business success stories of visionary malaysians

Transcription

BUSINESS SUCCESS STORIES OF VISIONARY MALAYSIANS
MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
2 | zero to hero
BUSINESS SUCCESS STORIES OF VISIONARY MALAYSIANS
MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
zero to hero |3
© 2013, Malaysia External Trade
Development Corporation (MATRADE)
While every effort has been taken to ensure that the
contents of the book are accurate and current,
MATRADE cannot be held responsible for any omission
or error and is not liable for any loss or dispute arising
from the use of the information provided
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means –
electronic, mechanical or any other form – without the
consent of the publisher
PUBLISHED BY:
MALAYSIA EXTERNAL TRADE
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
(MATRADE)
Menara MATRADE
Jalan Khidmat Usaha
Off Jalan Duta
50480 Kuala Lumpur
MALAYSIA
Tel:
Fax:
Hotline:
Email:
Web:
4 | from zero to hero
+603-6207 7077
+603-6203 7037 / 7033
1800 88 7280
[email protected]
www.matrade.gov.my
Contents
FROM ZERO TO HERO
6
7
Foreword
Dato’ Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed
– Minister of International Trade and
Industry of Malaysia
52-55
Putting the Best Foot Forward
Lewre International Sdn Bhd
56-59
Transforming the Perception
of the Medical Furniture
Industry
LKL Advance Metaltech Sdn Bhd
60-63
Asia’s Preferred Cocoa
Producer
Majulah Koko Tawau Sdn Bhd
64-67
A Distinctly Different Taste
Marrybrown Sdn Bhd
68-71
Tapping into the Frequency
of Success
MDT Group
72-75
Passion of ‘Royal Corn Man’
Nelson’s Franchise (M) Sdn Bhd
76-79
Putting Delicious Back into
Cookies
Noraini Cookies Worldwide Sdn Bhd
80-83
Baked with Love
Perfect Food Manufacturing
Sdn Bhd
Fanning the Flames of Success
Fire Fighter Industry Sdn Bhd
84-87
All the World’s a Playground
Pro-Landscape Structure Sdn Bhd
Innovating Quality Healthcare
Hovid Berhad
88-91
Leading the Lubricant
Industry
Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd
Furniture Industry’s Dynamic
Duo
SKS Group
92-95
Asia’s Leading Technology
Enabler
Strateq Group
96-99
Top Quality Gloves for the
World
Top Glove Corporation Berhad
Foreword
Datuk Dr Wong Lai Sum – Chief
Executive Officer of Malaysia External
Trade Development Corp (MATRADE)
8-11
Creating Waves in Global
Islamic Finance Scene
Abdul Raman Saad & Associates
(ARSA)
12-15
It’s All About Baby Diapers
Consobiz Ventures Sdn Bhd
16-19
Dynamic, Progressive and
Innovative Ideas
DPI Group
20-23
A Very Chocolatey Affair
DR Group Holdings Sdn Bhd
24-27
Building a Thousand
Generations
Eversendai Corporation Berhad
28-31
32-35
36-39
40-43
JF-Just Fantastic Technology
JF Technology Berhad
44-47
Making the World a Cleaner
Place
Ken-Rich Chemical Production
Sdn Bhd
48-51
Khind – Truly One of a Kind!
Khind Holdings Berhad
100-103 Designing for the Future
VERITAS Design Group
104-107 Firing Young Blood into
Visionary Technology
ViTrox Technologies Sdn Bhd
from zero to hero |5
Foreword
A
key component of Malaysia’s economic progress and
transformation lies in its vision to see Malaysians
excel in international trade and industry-related
areas, blossoming into the most preferred investment destination, apart from aiming to be one of
the most globally competitive trading nations.
Since its Independence, Malaysia has witnessed
incredible economic transformation, steadily moving towards achieving
National Economic Policy and Vision 2020. Malaysia’s thirst for success
can be seen translated in the pursuit of excellence by citizens spanning
across industries and expertise alike.
With a rich blend of culture, tradition and knowledge that is truly a
reflection of harmony and tolerance, we have also embraced the future
with open arms – blending science and technology with heritage and
history. Malaysians have spread their wings into new ventures and
territories abroad, sharing their expertise, ideas and services in many
other nations cutting across continents. Through innovation, quality and
excellence, many Malaysian companies have gained the trust, recognition
and acceptance from the global community.
This publication, “From Zero to Hero”, showcases an elite and select
number of business success stories of outstanding Malaysian companies
that have exceeded expectations of the world through their business
offerings globally.
