Rebirth Tokyo 1986

Chapter 244: Big Business Can't Be Too Smart
As soon as the car entered the Matsumoto Manufacturing area, Masato Takeshita saw from afar Hiroaki Kobayashi and his group waiting at the gate.

The driver stopped beside them safely as usual.

Kobayashi Hiroaki also repeated the previous action and opened the car door respectfully.

"President, President Suzuki, good afternoon! Welcome to our inspection."

The young man got out of the car neatly and said, "President Xiaolin, hello too. I'll trouble you from now on."

"No, it's my pleasure."

Kobayashi Hiroaki bowed slightly and humbly, without showing any of his usual arrogance.

After a brief greeting, Suzuki Zensuke, former president of Matsumoto Manufacturing and current vice president of Xinghai Group, walked up to Kobayashi Hiroaki with a smile.

"Xiaolin-san, the roads in the factory are very clean. Please keep them clean."

"Yes, we always remember the old president's teachings."

During the time when Zensuke Suzuki was managing Matsumoto Manufacturing, the thing he paid the most attention to was factory hygiene, because it was the face of the company.

And face often plays a very positive role before customers are familiar with the company.

Many customers choose to try it for the first time because the company is relatively clean and hygienic.

Give Matsumoto a chance, and give yourself a chance.

"You two, why are you so serious?"

"Come on, let's take a quick tour around the factory first."

Having not visited the factory for some time, he now wanted to obtain more first-hand information.

This way, you can be more calm at the shareholders' meeting.

He did not allow Matsumoto to create any major flaws in the first general meeting of shareholders.

"Hi!"

As the machines roared, Takeshita Masato praised, "The factory process is very smooth. It seems that I have learned a lot from Hitachi."

Matsumoto Manufacturing expanded too quickly before, so many management problems arose.

Later, the young man thought about Huawei’s past.

Eventually, we found Hitachi, a model of factory management, and spent money to learn and improve ourselves.

Now it seems that the effect is very good, at least the operation process looks comfortable.

Kobayashi Hiroaki showed an admiring expression, and then said frankly: "Yes, President Inawa Morio is indeed a business saint."

“We learned a lot about factory management.”

Masato Takeshita nodded in approval.

"It's pretty good. If there are still deficiencies, you can continue to spend money on learning."

"Yes, sir."

Because there were more important things to do, the young man simply turned around.

As for more specific details, it will not be too late to find out after the shareholders' meeting.

The Matsumoto manufacturing plant is right here and it won’t go away.

"Secretary Sakai has already told us the purpose of our visit today."

"Yes, I have prepared the relevant materials. President, you can check them at any time."

"That's good, let's go."

"Hi!"

The content at Matsumoto Manufacturing is more detailed than that at the headquarters.

Not only the sales volume, revenue and profit of trolley suitcases, but also more specific sales volume of each partner.

For example, Walmart sold more than 300 million units last year, making it Matsumoto Manufacturing's largest sales channel in the United States.

As for the old large shopping malls such as Kailes, sales have begun to reach a bottleneck and are no longer growing.

This is also similar to their future.

One is still developing rapidly, while the other has begun to stagnate.

However, Walmart still focuses on the low-end market.

Mid- to high-end suitcases are mainly sold in luxury specialty stores.

This is very different from Japan.

Fengya and Shuying have wider sales channels in Japan.

Not only luxury stores, shopping malls, and large supermarkets, but even some small street boutiques can sell some of them.

All I can say is that the Japanese nowadays do not regard money as money at all and spend it too lavishly.

“Is it accurate to predict that there will be a growth rate of more than 20% this year?”

"The joint venture factory's scale and process technology are constantly improving, making it easy to achieve this goal."

At a time when trolley suitcases were still a seller's market, Matsumoto could sell as many as it produced.

Sadly, these good times will soon come to an end.

It is expected that trolley suitcases will enter the stock market next year or the year after.

Of course, Matsumoto Manufacturing doesn't need to worry too much.

Fengya and Shuying have established a brand effect in the global mid-to-high-end market.

Rich people in countries outside Europe even only recognize elegant brands.

As for low-end products, Matsumoto Manufacturing has nothing to worry about.

With the joint venture Shanghai luggage factory, no large enterprise can compete head-on in terms of price.

