Do one practical thing every day, do one new thing every month, do one big thing every year, and do one meaningful thing in your life. ——Lu Guanqiu

Zhejiang merchants are one of the famous business gangs in my country. Ding Lei, Ma Yun, Zong Qinghou, etc. are all famous representatives of Zhejiang merchants. Before this, there was a blacksmith who A worker single-handedly wrote a strong color on the picture of Zhejiang merchants. He is Lu Guanqiu, the godfather of Zhejiang merchants. Looking back on Lu Guanqiu's life, some people say that he is an "evergreen tree" in private enterprises, while others say that he is the "leader" of Zhejiang businessmen after the reform and opening up. There are countless legends in him, and there are countless legends about him. charm.

Seize the opportunity to become a "universal joint"

In 1945, Lu Guanqiu was born in Ningwei Township, Xiaoshan, Zhejiang. When he was a child, his family's conditions were not good. Lu Guanqiu didn't even finish junior high school, so he was anxious to make money to support his family. He first went to an iron factory as an apprentice for three years. During these three years, Lu Guanqiu not only developed his skills, but also found a job. The direction of my future work.

It must be said that Lu Guanqiu had a business acumen since he was a child. At the age of sixteen, he relied on his own skills to open a blacksmith shop in the village to make iron products for his neighbors. However, under the background of the times, private individuals were not allowed to open shops to make a living, and his blacksmith shop soon closed down.

In 1969, the national economic policy slowed down and each people's commune was granted the power to open an agricultural machinery factory. At that time, the leaders of Ningwei Commune noticed Lu Guanqiu's good skills and asked him to take over the Ningwei Commune Agricultural Machinery Repair Factory. In the years of the planned economy, there were very few large-scale factories supported by the state, and many new factories had no time to take care of them. For example, the agricultural machinery repair factory in Ningwei was just a dilapidated factory building with less than 84 square meters.

Lu Guanqiu was not wealthy at that time. Looking at the several children and elderly parents who were waiting for food at home, Lu Guanqiu looked embarrassed. His wife understood him best and told him to do it with confidence and she had her support at home. In this way, with the strong support of his family, Lu Guanqiu took six people and started his first step in starting a business.

In 1979, Lu Guanqiu saw an article in the "People's Daily" and guessed that the country might vigorously support the transportation industry. He boldly decided to specialize in research and development of universal joints and make universal joints. In order to be the most refined and the best, he also renamed the factory "Xiaoshan Universal Joint Factory". This factory also has another identity as the first rural enterprise in Ningwei Township. With its excellent technology and strong support from the government, "Xiaoshan Universal Joint Factory" quickly opened up the local market, and many businesses from other places also came here. Lu Guanqiu and his "Universal Joint" This slowly entered the field of vision of many people.

Traveling in the Business Sea and Creating Good News

Wu Xiaobo mentioned in "The Great Defeat" that after the reform and opening up, most of China's private enterprises have become the dust of history, and only a few enterprises can escape. Xiang Group is one of them. In China, the political and business game has always been a course that every private entrepreneur must learn. Lu Guanqiu has a famous saying: Always keep one step away from politics. This kind of ambivalent relationship between government and business can effectively avoid problems such as rent-seeking and unclear property rights. This is worthy of every private entrepreneur's careful understanding, so that private enterprises can become bigger and stronger.

In 1983, Xiaoshan Universal Joint Factory carried out property rights system reform. Lu Guanqiu's clear understanding of the relationship between politics and business has ensured the lasting development of the universal joint factory to a certain extent. The reform stipulates that half of the Xiaoshan Universal Joint Factory's assets must be set aside for the Ningwei Township Government, and the township government must charge management fees based on 20% of the Universal Joint Factory's marketing revenue and not participate in profit dividends. Because of this reform, many people evaluated Lu Guanqiu as "the first person to reform the property rights system of township enterprises in China."

Five years later, as Lu Guanqiu's business territory grew larger and larger, he In order to ensure the efficient operation of the factory, Wanxiang applied to the Ningwei Government and spent a huge amount of money to purchase the factory equity from the Ningwei Township Government. This also shows that the "Xiaoshan Universal Joint Factory" has now become a completely private enterprise. The journey to marketization has also begun.

Subsequently, Lu Guanqiu invested in a local bus factory that was on the verge of bankruptcy, and began to develop automobile-related parts, constantly adding to his "car-making dream." In addition to developing auto parts and other products, Lu Guanqiu has gradually expanded his business territory to agriculture, finance and other related fields.

In 1992, Zhejiang Wanxiang Group was established and carried out drastic shareholding reform. So far, Wanxiang Group has acquired the American Rockford Company, the American UAI Company and the Scheler Group, the largest American automobile parts manufacturer, becoming the world's largest auto parts supplier in one fell swoop. Forbes called Lu Guanqiu an auto parts supplier. "Global leader" in the field.

On January 10, 1994, Wanxiang Qianchao Co., Ltd. under the name of Lu Guanqiu was successfully listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. It was the first listed private enterprise in my country at that time, and he undoubtedly became the leader of a private enterprise. The biggest winner in the marketization process.

Building a legend based on diligence

Lu Guanqiu often called himself a "farmer's son" throughout his life, and outsiders mostly praised him for his diligence. We often say: Self-discipline is freedom. For Lu Guanqiu, self-discipline has already become a spiritual nutrient engraved in his blood.

Lu Guanqiu has a traditional and seemingly rigid work and rest routine: get up at 5:10 in the morning, go to the company at 6:50, go home from work at 6:45 in the evening for dinner, and watch on time at 7:00 "News Network", start solving unfinished tasks during the day at eight o'clock, start reading newspapers at nine o'clock, and go to bed on time at zero o'clock. He firmly believes that hard work is the capital of a lifetime.

Lu Guanqiu, who is seventy years old, still goes to the company on time every day to check on the company's situation. He feels that he feels more at ease only when he sits at his desk every day. Many people also advised him that he should retire and enjoy happiness as he got older, but he bluntly said that he had never thought about retiring. He worked hard and persevered all his life.

Everyone can become a businessman, but not necessarily an entrepreneur. The excellent qualities and moral concepts possessed by entrepreneurs themselves are a strong support for the stable progress of the market. In particular, the first generation of entrepreneurs represented by Lu Guanqiu used their own influence to tear a gap in the market, allowing countless entrepreneurs in subsequent generations to move forward smoothly.

Future generations should never forget the wishes of their predecessors

"The Chinese want to build a car themselves." This was Lu Guanqiu's lifelong wish. He said in an interview that year: "I If it fails, my son will continue; if his son fails, my grandson will continue."

In 1999, Lu Guanqiu began to develop new energy vehicles. He said that he would use every penny of Wanxiang's money to do so. We can see his courage and determination in building cars. It is worth noting that relevant policies for my country’s new energy vehicle industry were only introduced in 2009, while Wanxiang Group has been exploring this field for ten years.

At the end of 2016, Wanxiang’s pure electric passenger car project has been approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, and the company’s automotive industry manufacturing chain has been basically completed. However, things don’t go as planned... 2017 On October 25, 2018, Lu Guanqiu, the godfather of Zhejiang merchants, passed away due to illness at the age of 72.

Died before leaving the army, which makes the hero burst into tears. The history of the past tells the sorrow of today's people. Lu Guanqiu left, but he left behind a huge "Wanxiang Empire" still standing in the world.