Chapter 135 Visiting 3M and Sealing the Cooperation
After arriving in Japan, the two of them parted ways. Although they were still on the same plane, it was obvious they could no longer sit together.
For the remainder of the flight, Yang Wendong mostly tried to sleep and conserve his energy.
Finally, after 28 hours, he arrived in New York City.
Qian Shangde and others personally came to pick him up and escorted everyone to the hotel.
The next day, Yang Wendong was led by Qian Shangde and the others to the 3M branch building in New York.
"Robert, hello, long time no see," Yang Wendong said politely with a smile. "I didn't expect it to be you waiting for me here in New York."
Robert smiled and said, "Among everyone in 3M, I'm the one most familiar with you, so naturally I'm the one to receive you."
"Alright." Yang Wendong nodded.
After greeting Wei Zetao and Qian Shangde, Robert said to Yang Wendong, "Please, come inside. I can also introduce our 3M company to you so that you can better understand us.
Once I'm done, I'm sure you'll think 3M is your company's best cooperation partner—whether in the Americas, Europe, or even parts of Asia."
"You're very confident. I'm looking forward to it as well," Yang Wendong replied, naturally not wanting to dampen the man's confidence in such a public setting.
Western culture tends to emphasize showing one's strengths openly.
Robert smiled and said, "Let's head to the showroom. It contains the history of 3M and will help us understand things quickly and efficiently."
"OK." Yang Wendong nodded. He also knew that many big companies—especially those run for generations—placed great importance on their history and milestone events.
Before computers existed, such companies would have special places to store historical records, with part of them displayed like in a museum, for partners, government leaders, and other notable figures to visit.
That morning, Yang Wendong followed Robert around many of 3M's departments, seeing a variety of their products: steel wool kitchen scrubbers, sponge scourers, gloves, special plastic bags for cooking, and various cleaning tools.
There were also hundreds of types of tape, covering uses from everyday life to the automotive, aerospace, and petroleum industries.
Naturally, their range of glues was even larger.
Although Yang Wendong had known that 3M made many products, seeing such a vast range still amazed him—thousands upon thousands of items. He couldn't even imagine how 3M managed it all.
If he wanted to learn from 3M in the future, the biggest challenge would likely be management.
In the afternoon, Yang Wendong visited a nearby 3M factory—the one where he would soon be buying a production line.
Robert smiled as he introduced it: "Eric, this is one of 3M Group's major industrial zones in New York City, mainly producing various tapes and glues, mostly for civilian use, so the volume is huge.
However, for various reasons, we're preparing to move operations to Mexico and Eastern Europe."
Yang Wendong said, "Actually, you should consider Hong Kong. It's much better than Mexico."
Although Hong Kong had its problems, at least it was stable politically.
In a few years, Japan's electronics industry and America's semiconductor industry would invest heavily in Hong Kong. If not for the inaction of the British colonial government and the unchecked expansion of real estate developers, and ignoring political factors, TSMC might have set up there as well.
"I've already reported this suggestion to my superiors," Robert shrugged. "But whether it will succeed is hard to say. It's definitely not just a matter of return on investment."
"I understand." Yang Wendong smiled and didn't press the matter. Every large company has its own "big company problems"—bloated structures and executives with huge personal stakes.
"Let's go in." After Robert's staff completed the entry procedures, they led the group into the factory.
Before entering, everyone was given standard protective gear—masks, safety helmets, all branded 3M.
Then came the professional introductions. Qian Shangde, who had been there for nearly a month, was already familiar with much of it and guided Yang Wendong and the others through the production lines.
Yang Wendong didn't understand many of the technical details, and neither did Wei Zetao, but Qian Shangde explained them in simple terms.
Soon they reached the end of the production line. Looking at a piece of equipment about the size of a small house, Yang Wendong asked, "Is this the terminal environmental protection unit for this line?"
Qian Shangde replied, "Yes, it can also allow some water to be reused, which is very effective in areas where water is scarce.
The downside is that it consumes a lot of electricity—over 1,000 kWh per day—and its multi-stage filters, which remove toxic organic compounds, are expensive. Each set costs $3,000, and if run at full speed, it lasts only three months."
"Full speed? So you can control the speed?" Yang Wendong quickly caught the key point in his words.
Qian Shangde nodded. "Yes, the speed is adjustable. Slower speeds extend the filter's lifespan and reduce electricity costs, but the trade-off is poorer water recycling efficiency, less recovered water, and increased wastewater discharge."
"Not bad." Yang Wendong nodded.
Robert didn't understand Chinese, but seeing that the conversation had ended, he smiled and said, "Eric, Mr. Qian already has all the detailed data and knows its value.
Since it's not often you come to the U.S., I think we should finalize this matter soon. It'll be good for both you and 3M."
"Alright. The next matter is the price." Yang Wendong knew that as the boss, he couldn't really judge the technical side anyway.
"Let's head to the front office then," Robert said with a smile.
"Sure." Yang Wendong agreed.
They soon arrived at the office, where coffee and tea were served. Then both sides engaged in a fierce price negotiation.
Yang Wendong didn't participate much, as this was Qian Shangde's area of expertise. They also had a professional American lawyer involved—someone he knew.
In the end, after an entire afternoon, they agreed on a mutually acceptable deal: $138,000 for the equipment, plus $26,000 for shipping, installation in Hong Kong, training, and other costs.
Additionally, Qian Shangde purchased the production patents for three types of glue—for sticky notes, mouse glue boards, and adhesive hooks—at a cost of $64,000.
They also agreed that for the first six months, 3M would supply the raw materials for glue production, giving Changxing Industrial a buffer period to find its own suppliers.
Robert stood up with a smile and said, "Congratulations, Eric. You're about to become the new owner of this production line. It will greatly benefit your business in Hong Kong."
"Likewise," Yang Wendong smiled. "Once production in Hong Kong is up and running, we can mass-produce sticky notes. At that time, we can grow the entire market together, achieving mutual benefit and win-win results."
…
(END CHAPTER)
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