I wish to congratulate MATRADE for publishing this book, making it
possible to carry stories of successful Malaysian companies to potential
international businesses seeking strong, long-term partnerships. It is
my hope that this book will be useful and beneficial to industry players,
business partners and organisations alike and inspire other entrepreneurs
to emulate their success stories.
Salam bahagia.
(DATO’ SRI MUSTAPA BIN MOHAMED)
Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia
Foreword
M
alaysia External Trade Development
Corporation’s (MATRADE) mission is to
develop and promote Malaysia’s export
to the world. MATRADE serves as the
preferred platform for Malaysia to be
introduced as a globally competitive trading
nation, focusing on highlighting successful
home-grown enterprises to the world.
Since its inception, MATRADE has seen many incredibly successful
companies, who have managed to carve names for themselves in various
foreign markets. This is not only limited to the Southeast Asian region, but
also spread further and beyond to Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific in whole.
MATRADE has handpicked a selection of 25 companies that have
achieved outstanding results in their businesses over the years, placing
Malaysia on the radar search in the international arena.
These 25 successful business stories have been consolidated into a
coffee table book, “From Zero to Hero”, which will be a delightful read to
those seeking inspiration and looking to find the right business partners
from within Malaysia.
This book is an encapsulation of MATRADE’s core services, that focus
on exporter development, export promotion and dissemination of trade
and market information.
I sincerely hope that this publication will serve to encourage and drive
others in their business endeavour.
Thank you.
(DATUK DR WONG LAI SUM )
Chief Executive Officer
MATRADE
from zero
ro to hero
ero |7
Creating Waves in
Global Islamic Finance Scene
Abdul Raman Saad & Associates (ARSA)
A
RSA has an enviable position as a premier company in the world of Islamic finance.
The homegrown company began operations as an independent commercial entity,
namely ARSA Shariah that was formed in 2008 for the provision of services related
to Shariah Finance. This was followed with the establishment of ARSA Consultants
in 2010 initially to cater for data compliance and training.
“Due to increasing demand in Islamic finance, locally and globally and also the
aspiration of the Government of Malaysia to be the Islamic financial hub, coupled
with the Islamic finance industry being still in its evolution stage – ARSA saw the potential of
providing such services,” said ARSA’s Founder, Datuk Dr Abdul Raman Saad.
Amongst the services are Shariah advisory, which includes amongst others structuring of facilities under the Capital Markets and products development, training, Shariah governance such as Shariah Audit & Shariah Review services and also market research and provision of an
accredited Islamic Arbitrator for dispute in Islamic finance.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
ARSA develops strategic alliances to support its business growth and operations on a global platform. The
company has embarked on the strategy of having a smart partnership with its existing service recipients to
minimise the risks. Abdul Abdul Raman adds: “We will focus on our recipients who go regional, for example,
we advise the Al-‘Aqar Reit and this Reit has expanded their business across borders to Indonesia and also
Founder of ARSA with the Malaysian Deputy
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Yassin
One for the album ... The ARSA team
Australia. By having our presence in Indonesia, the
Reit will continue using our services albeit under
the Indonesian jurisdiction.”
Other forms of strategic alliance that it considers are joint ventures with global partners,
informal co-operation, contractual alliances,
minority investments and franchising. There are
many unique offerings of ARSA that makes it
stand out from the rest in the same field. He says:
“Advising on various aspects of Reit exercises is
one of our unique value propositions.
“There are still not many players in the market
who are well versed or have diverse experience in
relation to Reit related cases especially in relation
to Islamic Reit.”
ARSA, through its group, has diverse experience
advising on Reit from its inception till financing
– be it through straight lending or sukuk exercise.
ARSA as a group has also experienced handling the
exercise of converting the conventional Reit to an
Islamic Reit. This experience gives the company a
competitive edge over other regional players in
the market.
He adds: “The public perception that Reit is only
confined to real estate including land and building
is not true. Telecommunication or broadcasting
towers can be used as assets for listing under a
Reit – that is part of our unique offering.”
MALAYSIA: VIBRANT LOCATION
FOR ISLAMIC FINANCE
Malaysia can claim to be the most dynamic
country in the world for Islamic finance through
the setting-up of the Malaysia International
Islamic Finance Centre (MIFC).
Malaysia has adopted a top-down approach
that has exhibited strong political will to facilitate a vibrant and inclusive Islamic Finance
Industry due to the pioneering spirit of Bank
Negara Malaysia which is the central bank.
Bank Negara Malaysia established the Shariah
Advisory Council in May 1997 as the highest
Shariah Authority in Islamic finance, followed by
Grand affair ... At the launching of ARSA brand back in 2009
the establishment of ISRA (International Shariah
Research Academy) in March 2008. Besides Bank
Negara Malaysia, the State Bank of Pakistan and
the Central Bank of Bahrain are the other two
active central banks that are promoting Islamic
finance globally.
