Chapter 9 Snowflake Electric Refrigerator
In 1899, in the city of San Francisco, at the headquarters of "Sundberg Electric Company", David Warburg was meeting with two wealthy men from the East Coast of America, who had come specifically to discuss a joint venture with David to manufacture refrigerators.
"Snowflake" refrigerators have become the world's only household, commercial and military cooling brand after several years of sales. The "Sandru Electric Company" has not only launched multiple models of gas and electric refrigerators for various purposes but also customized cold storage units for large commercial, military, and medical units. Sales outlets are spread across major cities in Europe and the United States, with annual sales approaching $2 billion, making it the world's largest electrical manufacturer and seller, including the United States, in Europe.
In this era, Europe and America had just begun to use electricity and were still in the stage of having electric lights and telephones on every floor. The home appliance market was almost empty except for light bulbs and telephones. David brought back a sample of a refrigerator from Taiwan and while building a factory, he applied for patents all over the world, even wanting to patent every screw. Once the factory was built, with mature samples and manufacturing processes in place, gas refrigerators and electric refrigerators were put into production one after another in a very short period of time.
Before the product was launched, David followed Liu's suggestion and advertised the refrigerator in major newspapers across the United States. The newspaper editors who received high advertising fees used their pens to exaggerate the refrigerator as the greatest invention of the 19th century. As a result, in the few large cities where David had placed sample products for demonstration, the streets were crowded with people coming to see the refrigerators from morning till night. The price of $500 was still affordable for the emerging middle class in the United States at that time, whose annual salary was between $1,000 and $2,000.
Due to the traditional dietary habits of Europeans and Americans, various meats and dairy products are staple foods. However, in most areas, during the spring, summer, and autumn seasons, the preservation of these meats and dairy products became a problem, forcing housewives to go to the market every day. This refrigerator not only solved the troubles of housewives but also sparked the interest of men and children. Who wouldn't want to sit at home on a hot summer day and drink a glass of whiskey with ice cubes or a glass of iced soda? But those who are most interested in refrigerators are not American families, but restaurant owners. Food preservation has always been a problem for them. If there is a way to extend the storage time, it means that the cost and competitiveness of their restaurants will be greatly improved.
David transformed the Sandow pharmaceutical sales network, which was spread across major cities in the United States, into specialized stores for the "Sandow Electric Company". Two types and four models of "Snowflake" refrigerators were immediately sold out as soon as they were put on shelves.
In the first year of production, David was basically surviving by dodging and hiding. People came to place orders, waving cash, surrounding the factory and the headquarters of "Sandru Electronics", and David had to call in the police to maintain order. The most frightening were not these people, but the American tycoons and government officials he had met while selling medicine. Whether you are rich or powerful, you still need to eat and have a family, so these people also had needs, and more urgent ones at that.
These people won't take the money to queue at the factory or store entrance, they directly call David, put forward their demands and don't care about it. Those who are impatient will directly send a butler or secretary to David's office to pick up the goods.
For these people, David can't afford to offend them, they are all big shots in the business or government circles, not only do they need to be supplied first, but also served with courtesy. It's also because of David's loose mouth, at a dinner party, after drinking two more cups, plus several beauties teasing him, David actually revealed his future plans, that is, he can customize different refrigerators or ice cabinets and warehouses for families with status and wealth.
The speaker is unintentional, but the listener is intentional. At the wine party, except for the waiter, basically everyone met David's two requirements. So, from the next morning, David received more than a dozen requests to customize ice cabinets and ice houses, each one more bizarre than the last. A banker who liked fishing asked David to help him customize a large ice cabinet on his boat; a famous rich man needed a summer villa and asked David if he could customize an ice house with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. This guy hated summer extremely, planning to run into the ice house to work and sleep as soon as it got hot.
David had a bit too much to drink yesterday, took a look at these purchase orders, and immediately sobered up. He asked the Taiwanese engineers in the factory, who said that they were even short-handed on the production line, how could they spare the time to make all sorts of big toys for these rich people? David was at his wit's end, having already boasted about it and received the order, what could he do? Having no other choice, he could only run away with his tail between his legs. David boarded a ship back to Europe that very day, claiming his father was ill, and directly escaped back to Britain to seek refuge.
However, Europe was not a place where David could hide in peace. Regular steamers had already brought this new product back to Europe, and the name of "Sandrew Electric Company" and its founder, David Warburg, spread throughout the European continent. David only hid in his father's small estate for 3 days before being discovered by his friends in Europe. As a result, David had to return to San Francisco, where he at least had a factory, although it couldn't meet everyone's wishes, but could still prioritize the demands of a few key figures. In Europe, however, all he could do was apologize.
David returned to San Francisco and received a warm welcome. Various financial groups and bankers vied with each other to cooperate with "Sandru Electrical Company" in production or sales. David had sent a telegram to Liu Fei, asking how to solve this problem. Liu Fei's reply was simple: cooperation in building factories and sales were both possible, but the patent could not be sold.
In this way, refrigerator factories sprouted up in the United States and Europe like mushrooms after a spring rain. In just two years from 1895 to 1897, eight large-scale refrigerator factories were completed and put into production, with 20 production lines, and output increased by more than double. The vast majority of these factories were controlled by "Sandru Electric Company", with only a very small number being independently invested in and purchasing the right to produce refrigerators.
Now, "Sandro Electric Company" is a huge presence in the US and Europe, although it still can't compare to the likes of "Standard Oil", "Rothschild", and "Morgan". However, it has also gained some initial influence in the governments of the US and Europe. The most valuable thing is that David has used medicine and refrigerators to get acquainted with a large number of very powerful families and politicians in Europe and America.
