Blacksmith Striker to Capitalist -
a Free-Market Success Story
In April 2000, we were fortunate to visit a forging factory in the Henan Provence of China. What is so special about this visit is that it was completely impromptu and was not on our official schedule so there was no chance for this factory to disguise any operations that we Westerners view as objectionable. In other words, any "forced" labor that our media is so quick to report as standard practice within China. Instead, what we found was a factory employing over 350 male and female workers who were very happy at the opportunity to earn in one month what it took them one year to earn as farmers. In fact, some of the more skilled workers operating the CNC machining tools were given the free choice of a monthly salary or to work on a per piece incentive program. Most opted for the per piece method as this gave them the opportunity to set their own working hours and pace thereby allowing them to leave work when they wanted so they could help with the chores on the family farm.
For me, what is so memorable of this trip is the factory owner. Mr. Guo is a success story by any country's standards. He is a self-made, entrepreneurial millionaire who worked as a blacksmith's striker for over 20 years swinging a sledge hammer. In 1985, when China began it's "open door" modernization policies, he approached his local government officials with a request to take over an abandoned factory and teach the local peasants the trade of heavy forging which was greatly needed due to China's push to buildup it's national infrastructure. Today, he owns two factories employing over 1,000 local workers and makes $25,000,000 USD per year forging for China's railroad and petroleum industries. He owns a Mercedes and a Lexus and builds schools to educate the children of his factories workers. He describes himself as a socialist free-market capitalist - a success by any name!
We hope you enjoy these pictures as much as we enjoyed our visit with a fellow blacksmith turned free-market capitalist!