Abdul Raman said: “Because of Bank Negara
Malaysia’s active role in the global scene through
MIFC of which ARSA, one of the partners that
supports MIFC initiatives, has accelerated the
promotion of its services.”
CHALLENGES: ISLAMIC
FINANCE INDUSTRY
Islamic Finance Industry is booming in Malaysia
because the country has clear Rules & Regulations
but that is not the case in other Islamic countries
of the world. Different Islamic countries interpret
Islamic law differently. It takes a long time even
to resolve issues on interpretation of the law. In
addition, there is much shortage of experts in
the global arena – resulting in scholars sitting on
multiple boards of Islamic Finance institutions
with conflicts to be resolved for every transaction.
Furthermore, Abdul Raman adds: “ARSA is in
the service industry, which is intangible in nature.
Customers can only value our services after they
have experienced it. But, the first and paramount
thing to do is to make the ARSA brand visible to
the market especially in the jurisdiction which is
totally new to ARSA. Hence, ARSA had to put aside
a big monetary budget for activities to capture the
market awareness of its existence.
“A lot of time and effort have been spent in the
branding exercise, thanks to MATRADE which
made it possible for ARSA. Once the awareness is
visible, the next stage will be to ensure and enhance
our deliverables, hence, it requires a lot of human
capital investment.
“A lot of programmes such as mentoring, training
and knowledge sharing have been devised by our
Human Resource department in order to fill in the
gap and also to unleash the talent of our human
capital in order to ensure they meet the minimum
expected standard set by ARSA on them as this is
part of our branding.
“Those who persevere will develop and continue
to grow with us, but those who cannot cope with
the pressure will leave. Hence , the Management
should not and cannot be demoralised by this
movement. Thus, the recruitment will be ongoing
and learning and growth is part of our culture.”
Datuk Abdul Raman Saad ... ARSA’s Founder
THE MAN BEHIND THE VISION:
DATUK ABDUL RAMAN SAAD
Indeed ARSA’s Founder, Abdul Raman is a seasoned
businessman with religious duty at the centre of
his business universe. He said: “We went into these
areas of services as there was untapped potential and
also as part of my religious obligation as a
Muslim.” Most of ARSA’s current global clients
are in Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Luxembourg.
Its global offices are based in these three locations
too.
Abdul Raman is also focusing on penetrating
potential markets in the Phillipines, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, India, Turkey and China.
He adds: “Entering foreign markets is a longterm commitment that demands a lot of time,
effort and money. There are many issues which
our Management team needs to consider and they
must be committed to the efforts and understand
the impact that the venture may have on our
operations.
“Hence, the most difficult part is to find the
right strategy in gaining international clientele. We
need to consider several options including forming
alliances with the companies within our sector
so as to reduce our market-penetration costs.
Finding a foreign partner is much like recruiting
a new employee.
“We want someone who matches our company
profile and represents us well, and of course we do
not want to compete with our own partners, hence,
the issues such as what are the complementary
products that may give the parties a competitive
edge will have to be discussed in detail.
“We need to define our partner’s responsibilities, and how profits between us and the partner
will be shared. As such, a proper contract will have
to be drafted on a ‘win-win situation’.”
Besides this, there are also other factors to be
taken into consideration, which are important in
formulating its strategies such as the market, the
culture and the law and regulations in the country
ARSA is penetrating.
Entering the international market requires not
only qualified personnel but also strong financial
resources. The gestation period is obviously longer
with higher financial risk for it takes time for the
market to recognise the company’s services.
It’s All About Baby Diapers
J
M Permata Sdn Bhd (JMP) was established in 1984 as a trading company dealing in
everything related to little bundles of joy – babies. Ten years later the company began
to import disposable baby diapers under its subsidiary company Consobiz Ventures
Sdn Bhd, which then set the course for a long path in manufacturing and exporting
disposable baby diapers to more than 18 countries worldwide. Almost 20 years later,
Consobiz Ventures is now an established Malaysian company that specialises in the
manufacture of disposable baby diapers to a vast range of clients from around the globe.
FROM TRADING TO MANUFACTURING – A DIAPER EVOLUTION
The story of disposable diapers began in the West about 30 years ago, when most families that were frequent
travelers looked for a simpler way to keep their baby’s bottom clean. Thus, plastic pants with cotton napkins
became the first kin of disposable diapers that were available to the mass market.
With increasing working mothers in Malaysian households, the need for disposable diapers rose drastically.