"One thing to note is that mid- to high-end brands should not expand blindly, as the economic situation is a bit bad."

"Please rest assured, President, our new production capacity is mainly low-end products."

"Ah That's good."

After learning about the output, the young man flipped through the information and asked again.

"Does our factory in Japan still maintain an annual output of 800 million low-end brands?"

"Yes, it's mainly to arrange for new students and those whose skills are not stable enough."

Training new talents is very important for an industry.

The low-end production line is the best place to train new talents.

Even if there are problems with the bags produced, it will not have a serious impact.

After all, the idea that cheap goods are not good is prevalent all over the world.

"Our factory will probably hire fewer workers in the future, right?"

"Yes, the factory has become stable, and basically we recruit as many people as there are retirements."

The mid- to high-end market is limited and growing very slowly.

Therefore, the factories in Japan have no growth plans this year.

Naturally, the number of recruits will not be large.

Unlike the joint venture factory in Shanghai, which is still under construction on a large scale.

It is expected that next year, annual output will exceed that of Japan.

“Does the factory still implement the three-shift policy?”

"Yes, President, do you have any ideas?"

Kobayashi Hiroaki always felt that there was something else his president said, and he felt a little curious.

"nothing."

Masato Takeshita shook his head and continued to look down at the information.

He does want to change the three-shift production model and increase the number of workers hired.

but not now.

He had to carry out factory reforms during the employment ice age after 1993.

By then, not only will it provide jobs for more people and help the country solve problems, but it will also improve the quality of employees in our own factories.

After the Japanese bubble burst, many things did not happen overnight.

The vast majority of Japanese people believe that this is a short-term phenomenon and continue to indulge in luxury.

It was not until 1993 that the Japanese realized that something was wrong.

The masses no longer consume blindly, and the government begins to actively intervene in the economy.

But the Japanese bubble was so poisonous that it was difficult for the government to save it.

Especially when it comes to employment of college students, it is extremely serious.

During the worst period, about half of college students could not find jobs.

This is also under the premise that the Japanese government has introduced a series of infrastructure policies.

Without large-scale government investment, relying solely on the strength of enterprises.

It is estimated that the employment rate of college students will fall below 40%.

There is no way. The Japanese domestic market is limited and does not need so many people.

If Matsumoto Manufacturing could recruit a large number of workers against the trend during the employment ice age, it would definitely gain a lot of reputation.

In addition, a large number of university graduate employees are available.

Of course, there are disadvantages to doing this.

Corporate profits may shrink a lot. But it doesn’t matter.

Faced with such a serious social crisis, no shareholder dared to refute.

At the same time, there is a very big benefit to doing this.

Establish the unshakable brand status of Matsumoto Manufacturing.

By then, even if a brand wants to enter the Japanese high-end market, it will be difficult to gain recognition.

When Kobayashi Hiroaki saw his president finish reading the information about suitcases, he couldn't help but ask in a low and tentative voice.

"President, our energy drinks are very popular among drivers."

"In your opinion, when would it be more appropriate to launch the product?"

After several small-scale launches, Hiroaki Kobayashi realized the future of energy drinks.

He can't wait to mass-produce energy drinks to boost his sluggish stock price.

Although the stock price was falling, he still wanted to resist.

"Going public, have you decided on a name?"

Matsumoto Manufacturing had thought of several names for the energy drink, but Masato Takeshita always felt that something was missing.

He hoped that the name could be more eye-catching.

"What do you think of the name magma?"

After thinking about it carefully, Zhu Yaren shook his head and said, "Well, it's not very good."

Drinking lava when I'm tired and sleepy always feels weird.

"So, what about the pulse?"

"pulsation?"

Masato Takeshita raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect that everyone would come up with such a name that he was very familiar with.

"Okay, this is it."

The name "脉动" is indeed nice, and the young man nodded in agreement.

Then he asked, "In terms of production, have you planned everything?"

Kobayashi Hiroaki heard the president's subtext and was overjoyed.

He quickly responded with a smile, "Everything is ready."

“We’ve acquired several mid-sized beverage companies that didn’t require much adjustment.”

This time the stock market crash also helped Matsumoto.

The beverage companies that originally did not want to sell also readily agreed to the transaction.

Of course, that's provided the price remains the same.

