The Difficulties and Hopes of the World Shoes Factory

Zhang Huarong, Chairman of the World Footwear Base

This issue

The once trapped Houjie footwear industry, led by the “Leadership” project, saw the road to transformation and upgrading.

After three years and four years, yesterday, the headquarters of the World Footwear (Asia) finally took the groundbreaking ceremony as the “Key Project of Dongguan City”. This project, from the very beginning, was just a vision of Zhang Huarong, Chairman of the World Footwear Base, which has been deduced into reality for four years. Zhang Huarong is fortunate because his ideas are exactly in line with the urgent requirements of the Houjie Township government to promote the transformation and upgrading of the footwear industry. Naturally, it has received full support from the government level. Houjie expects this project to exert its “leading” effect and drive the entire industry. As a result of the comprehensive transformation and upgrading, “government and enterprises are on the same page”.

At the ground-breaking ceremony on May 31, the Houjie government and the World Footwear (Asia) headquarters have signed the “Letter of Intent to Accelerate the Transformation and Upgrading of the Houjie Footwear Industry”. The total investment of the project will be increased from RMB 1 billion for the first time to 1.6 billion, with a total construction area of ​​480,000 square meters. It is expected to be put into use by the end of 2013. Of course, this is not only a milestone for the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry, but also just a first step toward realizing it.

In trouble

The Dream of Chinese Women's Godfather

Four years ago in winter, the eve of the financial crisis. Dongguan shoe crisis came ahead of schedule, the factory closed down, employees were owed wages, once the rapid emergence of the industry's processing and production, brand OEM model, one night seems to have reached a dead end.

Zhang Huarong, chairman of the Huajian Group and known as “The Godfather of Chinese Women’s Shoes”, has an idea: to build a super-large-scale world footwear (Asia) headquarters. He positioned the base as an Asian headquarters for R&D, trade, brand incubation, and logistics, becoming the center of order for shoe-making companies and promoting the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry.

Zhang Huarong would not have thought that the idea of ​​4 years ago would eventually emerge as a “star project,” and he would be favored along the way, and he was eventually “topped” to lay the foundation for the identity of key projects in Dongguan City.

At that time, Zhang Huarong had already been the chairman of the largest Chinese shoe manufacturer. In an interview with a Southern Metropolis reporter four years ago, he said: “They say that I am a 'godfather' and that the 'father' is a responsibility. I’m a self-employed person without any conditions. I’m willing to start business with everyone. ."

Four years later, when asked by reporters why this project has been heated up for so many years, it has now laid the foundation. Will it miss the initiative? Zhang Huarong’s answer is still with his “godfather” child: “Is it still not easy to make money? But on this project, I value industry value and social value more. After four years of preparation, today’s foundation can be That being said, I am more confident in this project and have more confidence in my long-term operations."

The only thing that Zhang Huarong did not expect was the investment quota for this base, which was estimated at about 10 billion at that time, and it was actually added to 1.6 billion when the foundation was actually laid.

After the storm

The consensus of government and enterprises in "World shoe factory"

Zhang Huarong is fortunate. As he continued to sell his concept of the "World Footwear (Asia) Headquarters" to the outside world, he ran into a very good opportunity - the government's urgent desire to promote industrial transformation and upgrading. After the time of the financial crisis, Dongguan selected “two pilot towns and two industries” as pilots in the transformation and upgrading of the industry: one is Dalang Woolen, and the other is Houjie Footwear.

Zhang Huarong did not know at this time, and soon Houjie town government will take the initiative to find him.

Houjie is also well-founded, and footwear has always been one of the pillar industries of Houjie. There are more than 1,000 shoe-making enterprises in the town; more than 1,000 other leather, shoe machines, shoe materials, and hardware manufacturing enterprises; more than 1,000 finished shoes, shoe materials, leather, hardware, shoe industry chemicals, trade businesses, and shops. Nearly 150,000 people. Its footwear export value accounted for a quarter of Guangdong's share, known as the "world shoe factory."

From the perspective of recent years, Houjie has established a professional footwear market with a large number of professional services such as 濠 鞋 shoe materials market, Yuanlong leather material market, Hetian leather material market, Hongyun Shoes Material Square, Nanfeng Leather Shoes Material Trading Center, etc. Market, local capital is very active in this area. However, the Houjie town government was very cautious in choosing the “leading” project.