As such, JMP saw are a great potential in the segment and started trading in everything that spoke
“baby”. Among its early trade items include cotton
baby napkins, PVC tie-pants, baby toys and baby
accessories. It was not till the early 1990s that the
company started to import disposable baby diapers
to meet the increasing demands of consumers.
As demand continuously increased with the
encouraging response to disposable diapers, JMP
then started to manufacture disposable baby diapers.
Forming a joint venture with a local company dealing
with baby products, its subsidiary Consobiz Ventures
then came into existence to support production.
Soon, from 1 Fammenccanica line, the company grew and eventually acquired all shares of
Consobiz and consolidated the operations. By
the end of 2007, the company transferred one of
its machines to Tanggerang, Jakarta (Indonesia)
and PT Consobiz Ventures officially began com-
mercial production in 2008.
The company never hesitated to work with high
grade materials to ensure that they only produce
high quality products. Although most of the raw
materials for production were initially sourced from
neighbouring countries, a turning point occurred
during a MATRADE business trip, where Consobiz
acquired a direct source for raw materials from
the shores of China. Thus, the company is highly
grateful for the assistance and business matching
opportunity that was provided by MATRADE in
the early stages of its business growth.
Through MATRADE trade missions, doors
opened up for Consobiz, as importers and distributors approached the company for business
opportunities.
Besides this, grants for branding that have been
acquired through MATRADE have also spurred
significant growth for the company, especially in
manufacturing for private labels.
With an established track record as a high quality
baby diaper manufacturer, the company takes pride
in ensuring all its relationships with partners,
consumers and clients stay strong and healthy, both
internationally and locally. To date, the company’s
products are present in hypermarkets and supermarkets in Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, New
Zealand, India, South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles
and countries in West Asia.
ORGANIC GROWTH POTENTIAL FOR A
HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
Consobiz is a strong believer in several key factors
that have contributed to the immense success of
their business. For example, keeping the overhead
costs low and consolidating their production has
assisted in maintaining strong relationships with
clients locally. Their location in the prestigious
Sungai Putus Industrial Park, Klang, Selangor
allows for Consobiz to be within reach of both
international and local clients, as they are strategically situated close to Port Klang, Selangor – the
export central gateway for the country.
Although the company has grown in strength
to almost a 400-strong employee base, Consobiz
believes that a successful manufacturing business
is a perfect marrying of both specialised talent
or skill, and cutting-edge technology. Thus, the
company constantly looks for ways to improve
its business processes and production strategies
through engagement with local talents and highly
specialised, skilled and technically trained staff
to work hand-in-hand with their machinery and
technologies.
A significant amount of investment is also made
in the area of branding and marketing, to ensure
that the company is well informed of current
market fluidity and conditions. Consobiz Ventures also engages in contract manufacturing
services. This further enhances their business presence across borders. In fact some carry
their own labels – hence these are the next areas for growth.
From the early days, capital investment has been a key factor for their growth. From a
mere RM3,000 investment to start the trading business, Consobiz Ventures is now so well
established that it is in a position to invest RM2 million in the area of branding and marketing.
This strongly reflects on the growth and visionary direction of the company.
In recognition of their quality and performance, Consobiz has received numerous awards
and accolades such as the Industry Excellence Award, Tesco Value Awards, ISO certification
& accreditations and SMI Recognition Award.
JOURNEYING THROUGH A DIAPER-FILLED WORLD – JOHARI MAAROF
Consobiz Ventures is now focusing on quality and marketing to grow its business further.
Johari, Managing Director of Consobiz sees that the company has taken in its stride several
learning points for survival in this field and is quick to implement them to stay abreast. “We
need to be constantly in the forefront, to ensure that our quality and offerings are well ahead
of their time,” he says.
Seeing technology as a key in shifting operations to high efficiency, Johari is quick
to affirm that it is very important to be able to see where the industry is going, and
follow the flow as it is. His determination and zest has rubbed off on all of Consobiz’s
employees, as they seem to be following his lead when it comes to achieving only the
best.
In his far-sighted vision for the continuous success of the company, Consobiz Ventures has
benefited greatly from Johari’s leadership as they maintain a respected reputation and name
amongst their clients. There is a natural progression towards greater growth and heights with
Johari leading Consobiz Ventures, as the company aims to continue achieving success in the
years to come.
Right ... Johari Maarof,
Managing Director of
Consobiz
Dynamic, Progressive
and Innovative Ideas
DPI Group
P
RECISION and innovation are two words commonly associated with DPI Group, an
internationally-acclaimed company that specialises in surface finishing products and
services. The company is involved in a wide spectrum of business activities spreading
over specialised business units to support and serve different industries. It takes pride in
providing innovative and dynamic solutions for their local and international clients. DPI’s
core competence lies in its products that are well-known for high-performance and quality,
in line with the company’s commitment to their clients and customers in respective fields.