In order to successfully acquire Sony, Matsumoto Manufacturing had to follow Sony's Versailles approach.

Whatever we think the company is worth, that's what it is worth.

The stock market is falling, it doesn’t matter at all.

Although doing so will cost more money, the effect is very good and it is easier to achieve the goal.

A negative example of this is the future of Yahoo.

Yahoo could have easily owned Facebook and dominated the social market.

But Yahoo chose to lower the price because Facebook was in trouble.

This completely angered Facebook, and the deal eventually fell through.

Even if Yahoo tried to save the company and chose to raise the price, the company would not be sold.

So sometimes, when doing business, you have to be as generous as Sony.

If you care too much, you will often lose more.

Masato Takeshita nodded, "Okay then, we can start preparing for the listing now."

"Then in July, it was officially launched simultaneously in Japan and the United States."

July and August are the hottest times in the Northern Hemisphere, and are also the times when people are most likely to feel sleepy while working or studying.

Pulse was launched in July and it is likely to be an instant hit.

"clear."

Hiroaki Kobayashi was very excited as Matsumoto Manufacturing could finally have a new profit point.

The trolley suitcase industry alone always feels unstable.

"So happy?"

"Well, the industry is too single, and it always feels dangerous."

Masato Takeshita shook his head and said speechlessly: "It's really true that one doesn't know how to appreciate the blessings he has."

"Since Fengya and Shuying have already established a foothold in the high-end market, you can also expand into the fields of cosmetics, fashion, and luggage."

"The company's clothing factories in China are not just for producing cheap products."

In fact, the high-end luggage, fashion, and cosmetics industries are definitely more suitable for Matsumoto Manufacturing than the beverage industry.

Masato Takeshita entered the energy drink industry first to gain the first-mover advantage because he considered that the industry was still wild and undeveloped.

But there is no need for Matsumoto Manufacturing to focus on energy drinks. It can also try to develop luxury goods.

If it succeeds, the earning capacity will far exceed that of the energy drink business.

"We have been trying, but the results are limited."

Hiroaki Kobayashi also wanted to enter the luxury goods market and make money without doing anything, but the public still lacked recognition of the company's brand.

Without a great opportunity, it is difficult to break into the high-end field.

"I see, there will be a chance."

Masato Takeshita thought of the employment ice age, and it seems that Matsumoto Manufacturing also wants to show patriotism.

Maybe we can take advantage of the rising popularity among the public and move towards becoming a high-end brand.

Time passed quickly and before we knew it it was night.

"President, do you want to eat at the company?"

"No, I'm going home. See you tomorrow."

After saying that, Masato Takeshita smiled and waved goodbye to the few people.

He doesn't have anything important to do now, so he always has dinner with Sister Quanshui at home.

"Dear, have you eaten yet?"

"You said you don't have to wait for me."

"All right."

"Is the child asleep?"

"Oh, that's how it is."

"Well, okay, let's talk when we get home."

As early as mid-January this year, Izumi Sakai gave birth to a chubby girl weighing nine kilograms for him.

But perhaps because he was naturally calm or lacked emotions, Masato Takeshita did not feel too happy.

Of course, we are related by blood after all.

When he has nothing to do on weekdays, he still often teases her.

"I am back!"

"Shh, keep quiet, it's time to go to sleep."

"Oh well."

Masato Takeshita looked at the little girl next to his girlfriend and quickly lowered his voice. He didn't want to wake up his daughter.

"Where are the nanny and the doctor?"

"I asked them to leave for a while and come back at 9 o'clock in the evening."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work."

Perhaps because she loves her daughter too much, Izumi Sakai is very resistant to nannies and doctors.

Unless you are extremely tired, you can take care of yourself.

Masato Takeshita had advised her several times, but she was very persistent on this matter.

Useless!

"Nothing, it's fine now."

"My mother told me that she had to cook every day not long after she gave birth to me."

"Forehead."

For a moment, Masato Takeshita didn't know what to say.

Sometimes a wife who is too virtuous can also be a burden.

He quickly changed the subject and asked, "Well, what's dinner? Let's eat together?"

"Tonight we're having Chinese food, let's eat here."

Izumi Sakai didn't want to leave at all and wanted to stay with her daughter all the time.

"Well, I'll push the dining cart over here."

(End of this chapter)