After a closer look, you will find the "Dongguan shoe industry transformation, upgrading and cluster development policy support program" (hereinafter referred to as the "plan") formulated by Houjie, which supports the "leading" project of the transformation and upgrading of the Houjie footwear industry. Not these local private enterprises, for the Houjie, the killer is not "World Footwear (Asia) headquarters base" is none other than.

Zhang Huarong’s enterprises must be transformed and upgraded, and the overall development of Houjie’s footwear industry must also be upgraded. Zhang Huarong’s thoughts are also needed by the government, and both parties have a common understanding of the establishment of the platform. Based on common interest claims, both parties hit it off.

The “Proposal” proposes that the footwear industry innovation park of Dongguan City will be established at the Houjie Eco-Technology Park in Dongguan with the headquarters of the World Footwear Center as the center. It will plan and reserve 1,000 acres of land for the park and create a research and development center and trade center for the shoe enterprises in the park. High-end production lines and public research and development trading platforms provide preferential land resources. The government gave financial support to the World Footwear Headquarters Base Project and the footwear cluster platform construction.

Zhang Huarong said: "If there is no government support, this project will not be so fast, and the foundation will be laid so smoothly."

Look into the future

Brand building and automation transformation

At the ground-breaking ceremony yesterday, the dance performances of the five robots won the limelight.

Zhang Huarong said that within 3-5 years, these robots will appear in the production line, they will replace the lack of labor. "The kind of production around the transfer of labor has become a thing of the past." The World Footwear Headquarters Base is ready to invest 20 million in cooperation with Shanghai Inspur Automation Technology Co., Ltd. to develop automated robotic production.

The foundation for the foundation of the World Footwear Industry Base was the debut of the “Key Project of Dongguan City in 2011” and the “Great Development of Four Years”. At the same time, it is a pilot project for the industrial transformation and upgrading of Guangdong Province.

Zhang Huarong’s idea four years ago has now begun to approach the reality infinitely. After the completion of the project, it will become a world-class footwear industry "one-stop" integrated service headquarters platform integrating high-end R&D and design, trade logistics, brand display, orders and raw material procurement, brand incubation, and information consulting. The transformation and upgrading of the footwear industry and the development of the entire industrial cluster strongly promote the development of the Chinese footwear industry from the low-end manufacturing market to the high-end brand market.

According to the “Program,” the World Footwear Headquarters Base will focus on the introduction of footwear industry R&D institutions, international trade and purchasers, finished shoe manufacturers and brands across the country, international and domestic raw material suppliers, and shoe industry support services. After the completion of the project, it will accommodate 10,000 merchant companies and solve the employment problem of 40,000-50,000 people. After the completion of the project, the annual transaction volume is expected to reach 50 billion.

Observer said

Just a starting point

The foundation of the World Footwear (Asia) headquarters was rumbling. However, the foundation of the foundation does not mean that construction will start. Even if the construction is started, it does not mean that the construction will be completed soon. Nearly Guangzhou and other places also said to engage in "shoe headquarters", far from the Yangtze River Delta, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, they have long embarked on the road to self-brand creation. R&D and marketing conditions are more mature. Although the positioning of projects is not the same, competition is inevitable. Dongguan shoe factory is mainly OEM and OEM. It lacks its own brand and fails to embark on the road of self brand creation like that of Zhejiang Wenzhou and Fujian shoe factories. It also lacks independent intellectual property rights and therefore determines the quality of Dongguan. Shoes at every end of the industry chain will experience cruel competition such as price wars. Will this "leader" in the future be able to open up a new situation in the development of Guan shoes? Terror also depends on who can seize the opportunity to drink the first soup, is the last word!

Leave a message to TA:

Huang Wei @COWGIRL121121 (http://t.qq.com/cow girl121121) (Southern Metropolis Daily Southern Metropolis DailyMark Daily South Network)

In 3-5 years, these robots will appear in the production line, they will replace the lack of labor.

--- Talk about the transformation and upgrading of the industry

Isn't it easy to make money? However, I value this project more in terms of industry value and social value. After 4 years of preparation, it can be said that I am more confident in this project and have more confidence in my long-term operations.

--- Talk about World Footwear (Asia) Headquarters

Written: Southern Reporter Huang Wei

Photographs: Southern Reporter Liu Mei