DPI’S EARLY BEGINNINGS
DPI started out in 1979 as a small factory located in Muar, Johor where the core business was
manufacturing decorative and industrial wood coatings. Eventually, the company went on to
produce nitrocellulose-based paint for packaging in aerosol cans. Almost 10 years later, driven by
ambitious dreams and the quest for success, DPI expanded their offerings and business network in
many countries.
Currently, the company specialises in aerosol
paint, coatings, sand blast equipment manufacturing, thermoplastic road marking materials,
trading of surface preparation products, CNC
shot peening, precision engineering and others.
Besides this, DPI is also a consultant of
surface preparation products, where Blastwell,
the holding company of the Surface Preparation
Division in Singapore supports a large spectrum
of industries from aerospace, power generation,
oil & gas to watch & jewellery and decorative
metals.
Pioneering in CNC Shot Peening & Blasting
for the Asian aerospace industry, the company
supplies various equipment and consumables of
European, American, Australian and Chinese
origins.
This enables the company to be positioned
as a one-stop shop for many aerospace firms’
surface preparation needs. Some of their valued
clients include Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways,
DPI Products
Pratt and Whitney, Rolls Royce, GE Aviation
Hong Kong Aero Engine Service Ltd and their
joint venture companies.
With a wide array of business offerings
and specialised skills now available, DPI’s
presence now spans across thirteen countries
in Asia Pacific and beyond, with almost 1,000
employees on its payroll.
ACCOLADES & ACHIEVEMENTS
Coming through an intensive period of challenges since its inception and having seen
themselves past from the economic crisis in the
mid 1980s to struggles with marketing, finance,
management and language barriers – DPI made
a commitment to strive for excellence.
Hardwork and determination paid off well,
when the company became one of the first
aerosol companies in South East Asia to be
awarded the prestigious ISO 9002 certification
in 1996 from SGS Yarsley International, a wellrenowned certification corporation.
DPI went on to become one of the pioneer
companies that uses state-of-the-art equipment
with a strict conformance to international
standards and regulations, thus becoming the
premier manufacturer of the widest range of
aerosol paint colours under the reputable brand
name, Anchor.
Besides this, DPI is the first company to
manufacture thermoplastic road-marking material in Malaysia, Singapore, China, Pakistan,
Iran and Vietnam. The company is also ranked
second as manufacturers in Australia and
Thailand. DPI holds the record as the first glass
bead manufacturer and also the first aerospace
shot peening equipment manufacturer in China.
Through the years, DPI has been synonymous
with quality and integrity. The company has
been awarded SMB Recognition Awards (SMB
Best Overall Award, Enterprise 50 Award –
jointly organised by SME Corp and Deloitte
Malaysia), the Golden Bull Award, the Asia
Pacific International Enterprise Award, the
DPI precision products
DPI factory in Beijing, China
Keris Award and various Superbrands and
NAFMA Awards over the years.
DPI views these awards as key milestones in
recognition of the company’s team effort, hard
work and commitment that has been reflected
in their work.
STEPPING INTO THE WORLD
DPI first ventured outside of Malaysia to
Singapore in the mid 1980s. As their earlier
strategies were aimed at being the first market
mover, DPI then ventured into other countries.
The company started to experience the fastest
growth with the establishment of a manufacturing network in China, Thailand, Australia,
Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Pakistan
and Iran.
They also expanded into Japan, Singapore,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
and the Philippines.
Moving forward, DPI would like to continue
to identify new markets and opportunities
to provide goods and services from their core
business centres in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong
Kong, China, Australia and Indonesia.
their overseas ventures are only with companies
of high quality and integrity.
ASSISTANCE FROM MATRADE
DPI Group of Companies Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer, Peter Chai, views
MATRADE as significantly instrumental in
shaping the growth strategies adopted by DPI.
“MATRADE played a significant role in
facilitating our contact with foreign counterparts. We are also grateful for the coaching
and information received on local regulations,
government policies and business information
where a common network of interests was
established,” he elaborates.
Through such assistance, DPI was able to
build long term relationships with clients from
various countries. The verification of these
counterparts came largely from MATRADE,
and the company views MATRADE’s advice
with high regard.
Chai further adds that MATRADE’s feedback
on potential clients has assisted DPI in ensuring
HEAVY INVESTMENTS IN
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Throughout the years, the company has invested
millions in research and development. However,
due to the different nature of all business units,
the requirement for each R&D facility varies
greatly. DPI’s manufacturing divisions generally
require very extensive machinery and facilities,
and the company invests heavily to ensure their
staff has all the required skills to support R&D
efforts.
