zhou, I've long admired you."

Deputy Leader Li smiled and reached out to shake Zhou Zhiqiang's hand, then continued, "Although you are the youngest level 13 cadre I have ever seen, you are also the most capable young cadre I have ever seen."

The foreign trade department really likes you; your factory is practically their 'cash cow' now.

After speaking, Deputy Leader Li shook hands with Secretary Li Younian and they got to know each other.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang smiled and said, "You flatter me, leader. I was just doing my job as a cadre and file clerk."

"That's a very good awareness. The country needs people like you. Director Zhou, have the arrangements been made locally?"

Deputy Leader Li then turned to Deputy Leader Wu and said, "Let's get down to business first. We can talk about the rest after we've announced the important matters."

Deputy Leader Wu nodded and said, "Okay, Director Zhou, please take us to the conference room."

"Okay, we've arranged it in the main conference room, and we've even connected it to the factory's public address system, because we want all the factory workers to share in the joy."

As Zhou Zhiqiang led the way, he said, "This time, there are also worker representatives participating. Each workshop has one. It's not realistic to have all the workers participate, so we can only select a few representatives."

Upon hearing this, Deputy Leader Li Hongwen nodded and said, "That's great. Your factory has achieved such great success, and all the employees deserve credit. It's true that worker representatives should be involved."

“That’s right, that’s what I think too. Without so many front-line production workers, even if we develop the best CNC machine tools, we can’t manufacture them on a large scale.” The group chatted as they traveled and soon arrived at the place arranged by the factory.

There were quite a few people attending the meeting, including the podium and the seats below; cadres from the branch factory and the main factory, as well as worker representatives, totaling more than a hundred people.

After taking their seats and setting up the equipment, Deputy Leader Li tapped the microphone, and at the same time, a little sound came from the factory's loudspeaker.

"Comrades."

When Deputy Leader Li began to speak, everyone on and off the stage, as well as all the workers who heard the speech through the factory's loudspeakers, fell silent.

"Today, I have been entrusted by the organization to announce an important decision at the Second Machine Tool Plant."

After careful consideration and approval from higher authorities, it was decided to officially rename the Second Machine Tool Plant as Jiuzhou Machine Tool General Plant, and at the same time, to elevate the administrative level of Jiuzhou Machine Tool General Plant to the level of a full-fledged department-level administrative unit.
This is not only an affirmation of the hard work of all the factory's employees, but also an important part of the national industrialization strategy.

"I'd like to say a few more words today, which are also what the leadership wanted me to say to all the factory workers:"
To the cadres and workers of Jiuzhou Machine Tool Plant, your achievements are not limited to technological breakthroughs and production scale.

The CNC machine tools developed and produced by your factory are highly competitive internationally, not only generating valuable foreign exchange for the country but also winning honors and breaking the foreign industrial blockade against us.”

After announcing the renaming of the Second Machine Tool Plant and the upgrade of its administrative status, Deputy Leader Li made many more words of praise.

Zhou Zhiqiang could tell that some of the remarks were indeed made by state leaders, which was an immense honor for their factory.

After saying what the leader wanted him to say, Deputy Leader Li also mentioned some of the expectations that Jiuzhou Machine Tool Factory had after its administrative upgrade, and the improvement of each department.

There are many departments and offices within Jiuzhou Machine Tool Factory, and he, as the deputy leader of the Organization Department, will not go into detail about them. Only those at the deputy director level or above will be asked to give specific details.

Finally, the crucial moment comes when personnel appointments are made.

Deputy Leader Li paused here, looked around the room, cleared his throat, and began to read in a loud voice:
"The next step is to issue a notice regarding the adjustment of personnel among the factory's cadres. After research by the Party Committee of the First Ministry of Machinery Industry and approval by the Organization Department, the China Ocean Academy was approved."

Zhou Zhiqiang is hereby appointed as the Director of Jiuzhou Machine Tool Plant and the Party Official of the CNC Branch Plant.

"Comrade Li Younian is appointed as a Party official at Jiuzhou Machine Tool Plant."

After appointing thirteen cadres in succession, Deputy Leader Li finally stopped.

Then a round of applause broke out in the room, mostly from the workers' representatives, who were genuinely happy to hear that Zhou Zhiqiang was still the factory director.

Many of the worker representatives who came from the workshops thought that a new factory director was going to be appointed, but it turned out that the director of the Second Machine Tool Plant, Zhou, was being replaced by the director of the Jiuzhou Machine Tool Plant. This gave them quite a shock.

Many of the workers in the workshop who were listening to the broadcast were also happy. They had been discussing whether or not Director Zhou should be replaced, and it was good that he hadn't.

Workers in Beijing mostly lived in mixed communities, with many large courtyards. Some neighborhood committees would house many factory workers.

After get off work, they would chat with each other about what was happening in their own factories, but after talking for a while, the workers at Jiuzhou Machine Tool Factory realized that their factory had the best benefits.

Other factories would give model workers prizes like kettles, basins, or teacups at most.

Their factory directly provides bicycles, radios, and sewing machines, and there are also various rewards and honors. Now, they've added welfare housing units to their lives.

Everyone knows that Director Zhou helped them secure these benefits.

There were no secrets in the factory. Zhou Zhiqiang himself hadn't said anything, but others still talked about it as gossip.

After the personnel appointments were announced, Zhou Zhiqiang, Li Younian, and others also spoke on stage.

The main point is to do better in the future and contribute to the country. Zhou Zhiqiang added at the end: "From now on, everyone in the factory can supervise me. If I don't do well, anyone can come to my office directly, and no one will stop them."

His words drew applause from many workers, and even the workshop was filled with applause.

After everything was finished, it was almost lunchtime.

Zhou Zhiqiang approached Deputy Leader Wu and Deputy Leader Li and said, "Leaders, it's almost lunchtime. Why don't you have lunch at the factory before you leave?"

Deputy Leader Wu did not answer immediately, but turned to Li Hongwen and asked, "Comrade Hongwen, what do you say?"

"Then let's try the food at Jiuzhou Machine Tool Factory."

Deputy Leader Li agreed without much hesitation, believing that Zhou Zhiqiang's future would be much brighter than just being a factory director at the provincial level.

Moreover, the state leaders also pay close attention to Comrade Zhou Zhiqiang, so Li Hongwen would not refuse such a meal.

(End of this chapter)