Baocheng Ice: From Ice Factory to Ice Machine Factory
——Interview with Zhang Zhiqiang, founder and general manager of Shandong Baocheng Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd.
Planning and writing: WWPR
Picture: Baocheng Ice
Reviewer: Special Issue of "Block Ice Machine"
Editor's note:
This article briefly introduces the founding background, development history, main products, corporate culture, business philosophy of Shandong Baocheng Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd. through interviews with Baocheng founder Mr. Zhang Zhiqiang, key personnel, users, industry insiders and other personnel of Baocheng. Baocheng Ice is an enterprise that has entered the stage of development. It sincerely hopes that the industry will develop healthily, and that it hopes to unite colleagues and social elites who are interested in promoting the development of the industry to provide users with excellent products.
1. Birth
Zhang Zhiqiang, a native of Liaocheng, Shandong, is the founder and general manager of Shandong Baocheng Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd., and is fully responsible for the company's strategic planning and operation management. Baocheng Refrigeration started from the ice factory business established by Mr. Zhang Zhiqiang earlier. In 2011, Zhang Zhiqiang led a team to self-developed direct cooling block ice machine equipment. In 2014, he founded Shandong Baocheng Refrigeration Equipment Co., Ltd.
Baocheng Enterprise started from the ice factory business established by its founder, Mr. Zhang Zhiqiang. In 2011, the ice factory business was facing expansion of production capacity, and two multiple-choice questions were in front of him.
The first multiple-choice question, ice-making with salt water OR direct-cooling ice-making. After careful consideration, Zhang Zhiqiang gave up salt water ice making and chose direct cooling ice making. The reason he gave is: the shortcomings of salt water ice making are more disadvantageous, higher cost, and lower efficiency than the shortcomings of direct cooling ice making. These conclusions are based on his experience and lessons in operating an ice factory for many years.
The second multiple-choice question is purchasing OR manufacturing. When doing procurement strategy, I only saw the benefits of the direct cooling block ice machine. When I saw the real thing, I realized that the budget was seriously insufficient. With a serious shortage of budget, Zhang Zhiqiang gave up purchasing and chose manufacturing. The reason he gave was: My funds are distressed and I cannot afford to buy. Can I start another way? To achieve my goal. Even if it fails, I have tried and I have tried hard. As long as I can bear the cost of failure, I will do it.
Hard work pays off. After practice again and again, the "Baocheng brand" direct cooling block ice machine finally came out.
2. Ups and downs
Zhang Zhiqiang thought that after the product was made, he could relax his mind and do other things, but he didn't expect the team to be discordant. In desperation, he had no choice but to return to the factory obediently, devote himself to the factory, and from then on to make products honestly and learn to operate honestly. "The colleagues say that there is no way out after opening the factory, we can only bite the bullet and rush forward." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
After three or four years of precipitation, struggle and hard work, Baocheng ice machine has become more and more mature, equipment operation has become more and more stable, customer complaints have decreased, and more and more orders have been recommended. Baocheng ice machine It stood firm in the market and gained recognition from customers and peers.
"For those of us who make products, nothing is more gratifying than getting the recognition of customers and peers. Baocheng has also been recognized by the government and the industry." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
"We are especially grateful to our customers and colleagues for their various opinions and suggestions. Baocheng hopes to cooperate with like-minded people. Baocheng believes that this market has opportunities and development prospects." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
3. Operation
"Mr. Zhang is very honest, Baocheng ice machine really considers us everywhere." said the owner of an ice factory. In business, Baocheng has its own set of rules. Zhang Zhiqiang believes that we must first design products from the perspective of user experience and manufacture products from the perspective of user convenience. It is not only from the perspective of the product person to design and manufacture products. Otherwise, it will run counter to on-site use and user experience.
"Baocheng Company is located in the inland area and there are no peers around. Customers come to Baocheng as a family. How much time does it take to delay him when customers come to investigate? Such sincerity and deeds are great for Baocheng The trust. Regardless of whether the transaction is completed or not, first take care of the guests from afar. We have to be good people, and first be an honest, friendly and kind person." Baocheng sales manager Zhang Likun said.