As such, DPI hires only the best of engineers
from chemical, mechanical and electrical backgrounds to work closely with quality assurance
to cater to this need.
The company takes a three-step approach to
R&D, focusing on Quality Assurance, Drawing
Comparisons and Development. In the first
step, quality assurance ensures that existing
products and services are superior in quality
and consistent.
Feedback and reviews are then consolidated
and sent to a specialised team, where a second
step is conducted to draw comparisons between
similar competitor products or new technologies available locally or overseas. Finally, after
a cost benefit analysis, the final step would be
the development phase where new products
are tested with a business plan for integration,
should the company acquire new technologies
or products.
As complex research and development is
involved, the company also seeks strategic
alliances to develop new products. A fine
example would be the development of DPI’s
new road marking product that is suited for
high reflectivity in a rain prone climate. The
company worked closely with a specialty glass
bead manufacturer and applicators to develop
this product.
DPI ensures that all their R&D staff are
trained both in-house and overseas to understand what is required and how they can
integrate potential new technologies that are
available.
SAILING THROUGH THE YEARS WITH
DPI GROUP – PETER CHAI
Chai, Chairman and CEO of DPI Group
grew the business from a small factory in
Muar, Johor to its international standing
today. When speaking of DPI’s business journey,
Chai reminisces on how the early days were
tough without formal training and adequate
knowledge.
“There needs to be a relentless pursuit of
information, improvement and formation of
strategic alliances. We strived to acquire huge
orders, but also strived to ensure we survived
difficult times. Much time and energy was spent
in understanding cross-cultural differences and
understanding the business over the course of
34 years,” he says.
According to Chai, in order to continue to be
successful in business, it is important to earn
respect and trust from happy and satisfied
suppliers, customers, bankers and organisations
related to the business. “Always have the hunger
to learn and improve,” he says.
Under Chai’s leadership, the company has
grown from strength-to-strength, achieving
numerous achievements that have positioned
DPI firmly as one of the most trusted names in
the industry globally.
Peter Chai ...
Chairman and CEO
of DPI Group of
Companies grew
the business from
a small factory
in Muar to its
international
standing
today
A Very Chocolatey Affair
A
S Forrest Gump says: “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re
gonna get”. And to ensure that every piece of chocolate taken out from a box is
delightful, tasty and leaves customers asking for more – DR Group was formed
out of a love for chocolate almost 20 years ago, when an opportunity was seized
to fill a vacuum in the chocolate industry in Malaysia.
Since its first business in the Malaysian Duty Free Airports, the Group has
since diversified its core business offerings to include trading, distribution,
manufacturing, property development and investment. With a staff strength of 140-strong, DR
Group now has four homegrown mouth-watering chocolate brands that are manufactured by
its subsidiary company, Quantum Supplies, which also actively involves in original equipment
manufacturing (OEM).
MOULDING A CHOCOLATE DREAM
Quantum Supplies, DR Group’s subsidiary company has two chocolate factories that currently manufacture
its own range of unique chocolates under four original and exclusive brand names of Danson, Farell, Fidani
and Milton. In the early 1980s, many well-known reputable brands were not available in Malaysia. Most
chocolate brands had to be imported from Singapore. Identifying an opportunity, the company became a trader
in importing and distributing chocolates in the country. The company initially began with being distributors
for Tobler of Switzerland. Slowly, other brands followed suit.
The company works in a very niche market of the industry, where the sole focus lies in export, tourism
and airport operations. Currently, DR Group is present in all major airports within Malaysia such as Penang,
Scenes at the satellite duty-free outlets owned by DR Group Holdings Sdn Bhd
Langkawi (Kedah), Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), Labuan
and Kuching (Sarawak).
Moving forward from the 80s, DR Group acquired
a factory in Batu Tiga, Selangor where it formed a
platform for their original equipment manufacturing (OEM) activities. Prior to this, DR Group actively worked with repackaging a variety of products,
chocolates included. True to their nature of ensuring
clients with quality and a service of excellence, the
company managed to close a deal with Van Houten,
an exclusive cocoa manufacturer in Amsterdam. This
formed a solid base for the company to learn and
experience first-hand, all that was needed to run a
successful chocolate making factory.
Quality assurance and consistency, tied with
a certain discipline were key factors that allowed
many global brands to work with DR Group. Some
well-known names the company manufactures for
– include Morinaga (Japan) and Nestle. To support
their growing business and chocolate demands,
DR Group invests a significant sum in research and
development to ensure all their processes and technologies are up to par with industry expectations.
Besides this, all necessary certifications and
accreditations were in place early in the business,
ensuring that the company was ready for international penetration. Among certifications obtained
include GMP, Halal, ISO 9001 and ISO 20000:2005
and HACCP certifications.
