Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 431 Twentieth Anniversary Summit

At the summit in Qingning, Hu Shutong and Tongxing, both as individuals and as enterprises, were recognized.

He then drove to Mingjiang, taking the transport route he had been using most often over the years.

Both summits featured surprising and insightful content, including previously unmentioned concepts such as "the application of blockchain technology in the cold chain," as well as more in-depth topics such as "sorting and delivery robots enhancing corporate competitiveness" and "discussions on international supply chains."

Hu Shutong's theme revolves around the third point: discussing hubs from an international perspective, then discussing the relationship between hubs, and finally returning to the industry itself, in order to give people as much understanding as possible.

Tongxing's presentation garnered significant attention, dedicating a full half hour to Hu Shutong. However, this only comprised half of Hu Shutong's presentation; beyond the professional insights and operational thinking, he had much more to say.

As Lao Pang once said, every industry has its own stars.

The cold chain also has its spotlight, and right now, this summit itself is the cold chain under that spotlight. A gathering of industry leaders, united by their shared passion for cold chain solutions.

Hu Shutong did not emphasize responsibility, but rather highlighted the industry energy gathered at this moment. The propositions made on this occasion are the most inspiring boost to the industry.

Because of this journey, we have experienced the barrenness of spring and the splendor of summer flowers, reaping abundant harvests as well as enduring anxieties.

This is also a part of life, with countless restless nights, making us cherish the gentle breeze of dawn even more; with tireless work under the stars and moon, we can finally shed tears of joy at the harvest.

It's not perfect, but it captivates you with a kind of understanding akin to reaching middle age, making you appreciate the value of encountering benefactors and no longer letting petty people fill your mind. Suddenly, experiences seem not linear, but blocky, with varying sizes and some illogical. Perhaps it's a magnificent scroll of life's highlights, or perhaps it's just a corner in a drawer, one that even you yourself are unwilling to easily pull out.

However, when these words were presented at the summit, almost all that was removed was the word "backbone." And these two words were hard-won; regardless of whether one remembers why they set out, one cannot forget the figures who accompanied them on that journey.

Countless veteran experts have visited factories large and small; countless people have benefited from the earliest cold chain planning projects; many have worked behind the scenes to research ammonia and fluorine; and countless others have driven departments and enterprises forward through their academic efforts. Those early photos of white walls and white roofs abroad, those footprints dedicated to reducing waste, are the true foundation that has brought the industry to where it is today.

As the backbone, we must look to the future.

Leading by example is not enough; what we can actually do will guide and change the industry, propelling us toward a new journey.

The continuous financing and mergers and acquisitions are essentially squeezing the development space of emerging companies. Although many of the companies present were themselves beneficiaries of the financing boom, Hu Shutong still proposed that large companies establish an industry development fund, and Tongxing has already taken the lead.

Hu Shutong clearly saw the potential of emerging enterprises. The so-called fulcrum can actually be any enterprise; he witnessed the decline of Zhonglong Eurocold, a living example. Fundamentally, it wasn't a failure to compete with Tongxing's grand strategy, but rather that within its production and sales alliance system, its smaller-scale third-party logistics and warehousing systems malfunctioned, and its product distribution suffered.

Providing a good space for emerging cold chain enterprises to survive will eventually become an unavoidable issue. When it is difficult to see the brilliance of emerging enterprises and all that can be seen is the rampant growth of giant enterprises, that will be a bottleneck that runs through the entire industry.

No matter when, vegetables must leave the fields, vehicles must travel on the road, and goods must be stacked and moved repeatedly; these are the forces that support the entire system.

While we need to broaden our international perspective and continue to explore the overall picture of the supply chain, Hu Shutong believes that the more meaningful thing about this summit is to establish a mechanism and do more practical things at the grassroots level.

During this half-hour period, Hu Shutong made several commitments. In addition to Tongxing's industry fund, Tongxing Academy will offer corporate classes and openly share human resources with the industry. At the same time, Tongxing's R&D Center will establish a technology sharing platform and create dedicated technical teams that will move between enterprises and industries to conduct more solid technical research.

Furthermore, with its increasingly thriving overseas aquaculture and planting bases, Tongxing is willing to share its international experiences with those present and collaborate with them in specific regions and markets. He also openly revealed Tongxing's overseas strategy, showcasing China's Belt and Road Initiative and its powerful presence, transforming the cold chain industry into a global thoroughfare that transcends mountains and seas and reaches the heavens!

Each of these achievements was unprecedented, making the person standing on the stage seem not like a person, but a window. The thunderous applause not only revealed the commitment and its execution, but also presented a corporate resume that had never been so vividly presented. Through its vision for the future, it compels one to applaud its past.

Hu Shutong looked at the people and was momentarily dazed. He suddenly felt that this moment was very similar to the academic hall of the University of Minnesota.

How can one not feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both sadness and reflection)? Time flies, and things change so much. Yet, he is still doing the same things in similar situations, and one can still see many figures, including old friends, acquaintances, and himself.

The 20th anniversary summit—but what's more important than the summit itself is the 20 years—a journey marked by brilliance and splendor, trials and tribulations, all of which record this weighty journey.

He firmly believed in his own vision and judgment, and that his ambitions soared because he never looked to the sidelines.

Perhaps, doing one thing well is the hardest thing in life.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.