Why didn't "Lao Ganma" meet a strong opponent?

Thank you for your invitation.

According to my understanding of this enterprise and its founder Tao Huabi, the key words of Laoganma's success are: skill and integrity.

These words make it occupy the commanding height of the industry, which is far beyond the reach of the latecomers.

Imagine an enterprise that has no bank loan and almost never advertises. Now it is famous all over the world by virtue of its unique skills and integrity. Meanwhile, it also shows its unique skills and integrity, which are valuable as scarce resources in the enterprise competition.

When there was only a small Chang'an van in the old godmother enterprise, a Yunnan felon, knowing that the future was not long, asked the prison to eat some old godmother. At that time, the market in Yunnan could not buy the old godmother for a while. The prison contacted the enterprise, and the enterprise sent a box.

At that time, she rented a small yard of a village committee in the suburb to produce chili sauce. The product was still warm, so she was pulled away by cars one by one. The goods are delivered after the goods are delivered. The merchants have to wait in line for a week or two before they can get the goods. When I talked with her, I said that in a short time, you will build a large factory and have everything.

Laoganma is good at folk flavor. She is the youngest of her eight sisters. Her hometown is a village in Meitan County, Guizhou Province, which is a famous rural commercial town. It seemed that she was only in the third grade of primary school, and the family said that if there was no money for you to study, you should cook at home. She is eager to learn. She tastes hundreds of flavors, appeals to many experts, and makes excellent dishes, especially condiments, which show her strength.

She also has a good taste. Once, someone in the factory took back a condiment that tasted good. She tasted it and said it was not unusual. She immediately made it for everyone to taste, which made everyone confused.

She is honest. The pepper raw materials she used are mainly produced in Zunyi. Zunyi pepper was once an export inspection free product. The local big buyer for her said to me that only we owed her money, she never owed us. She was given chilli, but no one dared to be careless. It would be difficult to deal with her again if she made a mistake. Local peppers for her need to be cut off one by one. After picking the cut peppers and repackaging them, there will be no impurities.

As a woman from the countryside, she is kind-hearted. A technical secondary school student from a nearby school, whose family was poor, often went to the flour stall she set up at the earliest time to eat flour. When she knew her family background, she did not accept money. As a result, the young man often brought other students to eat. People think that the old godmother is kind-hearted, so they just call her the old godmother. No one expected that this would become the gold lettered signboard of the company in the future.

When she turned the folk chili sauce into an industrial product, it immediately became a welcome for the migrant workers who were known as the Sichuan Army and the Guizhou Army, who loved to eat spicy food. They bought wherever they went, and through them, it was welcomed by more and more people, and the supply was in short supply for a long time.

Now some local people think that Lao Ganma's chili sauce is not as hot as it used to be, and it is not very satisfying for Guizhou people who like spicy food. It may be that Laoganma has moderately reduced the spicy taste through the production method, but the product is invincible in the northern region, where people do not like spicy food. A person in charge of the Qinhuangdao Public Security Bureau told me that he used to use green onion sweet sauce to make pancakes, but now he uses Laoganma hot sauce.

Chilli is a bit strange. The more you eat, the more you want to eat. It can be addictive. After becoming an industrial product, people will also add brand dependence and taste dependence. I have heard from more than one person that there are always several bottles of old mummies at home.

A friend who works in Tibet told me that in Tibet, even in remote places, he can buy a godmother in the shop. The products of Laoganma are also exported, which is especially popular among Chinese.

Since the old Ganma asked about the market, those who counterfeit or want to develop similar products have gone to sea. In those days, Lao Ganma Company and an infringement enterprise in Hunan fought a huge lawsuit, which caused a sensation and finally won. This battle is not about advertising, but it is better than thousands of advertisements, which greatly improves the popularity of Laoganma.

The godfather product company is in the same city as the godmother, but in another district. The old godmother is in front, and the old godfather is behind. It was once thought that the method of associating with relatives was used, which was suspected of infringement. Later, due to various reasons, we survived and managed well. Once, I asked the person in charge of the godfather, how does it compare with the godmother? He said that we can count our tickets by hand and others can weigh them by scales. The old Ganma said that the enterprise was outrageous and wanted to take advantage of the infringement.

A group of scientific researchers saw that the old Gan Ma was developed, and they also tried to produce chili sauce products, adding nutrients to them, saying that they would be better than the old Gan Ma. As a result, it didn't taste good. It died prematurely before it sold much. Scholars don't know that this is a condiment. The emphasis is on taste.

There are many enterprises that want to compete with Laoganma, but they still cannot reach the level of competitors. For Laoganma, it is a trend of stars crowding around the moon.

Lao Gan Ma has not read many books, but the national standard of oil made pepper is based on the standard of Lao Gan Ma. Today, she can be said to be the creator of culture.