The company also invested in automated machinery to ensure unparalleled consistency and quality
of their chocolates. Shifting from semi-automated
to fully-automated machinery required a significant
amount of capital, all of which was in place to ensure
less room for mistakes.
The firm is proud to have pioneered the concept
of chocolate boutiques in the country, being the
first to be brave enough to venture into this area
of the business. Looking back, they have definitely
been trendsetters in the region. As such, DR Group
caused a lot of ripples in the market, particularly
with regards to its innovative marketing campaign.
DR Group’s hard work and meticulous efforts
did not go unnoticed as the firm has won a range
of awards over the years. Their exclusive brand,
Fidani, has won Most Innovative Chocolate by the
Malaysian Cocoa Board, the Best Manufacturer
(2004) – Malaysian Cocoa Board and Most Ingenious
Packaging by the International Halal Showcase
(MIHAS) for three years (2007, 2008 and 2010).
Other prestigious awards include the 2011
Duty Free News International Award for Best New
Confectionery and Fine Food Store, 2009 Duty Free
News International award for Best Marketing Campaign (Confectionery and Fine Food) throughout
the World, 2007 Malaysia Tourism Award for Best
Speciality Shop and many others.
PROGRESSING FURTHER
Leveraging on MATRADE trade missions and
exhibitions has been key in ensuring a steady stream
of overseas business for the company.
Dato’ Dahlan Rashid, Group Managing Director
and Founder of DR Group speaks highly of the
assistance rendered by SME Corp and other government agencies for equipment and machinery when
the business was in its infant stages.
Dahlan views MATRADE as an agency that
is necessary and crucial for entrepreneurs in the
Chocolate museum ... the
first-of-its-kind in the
country, located at their
brand new premises in
Kota Damansara, Selangor
New Departure shop in KLIA
Dato’ Dahlan Rashid ... Group Managing
Director and Founder of DR Group
country seeking to penetrate the global market,
without the hassle of verification they would need
if they proceeded independently. Right business
matching is important for the success of a company
dealing with international buyers and suppliers alike.
EXPANDING THE BUSINESS
Success is merely a measure that can be further
expanded if one wants to. With this in view, DR
Group is seeking growth opportunities in different
areas of its business, using creativity and innovation
as a key enabler. The firm is spending a significant
amount of time and effort to ensure new product
development research is in place for future lines
of products. Some of the particular areas they are
looking at revamping and recreating include exciting
new flavours and presentations.
Seeing that a majority of Malaysians are looking
to eat healthy and live a more wholesome lifestyle,
the company is in the midst of introducing sugar-free
chocolates, high energy chocolate bars, probiotic and
anti-oxidant chocolate ranges.
Apart from this, the company finds it necessary
to share its story of success in the chocolate business
and as such, created a chocolate museum, the first
of its kind in the country. Located at their brand
new premises in Kota Damansara, Selangor – the
museum allows visitors to take the journey of
DR Group’s inception and the history of cocoa at
a glance, ending with a beautiful display of live
chocolate making by Quantum Supplies expert
chocolate makers.
The museum also has a retail outlet, enabling visitors to purchase the specially-made confectionaries.
SIMPLE BUSINESS PHILOSOPHIES –
DATO’ DAHLAN RASHID
From a single chocolate outlet, the company has
grown tremendously under the visionary leadership
of Dahlan. Today it has a staggering 32 outlets.
Quantum Supplies is now present in retail outlets
in airports, tourist destinations, duty free areas and
iconic landmarks such as Genting World Resort
(Pahang) and Johor Premium Outlet and Legoland
(Johor). With their own shopping complex situated
at Langkawi Jetty Point(Kedah), success knows no
borders for Dahlan.
“I like to build, own, and operate with reduced
dependency on others. That’s how this company
was born,” says Dahlan. As a competitive player, he
sees the firm being benchmarked against imported
chocolates and manufacturers – such as those from
Europe. “Benchmarking against the best allows us to
strive to deliver nothing short of excellence.”
He adds: “I am also constantly in touch with the
latest trends. One has to understand that technology and management methods are ever evolving.
Churning out new exciting products surely keeps you
ahead in this industry. Human capital is an utmost
priority for us, as this component ensures that the
business is more dynamic. For this, we ensure that
training is in place for our staff throughout the year.”
As a passionate entrepreneur, Dahlan is always
on the lookout for strategic business opportunities
that are relevant to his business and forte. Having
vast experience venturing into retail, trading, manufacturing, import, export and properties – surely
more exciting ventures are in the offing for Dahlan
and his company.
