"When you want to be lazy, you have to be tough on yourself." Tao Yishan, the founder of the Tang Dynasty God, was a person who dared to be cruel to himself. Now 65 years old, he should have enjoyed the joy of the world, he is still busy running for the development of the company. In 2019, he ran 108 times "plane + high-speed rail" and traveled 108,000 kilometers.
As the helmsman of "the first stock in the operation of the whole industrial chain of China's pig", Tao Yishan has relied on a "fierce" force since his establishment to overcome one "pain point" after another on the road of agricultural industrialization, and has created well-known domestic brands such as "camel brand" feed, "Tang Renshen" meat products, and "Meishen" breeding pigs.
Tao Yishan is also a person who is good at capital operation, and since the company has logged into the capital market, it has achieved leapfrog development through a series of investments and mergers and acquisitions.
A "layman" in the feed business
"A handful of vegetables, a scoop of chaff and a pot of water." Although China's breeding industry has a long history, it has long followed the "family workshop" approach. In view of the reality of the breeding industry, in the early 1980s, Deng Xiaoping clearly pointed out: Feed processing must be carried out throughout the country. Feed is going to be done as an industry, which is a big industry."
Hunan Province is a large agricultural province, which produced 60 million pigs a year at that time, accounting for 1/10 of the national output. Born in Ningxiang, Hunan, Tao Yishan saw that there were huge business opportunities in the feed industry. In 1987, a small, unknown factory, Zhuzhou Feed Factory, was completed and put into operation, and 32-year-old Tao Yishan served as the director of the factory.
Feed mill under construction
"Feed is the foundation of the aquaculture industry, and the feed industry is blank. Therefore, starting from the feed industry should be a rare opportunity for development. ”
However, Tao Yishan, who came from a professional background in automatic control, like the young people under his command, had never been exposed to the feed industry and was a complete layman. Tao Yishan decided to go north in search of advanced technology.
"At that time, the biggest difficulty in feed was technology, because we did not have this industrial system, unlike our machinery industry, unlike our textile industry, our feed did not have this industrial system, so the biggest was the technical difficulty." At that time, the feed industry system in hunan was very weak, and there were almost no such talents. Therefore, I think it is a good idea to go to Beijing and to seek the wisdom and brains of experts and professors to serve in Beijing. “
Tao Yishan, who is fierce, in order to make feed as soon as possible, in the cold winter, he carried one or two boxes of porcelain, took a train and slept on the ground to Beijing, and Professor Wang Heming of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences was deeply moved and handed over the scientific feed formula to Tao Yishan. After returning to the factory, Tao Yishan immediately led the employees to carry out feeding experiments, summarized and formulated process standards and testing standards, and with superior quality advantages, the "Camel" brand feed they produced was quickly recognized by the majority of farmers.
The first pack of camel feed rolled off the production line
"In the past, raising pigs was to use rice bran, and raising pigs did not make money, at that time we had a mission, that is, to devote ourselves to the prosperity of farmers, but also to create green food, so that people can eat safe and delicious food, so that farmers can raise pigs to get rich, rather than raising pigs for the New Year."
After the feed is produced, how can it be better accepted by farmers? This factory director who loves to think about it uses his brain in selling feed and engages in service innovation.
"We have specially recruited some technical service personnel, not only selling feed, but also selling services, telling farmers for free how to use this feed, how to prevent epidemics, and how to raise and manage." Because feed is a means of production, farmers have to raise pigs for 7-8 months or nearly a year, so he needs such a service throughout the whole process. ”
Tao Yishan established the concept of product + service, won the favor of farmers, the year of production profit, and at an average annual rate of 35% forward, camel brand feed fame is getting louder and louder, but Tao Yishan is not satisfied with this.
In 1992, Tao Yishan went to Hong Kong to participate in the exhibition and came into contact with a Hong Kong feed company with a history of more than 40 years - Da Sheng Hang. At that time, Dashengxing also happened to have the desire to develop the feed industry in the mainland. As soon as it was a hit, Tao Yishan quickly decided to introduce this overseas enterprise to joint venture production and operation.
"Hong Kong feed has been doing for 50 years, he must have a lot of management experience, and he also has technology, so I think it is a good choice to introduce management and technology to strengthen while the first round of products is recognized by the people."
In 1992, Hong Kong DaSheng Hong Feed Co., Ltd. invested RMB 12.36 million (foreign currency equivalent) and established a joint venture with Zhuzhou Feed Factory to form Hunan Xiangda Industrial Co., Ltd., the predecessor of Tang Renshen.