There are many stories about Laoganma. I am trapped by shoulder periarthritis, and I have difficulty typing.

Lao Ganma's unique skills come from the people, and her integrity comes from the people. Isn't this the wisdom and valuable quality of Chinese folk? If you make something delicious and let people eat at ease, it will win countless people in the world. There are just a few words of skill and integrity. Now the business is booming. Those who really understand it will win. That's why.

On the Internet, Tao Huabi is called the "national goddess" by the post-90s generation. The overseas student group bought Laoganma chili sauce at a high price in foreign supermarkets, and tasted "the flavor of home" from the aroma of lobster sauce and pepper. A foreign netizen said, "When you marry a Chinese woman, you are marrying two women: your fiancee and Tao Huabi.".

Video screenshot of Laoganma's interview

one

The Laoganma Factory in Nanming, Guiyang, looks like a closed red kingdom.

The kingdom covers an area of several miles and lies on a hillside in Yunguan Village, Longdongbao, the southeast suburb of Guiyang City. The whole plant is sandwiched between two expressways, with only a few meters wide road for pedestrians and red oil tankers.

The decoration style is too low-key, which makes the kingdom look a bit rustic. The exterior walls are either white tiles commonly used in farmyards or painted with a layer of white paint. Some buildings are simply exposed with mottled cement surfaces. The smell of chili peppers fills the air. It is said that the stuffy smell of the fried chili peppers can be transported to the urban area of Guiyang 10 kilometers away in the southeasterly summer

Red hydrangeas are hung on every door of Laoganma Plant. Picture/Guo Yanbo

More than 4000 workers were wrapped in blue uniforms. During the working hours of more than 10 hours a day, they are in the factory building, canteen and dormitory, and the red badge hanging around their neck is the only pass for them to enter and leave the kingdom.

The security guard at the gate of the factory is vigilant. No prying from outside is allowed in the kingdom. Strangers who take photos with their mobile phones will be questioned. It is more important to check strictly when entering and leaving the kingdom. "If you don't say hello, even if the local leaders come, they will not let you go".

Red is the main color of the kingdom and the favorite color of Tao Huabi, the only queen of the kingdom.

This red color, which is exclusive to chilies, appears in every inch of the kingdom. The red silk cloth is wrapped in hydrangea, with ribbons on both sides, hanging on each door of the kingdom. From the limited edition Rolls Royce with the license plate number of "Gui A8888" to dozens of large trucks and oil tankers painted red, red cloth is tied on the rearview mirror.

Queen Tao Huabi lives in the administration building decorated with blue glass walls. This 6-storey building, which is symmetrical horizontally and vertically, is said to be the office building of the local township government.

The decorative cornices on the roof make the administrative building look like a royal diadem on the crown of the queen. When the three characters of the old Ganma, who is more than two people tall, light up at night, even on the highway a few kilometers away, it is clear that she is swearing to the world the power and wealth of the kingdom.

two

Queen Tao Huabi started from scratch, creating and guarding the kingdom's huge wealth.

In the summer of 1989, Tao Huabi, the widow of an accountant surnamed Li from Guiyang 206 Geological Team, built a cold noodle shop with less than 10 square meters of bricks and asbestos tiles.

On the first day of opening, Tao Huabi only sold 7 jin of bean jelly. Unexpectedly, the free condiment of bean jelly, her home-made flavor of lobster sauce and chili sauce, was robbed by diners. The name of "Lao Gan Ma" was soon heard among college students nearby, and then spread all over Yunnan and Guizhou by truck drivers, finally conquering the taste buds of Chinese people.

Seven years later, the foundation of Tao Huabi's Red Kingdom was officially laid. At first, the queen's followers only had 40 workers. The factory building was two bungalows rented from the village committee of Yunguan Village. The bottle stickers were designed by Li Guishan, the eldest son. The bottle was pasted with the famous portrait - Tao Huabi was wearing a white apron, her body was slightly sideways, and there was an inexhaustible stubbornness and stubbornness in her eyes.

For Tao Huabi, who was born in the Red Age and worshipped Mao Zedong, the process of accumulating wealth is like an endless battle.

After 21 years of hard work, Lao Ganma Spicy Sauce has few rivals in the industry, but Queen Tao Huabi still lives in seclusion in the kingdom. Her office is connected to the bedroom. Since the day when the factory was built, she has eaten and lived in the factory, and rarely appeared in the outside world. Her son and secretary arranged her to go on a tour. Tao Huabi asked to go back to the factory just two days later, "I can't sleep until I hear the bottles from the factory". A subordinate who has followed the Queen for many years said that Tao Huabi seemed to be born for chilli.

