Original title: focus on refocusing to make sure that silicification ranks the top three in the world in silica industry
⊙ reporter Ruan Xiaoqin
With an annual output value of 1 billion yuan, most of the top 20 tire companies in the world are its customers. This new third board chemical enterprise located in Wuxi is the top three in the global industry and the first in China. The research team of "2019 new three board Wanlixing" of Shanghai Securities Daily recently came to Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, to explore how to make sure that silicification works hard with decades of focus, and ranks among the world's top in the highly dispersed white carbon black industry.
Ranked among the top three in the world
"Our product is very simple. It's white carbon black." In a word, que Weidong, the actual controller and chairman of the board of directors, made the main business clear.
In his early years, que Weidong joined a township enterprise that produces sodium silicate, and began to contact the products of white carbon black, a very subdivided field. After entering the industry, que Weidong paid close attention to the world's cutting-edge technological developments in the industry. The application of silica is very extensive, for example, in the manufacturing process of automobile tire, a lot of silica should be added as reinforcing agent. However, at that time, China's automobile output was very small. It is unclear whether the development of silica products that meet the application of automobile tire industry can succeed and what the future market prospects are. However, when he started his business, que Weidong decisively chose silica as the development direction for automobile tires.
Thanks to que Weidong's research on technology and judgment on the future trend of energy conservation and environmental protection, the integrated design of resources utilization from raw materials sulfuric acid, sodium silicate to final product silicon dioxide was adopted at the beginning of silicification. After more than two years of hard work, silica was successfully developed in 2005.
But que Weidong is not satisfied with this. According to foreign industry information, as early as the early 1990s, Michelin, an international tire giant, has successfully developed green tires. To make green tires, a special new material, high dispersion silica, is needed. Using this material can reduce rolling resistance, improve wet skid resistance and improve tire performance. With professional sensitivity and strong interest in research and development of new products, que Weidong led the team to carry out arduous development work. In 2007, we finally independently developed and produced highly dispersed silica for green tires. After years of efforts, it has passed the certification of international tire giants and entered the international market. By 2014, highly dispersed silica has become the largest production and sales variety of the company. In 2017, the company's high-end white carbon black business income accounted for more than half.
Looking back on this special experience, que Weidong thought that opportunity was very important. At that time, the highly dispersed white carbon black in the international market was in short supply. Que Weidong moved the international customers with his diligence and wisdom. He always adhered to the business philosophy of "delivering the best quality products to customers in time at the most competitive price", and gained the trust of customers. The high-end products entered the international market step by step, and the output increased year by year.
The silica for green tyres has a high industry barrier. Its barriers are mainly manifested in two aspects: first, technical barriers, because each customer's requirements are different, manufacturers need different solutions from product formula, process control to core equipment; second, a long certification cycle, as the tire raw material related to passenger safety, highly dispersed white carbon black goes to the market, and needs to pass the customer's extremely strict quality and technical certification , the process is complex and the cycle is long.
The focus has brought continuous good financial condition to the company. In 2017, 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019, the operating revenue of the company was 1.065 billion yuan, 1.177 billion yuan and 884 million yuan respectively, and the net profit was 190 million yuan, 270 million yuan and 202 million yuan respectively.
Overseas layout
In 2015, it was listed on the new third board. Careful investors will find that the company's operating revenue growth in recent years is not high. According to the data, in 2016, 2017, 2018 and the first three quarters of 2019, the company's operating revenue increased by 11%, 32%, 10% and 1.76% year on year respectively. Does this mean that the industry has reached the ceiling? Wang Jin said that the main reason is that the speed of capacity expansion is slow.
Wang Jin said that compared with traditional tires, green tire cars have the advantages of less exhaust emissions, more fuel-efficient, anti slippery and shorter braking distance, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Que Weidong predicted that green tires will replace traditional tires, and there is still a large market space in China, the United States, India and other places.
In the face of capacity bottlenecks, we will ensure the development mode of domestic cooperation and foreign new bases for silicification.
In the past two years, the company is accelerating its overseas distribution. In 2016, the company set up a Thai subsidiary to build the first overseas production base. In October 2019, the first phase of the Thai plant project was completed for trial run. In January 2018, que Weidong signed a letter of intent with France to invest in the construction of a new production base and European R & D center in Marseille, France.
In terms of domestic layout, in October 2017, qucheng silicified purchased Fujian Sanming Afu silicon material Co., Ltd. In March 2019, the company trial production.
"One belt, one road" construction is not only a response to the development of Thailand and Europe, but also the need for continuous development of the company's business. Que Weidong hopes that, to be sure, silicification needs to be refined and solid in the subdivided industries, gradually break the international monopoly and occupy its own place in the international market.
Be a little strong, don't be a big fat
In the process of starting a business, que Weidong often gives employees a thought: we are a small company, we should focus on concentration; we should be small and strong, not fat, not puffy.
Que Weidong did what he said. For more than ten years, the company has focused on two application markets: tire rubber and feed additive industries.
With the continuous development of the company's strength, silicification began to adjust its strategy: not to put eggs in one basket.
As a new green material, silica is widely used in toothpaste, tire, footwear, coating, medicine, pesticide, feed and other fields, with huge market space. "We should continue to dig deep into new application areas, so that the product structure will be richer and more perfect." Que Weidong said.
The company has made great investment in R & D every year. At present, it has more than 120 patents. Some areas have achieved technical reserves and passed relevant certification, waiting for relevant conditions to mature, and gradually to market.
"We are still a small company, we still have a long way to go; focus and refocus to become the industry leader as soon as possible." Que Weidong said.