西班牙陶瓷行业怎样?我看到了什么趣闻?
I used to come to Europe and specially to Spain at least 3-4 times a year back in the early 2002-2006 years to outsource product. Back then everything was going very well, as a matter of fact probably more than well. We were buying from Spain every month about 300,000 square meters. I was a pretty popular person (Buyer) and well known in Castellón city area where there were about 300 factories of tile producing at almost full capacity 600,000,000 square meters of tile a year. But Nobody knew or had the slightest idea of what was about to happen just a few years later with the American economy and the huge impact it was going to create on the rest of the world and to the ceramic industry and to be more specific to the ceramic industry in this country.
回到2002-2006年间,那时候我每年要去欧洲采购产品,特别是西班牙起码一年3-4次。当时,一切都发展得很好,事实上,可能比很好还要再好点。我们每个月从西班牙采购大概30万平方米的瓷砖。当时我是一个非常受欢迎的人(买家),在卡斯特隆区域很有名。在卡斯特隆区域大约有300家瓷砖工厂,年产能达到6亿平方米。但是没有人能够想到的是接下来会发生的事情。几年之后,美国经济下滑对其他国家的影响波及到瓷砖行业,具体一点来说,是对西班牙陶瓷行业的影响。
This trip that I just completed the last few days was the first one to the factories area and not the fair only after nearly 8 years. While the town visually remains more or less the same with some upgrades and new construction what makes the deepest impact is how much it has changed in less than 8 years with now only producing half the amount of square meters they used to produce, 40% of the factories closed or completely out of business and how the industry in this country is fighting for their survival.
我刚结束过去几天在西班牙的行程,这是我在过去8年里面第一次在非展会期间造访西班牙工厂区域。这个城镇看起来和以往差不多,有了一些升级,有了一些新的建设。给人触动最大的变化是,在短短8年之间,这里只生产当年一半面积的瓷砖产品,40%的工厂关闭或者淘汰出局。同时,我们看到了西班牙整个陶瓷行业是如何为生存而斗争。
While we were driving through the different small towns I saw factory after factory completely shut down or many of the factories or brands that were open just running one out of several kilns just to stay alive and in business. It was pretty shocking to me and I just can`t imagine how much more it has to be for them that have been here for so many years and generations of families doing the same but many of them anymore.
当我们驱车经过不同的小镇的时候,我看见了一间又一间关门的工厂,很多工厂和品牌只靠着多条窑炉的其中一条运转而维持生存。这些景象给了我很大的冲击,我不能想象这些对他们意味着什么,那么多年,一代一代人都做着同样的事情,而现在一切都变了。
Nevertheless even though this negative and extremely difficult situation I saw many interesting positive things or points in their industry:
然而,即使在这样极度困难和消极的情况下,我还是在他们的行业里看到了很多有趣、且积极的事情。
A. Consolidation, the big are buying the small or some of them are fighting together
合并。大企业正在收购小企业,或者其中一些联手起来斗争。
B. Positive attitude, it may be bad but it can not last 100 years. Better times will come soon, and it is at least not getting any worse
积极的态度。情况可能糟糕但不会持续100年,好的光景会很快到来,至少情况不会变得更糟了。
C. Pricing competitiveness, they are dangerously becoming a serious treat with the devaluation of the Euro and their desperate fighting measures to other ceramic industries of China, Indonesia, Turkey, etc. Their products are becoming competitively priced and almost as good as the ceramic of these other countries on some specific styles.
有竞争力的定价。随着欧元的贬值以及西班牙对来自中国,印度尼西亚和土耳其等陶瓷产地的抵抗措施,他们正在成为真正威胁性的竞争者。他们的产品定价极具竞争力,而且一些特别类别的产品和其它产区的一样好。
D. Everything is possible attitude. If you really want something and you seriously want to buy volume the price is not even a factor.
一切皆有可能的态度,如果你真的想要购买,并且达到一定量的话,价格甚至都不是个事。
E. They see now the light at the end of the tunnel. American economy is getting better and certainly is going to be a measurement of how soon things will get better.
他们看到了隧道尽头的光明。美国的经济正在变得更好,而这绝对是对事情转向良性发展的一个衡量标尺。
But who survived? Who is doing well?
但是,谁生存下来了呢?谁做得很好呢?
A. The companies with deep pockets
口袋里面有钱的公司
B. The companies that adapted the fastest to the negative situations and made adjustments to their products, factories, costs, etc.
能够最快地适应恶劣环境并且针对产品,工厂和成本等等做出调整的公司。
C. The companies that focused on certain markets, product styles to be more efficient and productive
专注于特定市场和产品种类的公司,他们能够变得高效高产。
D. The companies that understood that with quality, creativity and service they were going to have a smaller impact in their sales
明白质量、创新与服务对销售最小不良影响的公司。
E. And last the companies that clearly saw and understood that the Spanish industry is at its best when they produce high end look red body 3-5% water absorption tile in 30, 40, 45, 60 sizes, high end porous digital wall tile in many sizes 20x20, 30x40, 25x70
最后,那些很清楚地看到,应该做什么才更有利发展的企业,即当他们生产高端的红坯,吸水率为3-5%的30,40,45,60规格的产品的时候,当他们生产高端的,规格为20x20,30x40,25x70的喷墨墙砖的时候。
We should all learn from their experiences in their difficult times and how they survived because here in China things are not going very well and although it is not even close to their situation in Spain we can always use some wise feedback to be prepared to any negative situations.
我们都应该从他们在这种困难情况下如何面对和生存的经历里面学习,因为现在在中国情况也不理想,虽然说离西班牙的局面还差得远,但我们永远可以用一些聪明的反馈来来为更加恶劣的情况做好准备。
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