In March 2014, Tao Huabi was at the meeting place of the NPC and CPPCC. Figure/CFP

She gets up at 7:00 every morning and must watch CCTV news broadcast at 7:00 every night. No matter what time she is busy in the evening, what she can do that day will never be left to the next day. Keep your meals simple. You can't get used to eating big fish and big meat. No matter what vegetables, you can only have chillies. She can't tolerate any waste. Some employees have seen her go to the canteen to eat with workers, and there is no rice left in the stainless steel plate.

When recalling the entrepreneurial process, Tao Huabi often uses the word "fighting".

When I opened a restaurant in the early years, I met the environmental protection urban management industry and commerce, and Tao Huabi, who was ready to burn when he touched the fire, would fight when he picked up the frying ladle. "You can ask for money, but you should be decent. Do you want to come to the store without uniforms and certificates on Sundays? Do you want to eat for free? I am not free to bully you, I will hit you!"

For local entrepreneurs in Guiyang, Tao Huabi also fought with local tax authorities for tax payment. It is said that one year, because the tax department counted 300000 yuan less, Laoganmachang became the second largest taxpayer in Nanming District, and Tao Huabi directly called on the door, "Let me find out!"

The Queen sticks to the business concept of simplicity, and the introduction of her enterprise on the official website of the old Ganma is just one sentence. She doesn't go public, doesn't finance, doesn't lend, and doesn't advertise. She thinks that "going public is deceiving people's money, and once you go public, you may lose everything". An official once advised her to invest in real estate, but Tao Huabi said that she would do well in pepper in her life. No matter how fast money comes, she can't be greedy.

The 8 yuan bottle of Old Ganma Spicy Sauce is the red blood cell of the kingdom, creating wealth for the Queen day and night. According to media reports, more than 2.3 million bottles of chili sauce are exported from the Kingdom every day, bringing back an annual revenue of more than 4.5 billion yuan. Tao Huabi ranked 487 on the 2016 Hurun China Rich List and 1819 on the global rich list.

On the Internet, Tao Huabi is called the "national goddess" by the post-90s generation. The overseas student group bought Laoganma chili sauce at a high price in foreign supermarkets, and tasted "the flavor of home" from the aroma of lobster sauce and pepper. A foreign netizen said, "When you marry a Chinese woman, you are marrying two women: your fiancee and Tao Huabi.".

three

In sharp contrast to the rapidly growing wealth of the Kingdom and the popularity of Laoganma brand, Queen Tao Huabi still maintains an absolute low profile.

Tao Huabi never gives interviews, which is almost the consensus of Guizhou media circle. For more than ten years, few journalists have been able to make an appointment with Tao Huabi. The reasons for refusing are strangely consistent: poor health and too busy work. A reporter tried to contact Tao Huabi through the local government's propaganda department, and the manufacturer replied, "The old godmother said that she was illiterate and illiterate, and she didn't know what to say in an interview. She was afraid of saying something wrong, so let's forget it.".

At the 2008 NPC and CPPCC sessions, Tao Huabi, a NPC deputy who rarely appeared in public, became the target of the media. In 2012, a photo of Tao Huabi wearing a fur hat and a fur coat spread widely on social media, and netizens who were used to eating the hot sauce of the old Ganma left a message excitedly: "Many men became horny, and women with blood boiling appeared!"

Tao Huabi is still able to hide in front of the media cameras, sparing words like gold, "sitting like a Buddha, no matter how you ask, you just don't open your mouth".

Tao Huabi seldom participates in official activities. A local official in Guiyang recalled that he had met Tao Huabi at an important meeting, and the provincial leaders called on Tao to speak, but the old lady did not speak, and only asked the secretary to speak on her behalf.

Since 2016, Tao Huabi has been absent from the NPC and CPPCC for two consecutive years. The reason for asking for leave is physical problems, poor cervical and shoulder vertebrae. A person close to Tao Huabi said that in her early years, Tao Huabi often carried a hundred jin basket carrier to sell goods in the Longdongbao Mountains. The heavy load left her with incurable scapulohumeral periarthritis and cervical spondylosis, which still needs plaster to alleviate.

Tao Huabi attended the 2015 NPC and CPPCC. Figure/CFP

The closed kingdom and low-key queen are synonymous with Guiyang. There was a survey conducted by local entrepreneurs in Guiyang on "the impression of outsiders on Guiyang", and the most three words in the answer were: poor, far away and old godmother.

Li Yun'e, a local writer in Guiyang, has never seen Tao Huabi himself, but the stories collected are enough for her to write a 300000 word novel "The Story of Yunguan Village and the Old Ganma". Li Yun'e said that Tao Huabi had offered a reward of 5 million yuan to ask someone to write a book for her, but she ended up too busy with her work.

Tao Huabi's entrepreneurial history is passed on word of mouth among Guiyang people. The old neighborhood of the geological team's family home said that Tao Huabi was the first one to get up in the family home in those years, and hard work was the secret for illiterate Tao Huabi to become a billionaire. A librarian of Guiyang City Library said that being honest and not evading taxes is Tao Huabi's umbrella against complicated local relations.

