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The legendary story of Mr. Miao happened in the mid-1980s. At that time, a number of companies were passing on business information from south to north. Enterprise leaders have stepped out of the factory to develop horizontal economies across the country and engage in joint production. In December, Miao Weizhong and the former food factory director went to the freezing factory of Shanghai Food Import and Export Company to discuss the joint production of Putuo Plum Blossom Cake. On the boat, I met two Zhoushan educated youths who supported Zhi Ning. During the chat, they enthusiastically invited him to go to Ningxia to develop joint ventures and expand the market. Soon, Miao Weizhong received a message about joint venture production; Putuo would provide the technology and Ningxia would provide the factory buildings and funds.
The intention to cooperate is there, but who should be sent? Qingtongxia is said to be desolate and barren. Who wants to be a stranger in a foreign land alone? Furthermore, Miao Weizhong is the person in charge of production technology at Putuo Food Factory, and the factory cannot let go of him. But in order not to break promises, we support the construction of northwest China and develop the food industry. He had no choice but to take a temporary job and move to the Northwest to start his new entrepreneurial world.
Now there is a seven-story building "Lao Miao Building" (pictured) on the busiest pedestrian street in Qingtongxia City, Ningxia Autonomous Region. At that time, there were only a few bungalows here. Today, the four golden characters tell Lao Miao's contribution to this company. It is said that "Lao Miao Mooncake" is almost a household name in the local area. When Lao Miao was first established, the company had only 12 workers. Later, it continued to develop production. At most, the number of front-line workers reached 700-800. Sometimes, because the supply of products exceeds demand, so many workers work overtime. It’s too late to add more.
“But when I first went there, there was really a lot I didn’t expect.” Lao Miao still vividly remembers every detail of this factory. In May 1985, Miao Weizhong took several pastry chefs thousands of miles north to the Great Wall. When they stepped into the door of the No. 1 Halal Food Factory in Qingtongxia City and saw the equipment, their hearts dropped. They shuddered when they heard about the ingredients used. After tasting the few existing foods, they felt pitiful and single. The economic benefits have been negative, with losses year after year. At that time, the annual output value was only 98,000 yuan. 3,000 kilograms of mooncakes are produced throughout the year, of which 1,500 kilograms are rotten in the warehouse because they cannot be sold. There are only a dozen workers in the whole factory. Miao Weizhong believes that the rise and fall of a company does not depend on the factory building, but on the products. He first wants to introduce the Putuo Food Factory's "fist" products such as plum blossom cakes, vegan mooncakes, and rice krispie treats into the factory to open up sales first. The factory equipment can be simple, but what if there are no eggs? He took several workers, pulling small carts and riding bicycles, to the countryside dozens of kilometers away, walking from village to house, picking up goods one by one and collecting baskets by baskets. An accidental collision with a bicycle made the family fearful.
From trial production to production, he never left the workshop. Batch after batch of soft and fragrant plum blossom cakes were put on the market, and soon they became famous all over the mountains and rivers of Saibei. A plum blossom cake increased the popularity of Qingtongxia City.
Traditional mooncakes are made with lard, but in order to adapt to local customs and habits, Mr. Miao finally succeeded in developing the unique shortbread after dozens of experiments with using vegetable oil. In less than four months, ten varieties of the vegan mooncake series were trial-produced, and the output doubled. The vegan mooncakes alone amounted to 35,000 kilograms. A factory on the verge of bankruptcy was revived. After some calculations, Mr. Miao's three-year contract period was up, and he returned to Zhoushan with considerable profits. After Miao Lao left, the product sales of Qingtongxia Food Factory also gradually dropped, and the company gradually shrank. In order to solve the difficulty, the then mayor of Qingtongxia City personally came to Shenjiamen to visit Mr. Miao and asked him to come out again. Mr. Miao was moved by the mayor's sincerity and went to Ningxia to start his own business.
After Mr. Miao returned to Ningxia, he decided to make a big fuss about vegetarian mooncakes.
He knows that although vegan mooncakes have occupied the Ningxia market, as the food industry develops with each passing day, people's consumption mentality is ever-changing. Market competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Working in the food industry is like fighting a war. Without strategic vision, there is no way to defeat the enemy.
After this time, he focused on the development of moon cakes. He found that food with southern tastes was not popular with northerners. He wanted to make food that catered to the preferences of northerners, so his home became his laboratory and his family became his helpers.
In the past four years, "Guanyin Cake" has grown from scratch and has become a specialty of Zhoushan and Mount Putuo. It has won recognition and praise from foreign tourists and citizens of this city. The Miao Lao people have played an important role in this, and they have also contributed to the tourism industry of their hometown.
The current general manager of Guan Su Tang told reporters that when the company expanded, it was necessary to introduce a Taiwanese production line. Miao Lao’s technical requirements stumped the designer of the production line, a man who had returned from studying in Japan. Returnees. Miao Lao's formula is a "forbidden zone" in conventional theory and a technical barrier that peers dare not think of. The designer does not believe what Miao Lao said is true. At the Wuxi production base, Lao Miao demonstrated to the designer how to achieve the "forbidden zone" ratio requirements and the method of mixing hot and cold water, which shocked the designer. Subsequently, the Taiwanese enterprise organized the company's most capable high-end technical force to build a specially designed production line and shipped it to Zhoushan under the personal leadership of the chairman.
Nowadays, Mr. Miao, in addition to working as a consultant in his daughter's company, spends his free time surfing the Internet and occasionally speculating in funds. He feels that all experiences are precious treasures in life, and his inseparable relationship with cakes may be the most beautiful food he has ever made in his life.