14 mars 2020
China’s top plant owners compete creatively in their versatile conversion to anti-coronavirus production
Manufacturers of cars, batteries, kitchens and clothing designers are transforming their technical know-how to adapt to the shortage of masks, protective suits and hydro-alcoholic liquids!
Who could have imagined that anti-pollution masks could become, in 2020, the most sought-after consumer item in China, before pork?
LHCH takes a look at some of the companies that are meeting these new expectations and rebounding in the face of the crisis. In China, they say “A company that can’t make masks is not a good company”! The tone is set.
Wuling 五菱
How does a car manufacturing company (in Liuzhou, Guangxi) change its focus so quickly? Early February 2020 who would have thought it? But Wuling put a tiger in his engine. He has become the world’s largest mask-creating automobile company. First test: 200,000 units in three days! An ability to react as it had been tested during the very difficult year 2019 for the whole automotive sector. Wuling therefore created its own machine to produce the same volume of masks in 76 hours as in 10 days!
吉利汽车 Geeli
The automobile sector has decidedly transformed its deep crisis into an opportunity for transformation and development of itself.
In 20 days of bitter scientific research, Geeli, a holding company from Zhejiang, decided to fight in a very competitive market to create N95 masks and specialized vehicles, useful in detecting cases of infection, without human contact.
Parenthesis
The masks sent by Russia, Japan and Pakistan were truly a lesson in humanity, but China, which has been riding a wave of national pride since the beginning of the epidemic, wanted to produce its own masks with greater confidence and security.
Volvo (Geeli)
Geeli, which we have just mentioned, bought the Swedish Volvo brand in 2010. In the same patriotic movement, Volvo decided to provide financial assistance of 10 million yuan to a hospital through the purchase of medical equipment, and one million yuan to support the creation of a vaccine.
Shanxi qiche 陕西汽车
Another huge auto plant… Originating from Shanxi.
Every minute, it has the capacity to produce 1000 masks almost immediately sold in flash sales on the internet!
Geer 格力
The Guangdong-based company Geer, the world’s largest manufacturer of air-conditioning systems and household tools, has invested 20 million yuan in a company producing medical devices, masks, hydro-alcoholic liquids, suits, etc. The company has also invested in a new production plant in Guangdong.
BYD
BYD, the world leader in the creation of electric vehicles and batteries for smartphones, wanted to take the train from Wuling and, without a word, created a production line for anti-virus protection masks. And its production speed turned out to be the fastest! Not to mention its production of disinfectant products: 50,000 bottles of daily supplies!
Started and shipped to Hubei before February 17th, production was able to reach 5 million masks per day by the end of the month.
BYD, which deploys its technical skills in all directions, has even planned to build a rocket!
Haier 海尔
Haier, a Chinese conglomerate, manufactures large household appliances, smartphones, air conditioning systems and televisions for the world. But Haier also has its own pharmaceutical and biological research institutes. Using the state’s viral resource databases, Haier has been able to analyze dozens of virus samples and thus contribute to the huge task of fighting the epidemic.
Hong dou 红豆
This western-style clothing manufacturer has also converted to the production of anti-virus protective suits and practical clothing for home confinement as well as sportswear. These products were sent directly to the province of Hubei, the epicentre of the epidemic, by truck for free!
A huge Chinese producer of baby nappies and sanitary napkins for women also transformed its work line and teams into an extremely fast and efficient factory for manufacturing masks.
In the end, let’s philosophise about the Chinese language. In the word 危机weiji, crisis, there is the word ji, which means opportunity as in 机会，jihui.
So, the crisis (of the epidemic) is an opportunity to transform oneself and continue to move forward! Cheer up China!