The taxi drivers who meet at Longdongbao Airport can casually tell a lot of stories about Tao Huabi's fortune that are difficult to distinguish between true and false, but with little difference. When passing by the Laoganma Plant, they would point to the plant beside the Ring Expressway and introduce, "The Laoganma Plant is here, and Tao Huabi lives in it". Their words were full of pride.

four

Tao Huabi and her Red Kingdom have been hidden in mystery for a long time, so that the heavy news of "Tao Huabi no longer holds shares in the old godmother" three years ago was not discovered by the media until after the Spring Festival this year.

At present, the shares of Laoganma Company are held by Tao Huabi's two sons, the eldest son Li Guishan controls the market, and the second son Li Hui controls production. Tao Huabi is still the chairman of Laoganma.

The two sons also seem to have inherited Tao Huabi's low-key style. In the public data, only know that Li Guishan worked in the 206 geological team after transferring from the army, and later quit his job to start a business with his mother, becoming the first general manager of the old godmother. In 2008, Li Hui, the youngest son, took over as the general manager and has held the post ever since.

The queen, who has absolute power, seems ready to retire.

A potholed cement road is the only access to Nanming Laoganma Plant. Picture/Guo Yanbo

Today, at the age of 70, Tao Huabi has a fortune of 7 billion, and still keeps the habit of working and sleeping when opening a noodle shop. Apart from occasionally playing mahjong with the old ladies around, Tao Huabi has almost no hobbies.

It is said among villagers in Yunguan Village that Tao Huabi is a master of "catching chicken", a popular local mahjong game in Guiyang: he has a strong sense of victory and defeat, is good at remembering cards, and seldom points guns.

It's hard to tell the true story from the false one, but according to people around, Tao Huabi has an amazing memory. She can remember the names and birthdays of many people in the company. The secretary prepared a speech for her. After listening to it several times, she can basically recite it word for word. After listening to the financial statements once or twice, she can remember it, and quickly figure out the general ledger.

The Queen is still in charge of the daily operation of the kingdom. The account of the company is clear. Tao Huabi should draw a circle in the upper right corner of the document for each account. She was born in a poor family in Meitan, Guizhou, and was illiterate from childhood. Later, she learned to write her own name. When approving documents, she wrote "Tao Huabi" in every stroke.

People around said that until now, Tao Huabi has personally presided over the research and development of new products. Her familiarity and sensitivity to chilli are unmatched. To maintain a sensitive sense of taste and smell, she does not drink tea or drinks. She has to check all the chilies she buys in person. She knows whether they are good or not when she sniffs them. She can taste the same chili sauce when she gets the competitive chili sauce.

The Queen's personality is also like a hot pepper. She is hot tempered and has a clear sense of gratitude and resentment. A worker who has followed Tao Huabi for many years said that the old godmother's temperament inevitably scolded and scolded the employees, but she regarded the employees as her own children and once presided over the wedding of the employees. A security guard was seriously ill and wanted to be dialyzed. Tao Huabi immediately signed to take the money when she knew about it and ordered "Don't care about the money until it is cured".

The salary of general workers is at least 500 yuan higher than the local average level, which attracts a large number of workers to the kingdom. The No. 78 bus goes straight from the railway station to Yunguan Village. The bus driver is used to seeing young people with big bags and small bags. They are recruited from some remote mountainous areas in Zunyi and Bijie.

In the middle of each month, the newly paid workers line up and can withdraw all the cash from the ATM at the factory gate in half a day. This is also the best time for small shops and vendors near the factory to do business. On this day, snacks, cigarettes and toiletries are usually sold out.

A small shop opened near the door of the female workers' dormitory. The cheap bedding and pillows are specially designed for the newly recruited old godmother employees. One set can be taken away for the price of 100 yuan. The landlady said that she knew Tao Huabi's youngest son, Li Hui. She often saw this junior high school student passing by her shop door, but she didn't say hello to him. "He's developed, and I don't know what to talk to him about, right?"?

The villagers of Yunguan Village, who run small shops at the gate of the factory, can sell more than 50 sets of bedding every month. Picture/Guo Yanbo

Yunguan Village has been demolished in a bad way, and most of the villagers have moved away. According to the overall economic planning of Nanming District, Guiyang City, it will become a food industrial park. The landlady still keeps her shop and tries to talk more about demolition funds. For more than ten years, she has witnessed the kingdom across the road expanding its factory buildings and territory.

When the weather is fine, the landlady often sees Tao Huabi wandering around the factory, and the old lady looks sullen, as if she is guarding something.

Daily character/ID: meirirenwu

Visit the Old Godmother | Closed Kingdom and Low profile Queen

Article/Guo Yanbo Editor/Jin Yan

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