◆《Origin》
Lian-Fa Rice Milling Factory was established by Chairman Chen Shui-Sheng in 1965. It has had 50 years of history. Chairman Chen is from Shui Shang Town, Chiayi County. His father had a grocery store called Lian-Fa Store” located across from Nan-Ching Sugar Factory. Grocery stores used to sell daily supplies locally. Store owners would buy all sorts of goods from wholesalers and resell them. Rice, oil, salt, and sugar can be purchased at grocery stores. Chairman Chen knew many wholesalers because of his grocery store. At the time, he thought a rice dealer that supplied rice [who usually also owned a rice milling factory] was a good line of work. Therefore, after he left the army, he started up a rice milling factory in the rice production zone, Shang Jia Dong near Shang Shui Shiang. 〔1965〕He named it “Lian-Fa Rice Milling Factory.” In 1977, it was appointed as the public grain outsourcing storehouse and milled rice/polished rice processing factory by the Provincial Food Bureau. In 1982, the factory transferred to outside Shiang Chie-Dong Village due to scale expansion needs. It continued to expand in size and upgrade equipments to become a one-line new type rice milling factory.
In March, 2004, Lian-Fa underwent transformation and established “Shang Shui Co., Inc.” With a capital of NT$1.2 million and contract collaboration with peasants, it created its own brand, “Shang Shui Rice.” The rice milling factory also passed CAS Good Rice Factory Certification. The following year, 〔2005〕 “Shang Shui Rice Production and Sales Special Zone” was established. It collaborated with Nakashimamio Shoutenn in production and sales of Dream Beauty, which is in turn sold back in Japan.
　
　
◆《Organization-reduced man-power as a result of automated operation; family cooperation help create new opportunities》
Lian-Fa Rice Milling Factory now has marketing & sales, management, accounting, and business operation departments. Although the production scale is large, there are few employees due to automatic operation and mechanical rice milling. There are only over 10 staffs at present. The founder is now 75 years of age but he continues to be working at the operation end, makes decisions and arrangements. The Chinese-Japanese collaborated “Dream Beauty” was facilitated after he contacted the Japanese.
The General Manager (GM) in charge of factory operation is Chen Shui-Sheng’s eldest son. General Manager (GM) Chen told us that he had served at the factory since he was young. After he completed his studies majoring in Machinery, he returned to the factory to help out because he was the first son in the family. He felt obliged to assume responsibilities after leaving the army. It has been 25 years. He said with humor that he had always thought knowledge related to machinery learned at school had nothing to do with rice milling. Automated rice milling at the factory made him feel that he could apply what he had learned at school. .
Other than the General Manager (GM), Chairman Chen also has two other sons. His second son serves as the marketing and sales consultant and his third son concentrates on marketing and sales operations. The entire family is devoted to the rice milling factory. One of the reasons why Nakashimamio Shoutenn eyed Lian-Fa Rice Milling Factory as a collaborator in inter-country Dream Rice production is that the second generation is willing to continue the business and the family members are familiar with rice milling operations.