Chapter 138 Relocation Plan
The next day was the weekend. Xu Qiang went to work today and was still moving back and forth between the stamping and battery workshops.

Even if you have process data, it is still impossible to produce the product immediately due to the influence of site equipment and other factors. Moreover, it is necessary to adapt the various parameters of the artillery fuse, so repeated adjustment experiments become indispensable.

While Xu Qiang was busy with the experiment, several key leaders were holding a small meeting in the factory director's office.

"I have applied to my superiors some time ago and told them some specific conditions of our factory. The current problem is that with the substantial reduction in orders from superiors, the factory has to transform itself into civilian products..." Liu Biao took a sip from the teacup and continued, "So I hope they can agree to relocate our entire factory to Fuzhou, where transportation is more convenient and the cost of transporting goods is much lower. Only in this way can the civilian products we produce be competitive..."

"But the problem is that if we really want to relocate such a large factory, it will be a huge project. In addition to the transfer of personnel and equipment, there are also issues such as the site selection of the new factory and the construction of factory buildings and dormitories. This cannot be completed overnight and requires a lot of funds."

Sitting opposite Liu Biao and talking was Deputy Factory Director Xie Changjiang.

Xie Changjiang is three years older than Liu Biao. He was transferred from the Provincial Defense Science and Technology Office in his early years. His main tasks are to assist Liu Biao in his work on the one hand, and to manage several military representatives stationed on the other hand. Most of the time, they are engaged in quality inspection work in the production.

Although Xie Changjiang is nominally the deputy factory director, he actually basically does not interfere with Liu Biao's work. He is well-known as a "good guy" in the factory. He never speaks ill of others and does not care about specific matters in the factory. Because of this, his words are not taken seriously in the factory. Now he is almost of age, and in one or two years at most, he can retire gloriously.

But no matter what, Xie Changjiang still has deep feelings for this factory, and he would put forward some of his own ideas and suggestions in almost every meeting.

"Yes, that's the situation, and the superiors are also very clear about it. So according to my estimation, it will take at least two to three years for this report to be submitted." Liu Biao nodded and continued, "So we should make preparations in advance now. All workshops and departments should do a good job of statistics, including the current equipment of the factory, the materials in stock, and the specific situation of the employees' families, etc. Detailed records should be kept. Once the superiors want to understand the situation and formulate policies, we can provide this information in a timely manner..."

In fact, there have been rumors about the relocation of Shengli Machinery Factory for a long time.

The location selection of third-tier enterprises follows the principle of "relying on mountains, dispersing, and hiding (entering caves)", which is reasonable from the perspective of preparing for war. However, from the perspective of the long-term survival and development of enterprises, there are great problems.

The first is the harsh geographical environment. Some enterprises and institutions are located in deep mountains and canyons, and are facing the long-term threat of mountain torrents, mudslides, landslides and collapses.

Secondly, the operating costs of enterprises are too high, and the decentralized factory construction results in low utilization of effective area. In some enterprises, the production workshop of one type of work is divided into two, and the factory efficiency is affected in the long term.

Enterprises are too scattered in the valleys, resulting in increased transportation turnover. Since most factories are built in remote mountainous areas far away from towns, the transportation routes are very long, and the entry and exit of raw materials and products are very inconvenient. The cooperative supporting parts cannot be provided to each other on time, especially in the large-caliber artillery and optical industries with complex product structures and many supporting factories. These factories are built according to specialties, and their ability to independently produce a product is very poor. Due to the long transportation routes, the annual transportation costs are 15-20% higher than those of suburban factories.

Finally, the technical backbones are unstable. Since most of the third-line enterprises are located in remote mountainous areas and the factories are far apart, each unit must set up a set of living service facilities, such as shops, schools, nurseries, hospitals, etc., and supply water and electricity to farmers living nearby. This is too heavy a burden for the factories.

In addition, there are fewer types of daily necessities produced locally, and the price of daily necessities plus freight is higher than that in cities, resulting in a lack of living materials for enterprise employees. Medical conditions for employees are poor, and complicated diseases and surgical operations must be treated in cities, which is both labor-intensive and financially intensive. Schools for children of employees lack teachers and have low teaching standards. In addition, they are far away from towns and cities, making it inconvenient for teaching and business to communicate with each other, making it difficult for children of employees to go to school.

Precisely because these problems are becoming more and more serious, and because the factory's military orders have been drastically reduced, the country has begun a comprehensive investigation and has relocated some small and medium-sized third-tier enterprises. Liu Biao's report at this time is also in line with the current situation.

As for the workers in the factory, they all hope to leave this mountain valley as soon as possible. After all, Fuzhou, which is less than 100 kilometers away, is one of the largest cities in JX Province, with a large population and relatively developed commerce. The living conditions are far better than here. "...In short, all our workshops and departments must make preparations in advance. As long as we wait for the order from our superiors, we can respond calmly. Let's end today's meeting here and adjourn!"

After explaining the task, Liu Biao signaled everyone that they could leave.

"Mr. Li, what can I do for you?"

Seeing that Li Cunzhu had no intention of getting up and leaving, Liu Biao asked casually.

"Director Liu, I want to tell you something about Comrade Xu Qiang's project team..." Li Cunzhu said to Liu Biao after seeing that everyone else had left.

"What happened to Xu Qiang's project team?" Liu Biao's expression suddenly brightened when he heard this.

Liu Biao still thinks highly of Xu Qiang, especially after seeing his performance in front of many experts in the provincial capital last time. He has high expectations for him and hopes that he can bring more surprises to the factory.

"Xu Qiang's recent performance has been very good, which surprised me a little. Since he began to be in charge of the research and development of the new battery project, the progress has been very fast. I estimate that the first batch of samples will be available in a while..." Li Cunzhu said with a smile.

"That's really great!" Liu Biao immediately looked happy when he heard Li Cunzhu say this.

"My story about Xu Qiang has greatly inspired our technical department. Now many people regard him as a role model and are preparing to apply for new R&D projects."

"That's not right..." Liu Biao frowned and said, "Didn't you say some time ago that no one in your technical department was willing to join Xu Qiang's project team? How come this guy has become their role model now?"

"You also said that that was some time ago. Now that they see Xu Qiang has achieved results, they must be encouraged."

"Right!"

"So through this matter, I want you to do something?"

"What business?"

"Didn't Xu Qiang write a military order before? I want you to put this military order on the bulletin board and publicize it to the whole factory. In this way, not only can Xu Qiang's deeds be known to everyone, which is an encouragement to him, but it can also encourage more people in the factory to invest in technical research and development through this incident, which will have a very positive publicity effect on our factory!"

(End of this chapter)