Local enterprises have been transformed into joint ventures, advanced modern enterprise management mechanisms and leading breeding technologies have been introduced one by one, and Tang Renshen has entered a period of rapid development. In the second year after receiving the capital injection, the company's sales revenue exceeded the mark of 200 million yuan from 50 million yuan.
Solve pain points and expand the industrial chain
Entrepreneurship is about finding a pain point and providing a solution, either as a product or as a service.
"The sausages are fragrant, I want the Tang gods"! At that time, the familiar advertising slogan may still be remembered by many people. "Tang Ren Shen" is a meat product brand created by Tao Yishan to solve the pain points of farmers selling pigs.
"After the development of the feed industry, the pigs that used to be raised for 7-8 months or nearly a year are now out of the pen in more than four or five months. When there are more pigs, the price will fall, and there will be a problem that it is difficult to sell pigs, and we want to solve the pain points of farmers. Tao Yishan knows that the pain point is a business opportunity.
In 1995, Tao Yishan decided to acquire zhuzhou meat factory, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, with 17 million debts and 400 employees, and entered the meat processing industry.
"Doing meat processing not only solves the problem of farmers' income, but also solves a pain point of urban people, that is, the problem of food safety." Based on the habit of Hunan people to eat smoked meat, we introduced smokeless smoking technology from the United States and made bacon products with a smoky taste but no tar, which were suddenly in short supply. “
Tang Dynasty god sausage
In the process of promoting feed and meat products, Tao Yishan found another pain point in the field of pigs - the pig breed is too poor.
"China's pig breeding is not good, in the benefits of pig raising, breeding pigs account for 40%, feed accounts for 20%, health accounts for 20%, epidemic prevention accounts for 20%, and feeding management, so I think we should introduce foreign breeding pigs to make a fuss."
Since you want to introduce foreign breeding pigs, you must choose a good product, after many studies, Tao Yishan finally decided to introduce American breeding pigs. "The United States pig has a history of more than 200 years, there are a large number of people to breed breeds, their lean meat rate can do 65%, our local pigs only do 45%, there is a gap." The growth rate is also different, their pigs may only take more than four months, our pigs take six months, we grow a pound of meat to three and a half pounds of feed, they grow two pounds of seven two pounds of meat, so I think this can bring huge benefits to farmers. “
In 1996, Tao Yishan acquired Zhuzhou Import and Export Foreign Trade Pig Farm; in 2008, Tao Yishan cooperated with the world's top breeding company - Whiteshire Breeding Group of the United States, invested 110 million yuan to establish China's first world-class original breeding pig farm, boldly introduced more than 1200 original breeding pigs, began "Meishen" breeding, and built a high-end development platform for the breeding pig industry. Since then, Tang Renshen has laid out more than 10 original breeding farms and expansion farms in Hunan, Hubei, Hebei and other places. In 2009, the "Meishen" breeding pig passed the NSR certification in the United States, reaching the level of synchronous breeding in the United States; in 2011, Hunan Meishen Breeding Co., Ltd. was awarded the "National Pig Core Breeding Farm".
The newborn "Beauty God" breeding pig
Tao Yishan's "Meishen" breeding pig has been a great success, and has also been highly recognized by giants of agricultural and animal husbandry enterprises such as Chia Tai and Wen's Group in Thailand.
Leveraging the capital market to pursue the dream of "pig business"
"Whether it is the cycle of pigs or the cycle of China's economy, we Tang Renshen have no loss record in 30 years. This is because our business is moving forward steadily, rather than blindly investing. For agricultural companies, survival is the last word. ”
Under the coordinated development of the "troika" of feed, breeding and meat, Tang Renshen has walked very steadily all the way. However, the shortcomings of funds restrict the development of the company. How to break through? Tao Yishan set his sights on the capital market.
"Without docking with the capital market, your scale and your ability to resist risks are very poor, and it is difficult to achieve a century-old enterprise." So at that time, we spent nearly a decade to complete the dream of capital. “
In 1998, Tang Renshen carried out a joint-stock system transformation, in 2000 it was reorganized into Tang Renshen Group, and in 2001 it introduced strategic investors. On March 25, 2011, Tang Renshen was listed on the small and medium-sized board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange with the title of "the first stock operated by the whole industrial chain of China's pig industry chain".
Tao Yishan rang the listing treasure bell
After the successful listing, the capitalization operation of Tang Renshen accelerated. Adopting the development strategy of combining in-extension and epitaxial, it has successfully acquired Shandong Hemei, Longhua Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Billy Mei Yingwei and other enterprises. In addition, it has also invested and set up a 1 billion yuan Tang Renshen Industrial Investment Fund for investment, mergers and acquisitions of excellent breeding companies, and investment in related enterprises in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain. At the beginning of 2020, Tang Renshen successfully completed the issuance of 1.242 billion yuan of convertible bonds, mainly invested in the three main businesses.