Baocheng is an ice machine company that has grown up from customers. It knows the difficulties of customers and puts the interests of customers first. "If there is any problem, we will take responsibility first and arrange someone to solve the problem. Bargaining with customers is never allowed, let alone refusal, prevarication, or dumping of the pot. Once the ice-making equipment has a problem, can the customer do business well? Delay It is unkind and immoral for people to make a living." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
With the step-by-step development of Baocheng, standardization and standardization have become the goals of Baocheng's management. Baocheng has passed occupational health and safety system certification, quality management system certification, environmental management system certification, CE certification and other certifications. It has obtained high-tech enterprises in Shandong Province, a member of the Chinese Society of Refrigeration, an editorial board member of an ice magazine, a social base of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Shandong Provincial One Enterprise One Technology R & D Center, Shandong Province "Specialized, Special New" SMEs, Shanghai University of Engineering Science "Industry-University Cooperation Education Base" and other honors.
Through accumulation and development step by step, Baocheng has come to its current position. Bao adult believes in the industry, believes in customers, and believes in himself.
4. Anxiety
Baocheng worried that the block ice opportunity would be reduced to a flake ice machine. Although the technical threshold of block ice machines is high, it cannot prevent people from pursuing interests. After all, the market volume of block ice machines is much larger than that of flake ice machines, and its development trend is also clear.
Baocheng hopes to have dialogues and exchanges with its peers, hope to form an industry convention, hope that there will be no vicious competition, and hope that representative and righteous companies can sit together and discuss the next block ice machine industry and market norms, whether it is In the form of standards, norms, or conventions, as long as it can ensure the interests of customers and promote the healthy development of the industry, it can be tried and implemented.
"We should unite to participate in international competition, quality competition, and brand competition. As long as it can promote the development of the industry, Baocheng will actively participate. Vicious price competition makes customers lose, the industry is gone, and the company is gone." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
5. Innovation
Baocheng is a newcomer and a recruit in the ice machine industry. In this year's harsh epidemic environment, Baocheng is still "retrograde" to do foreign trade work. "We have a lot of work to do, such as foreign trade work. Although the foreign trade form is not optimistic, the Baocheng team still believes in the foreign trade market. Our colleagues are excellent in foreign trade, and they have mature operating models and teams. , We have to learn from our peers. Baocheng still has a long way to go to build the ice machine." Zhang Zhiqiang said sincerely.
Baocheng insists on innovation, and cooperates with some university research institutes. The local government also provides strong support for the development of Baocheng. Baocheng hopes that peers can cooperate and achieve a win-win situation. "You don’t need to be nervous. After all, the global market is huge. Everyone’s products are different and their design concepts are different. Respected by the user community. Besides, customers have the logic of their choices. To believe in customers, you must also believe in customers' choices." Zhang Zhiqiang said. It is impossible for a group of people in the industry to run on each other to gain respect.
6. Focus
Today, we are in an era, industry, environment, and market. There are indeed too many temptations. Baocheng Company cannot avoid these temptations, and often wanders in these temptations, even confused.
"Seeing that the various product lines of the peers are very complete, and all kinds of ice-shaped ice machines are being made, we cannot be unmoved. After all, companies with rich product lines give the impression that they are large-scale, profitable, and powerful. Yes. We are in the ice machine industry and in the ice machine ecology. Even if we ourselves can resist that temptation once, twice or three times, the people around us will kindly remind us,'You only make this product Can it survive? "In the face of doubt, it's useless to say anything." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
In front of temptation. People lose their rationality and their minds. The main reason that Baocheng does not make other ice machine products is that there are still many things to do for the direct cooling block ice machine, and there are still many areas that need to be improved in the product. "Baocheng is not a company with a solid foundation. We are really still in the initial stage. This is by no means humble." Zhang Zhiqiang said.
As a company, it is indeed important to make money, and it is also important to appropriately enrich products. After all, expanding revenue is one of the magic weapons for a company to continue. However, Baocheng does not currently have this strength. To enrich the product line requires more manpower, a larger area of the factory building, and more complete management...
Furthermore, Baocheng does not need to expand its product line for the sake of listing products. "The profits of some products are gone. We are going to make those products again. Can we have more profits than our peers? Rather than participating in low-price competition, Baocheng might as well make the current products well, refined, and specialized. Since then, we will give back to customers, employees, and society. It can be regarded as sticking to our original aspirations." Zhang Zhiqiang said.