"After so many years of listing, we have used such a financing platform and leverage as the capital market to ensure that under the premise of controllable risks, we have carried out a series of mergers and acquisitions around our main business, and have developed rapidly."
With the blessing of the capital market, the boldness will naturally be greater. In April 2019, in the face of the "strongest pig cycle", Tang Renshen threw out the ambitious "trs313 dream-chasing project", declaring that it would invest 12 billion yuan and achieve the goal of 10 million pigs per year in 12 years, that is, in 2031.
"We raise pigs not at the price of pigs, but at the long-term consumption of pork that people need." In terms of breeding technology, genetic breeding, feed nutrition, etc., we have enough accumulation, cost control is also very strong, based on these core competitiveness, we put forward the goal of developing 10 million heads in 12 years in 2019, and we are full of confidence. ”
It is worth noting that compared with 2018, in the "trs313 Dream Project", the sales of feed only increased by 1 times, but the pigs increased significantly by about 10 times. This also means that the Tang Dynasty god, whose previous revenue came from feed, invested in the "pig business" with strength and determination.
In addition to steering the overall development direction of the company, Tao Yishan's acceptance of new things is also very strong. Affected by the scale of breeding and consumption upgrades, especially with the wide application of 5G Internet, Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology, the pig industry is also in a critical period of transformation and upgrading. Tang Renshen seized the opportunity and put the development of intelligent breeding technology on the agenda.
"Pig breeding has several core technologies such as genetic breeding, remote diagnosis, health assessment, feed nutrition, AI intelligent equipment, system management, etc., we find academicians, experts, and cattle people in these fields and integrate them to tackle key problems." It is expected that through three or four years of exploration, it will be possible to create an intelligent breeding technology in no man's land to lead the industry and lead the world, so that the cost of pig breeding can be reduced by 10 to 20%. For intelligent breeding, Tao Yishan is full of confidence.
"Creation of the second generation" to take over the baton Camel spirit rejuvenated
Ren Zhengfei famously said: All resources in the world may be exhausted, and there is only one resource that can live forever, that is, culture.
At the beginning of his business, Tao Yishan attached great importance to the shaping of corporate culture. From a series of expansions in the company's industrial chain to the establishment of the brand, all reflect the company's culture, especially the camel spirit.
"'Skinny camel is bigger than a horse', it can't be a little better than you, camel just has a spirit, called down-to-earth, step by step, so we turned the camel, camel into our trademark, but also became our entrepreneurial spirit at that time, called camel spirit, that is, dedication, self-blame, self-confidence, innovation." For decades, we have walked step by step in the spirit of the camel. ”
Camel sculpture at the headquarters of the Tang Dynasty God Group
Talking about the biggest experience in more than 30 years of entrepreneurship, Tao Yishan summed up three points: stick to your curiosity, maintain a sense of crisis, and be cruel to yourself.
"The first is to stick to your curiosity, to have a long-term learning, curious mentality, and not to be self-righteous. Second, maintain a strong sense of crisis and don't gamble with your past glory for tomorrow. Third, when you want to be lazy, you have to be tough on yourself. This year I ran 108 times, that is, plane + high-speed rail, the approximate journey is 108,000 kilometers, running five countries. “
Tao Yishan, who has worked hard for more than 30 years to start a business and single-handedly brought Tang Renshen Group into the top ten in the national feed and meat products industry, has always been regarded as the soul of the company, and in 2018, he stepped down as president and handed over the baton to his son TaoYe. Tao Ye was born in 1981, MBA degree, has worked in a number of enterprises, and entered tang renshen in 2014.
"A better future is the direction that young people are chasing", when talking about the future development and team management of Tang Renshen, Tao Yishan had high hopes for his son Tao Ye. In particular, Tao Put forward three core concepts - "Organization-driven, reform and innovation, and the pursuit of excellence", which was highly praised by Tao Yishan.
"Organization-driven, let's say he proposes a team organization, that is, winning is king, survival of the fittest, teamwork. Whether it is an old employee, or a new employee to be like Huawei, the last elimination, maintain the wolf nature, I am very much in favor of the team organization of this management style, in the past with my old subordinates, as long as they do not make big mistakes, may be, now after the dream project, everyone began to cheer up, why? Winning is king, survival of the fittest, teamwork. ”
Choreographer: Zhou Yacai
Author: Zhan Lizhen
Text Shorthand: Xie Yi
Camera: Wu Zhihua Li Jingtao