One of Eversendai’s premier
projects ... Ski Dubai located in
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Building A Thousand Generations
E
STABLISHED in 1984, Eversendai Corporation Berhad needs
no introduction, as it has swept
the steel industry off its feet
with the feats and accomplishments achieved over the years.
From its humble beginnings as
a small company to a world-class
Design and Build Turnkey Contractor, Eversendai
Corporation has created a new benchmark for the
construction industry.
With mega projects such as the iconic Tower
2 of the Petronas Twin Towers, the new Doha
International Airport, the Burj-Al-Arab, Republic Plaza in Singapore, Kingdom Centre in
Saudi Arabia and many more under its wing,
this corporation is now one of the most trusted
and reliable names in the global steel industry.
With more than 10,000 employees on its
payroll with a strong presence in Asia, Eversendai continues to take the construction world by
storm with each turning milestones of success.
Under the visionary leadership and guidance
of its Chairman and Group Managing Director,
Dato’ AK Nathan, Eversendai Corporation has
placed Malaysia on a high pedestal alongside
many other internationally-acclaimed names
in the industry.
THE STEEL EMPIRE’S JOURNEY
OF UNPARALLELED GROWTH
In 1988, a key decision was made as the company
ventured into the Singaporean market. This
was an event that opened the first door to
many future success stories for Eversendai; the
company managed to secure a contract for the
fabrication and erection of structural steel work
for the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“This was the first of many projects in Singapore. After the successful completion of this, we
were contracted the Pulau Seraya Power Station
(Stage 2), the amphitheater for Jurong Bird Park,
and the 66-storey Republic Plaza, to name a few,”
Nathan elaborated.
Never a man to shy away from challenges
and greater heights, Nathan was quick to learn
the trade and focus on expanding the business.
His wise decisions and visionary thinking
resulted in the incorporation of Shin Eversendai
Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd in 1993. Through
this company, a strategic focus was placed
specifically on engineering, fabrication design
and erection of mechanical and structural work
as the company’s core services.
Hard work and consistency paid off when
Eversendai made its entrance into the West
Asian market three years later through its
subsidiary, Eversendai Engineering LLC (Dubai,
the United Arab Emirates). Since building the
Burj Al-Arab and Burj Khalifa, Eversendai has
continued to undertake many key landmark
projects in West Asian locations such as Dubai,
Abu Dhabi (the United Arab Emirates), Saudi
Arabia and Qatar.
1996 marked a key milestone in the business
as the Group set up a full-fledged engineering
department to enhance their value proposition
for clients. Eversendai Construction Pvt Ltd,
Chennai handles a majority of the designing
and draughting services for their global clients.
The Group is relentless when delivering
promises to clients well above the expectation
levels. Eversendai strives to deliver the best for
all of its projects, regardless of the magnitude or
size it may be. This consistency in above average
quality assured deliverance has been responsible
for a large client retainer pool.
“We do a good job and everyone is happy.
It’s all about branding, positioning, and word
of mouth. We do not have to look for projects
– clients invite us to bid for jobs after seeing
our attention to detail, workmanship and
commitment,” Nathan says with a humble smile.
Despite setbacks and challenges, Eversendai
continued its expansion steadily to include
fabrication and power plant installation works.
The Group was becoming synonymous with
high-quality construction in the industry. In
2000, the Group was involved in the erection of
the mechanical and structural works for the Jana
Manjung coal-fired power plant in Malaysia.
Eversendai invested a significant amount of time
and effort in the research and development of
specific skills and requirements for this project.
Photos clockwise from top ... Kingdom
Centre in Riyadh; Petronas Twin Towers
in Kuala Lumpur; Sprawling factory
in Dubai and Head office in Rawang,
Selangor
Man of Steel ... Chairman and Group Managing
Director, Dato’ AK Nathan
As expected, the project was deemed a
tremendous success, surpassing all expectations. It was this success that made the
Group a specialist in this particular area
of expertise.
Eversendai did not stop there – in 2009,
the group expanded business operations
even further to India and took on the
daunting project of erecting the North
Chennai power plant project, along with
Phase 1 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport – South West Pier in
Mumbai.
Consistency and perseverance were
the two key ingredients for Eversendai’s
growth and establishment. Three years
later, the Group was finally converted into
a public limited company and carries its
current name, Eversendai Corporation
Berhad.
Last year, Eversendai hit its RM1 billion
turnover mark. Having achieved such a
significant milestone, the Group is now
working hard to achieve RM2 billion within
the next five years (2017).
Understanding the importance of
creativity and diversification in business
today, Eversendai is now venturing into
new components relating to the company’s
core business. Some areas that will be
explored include fabrication, oil and gas,
petrochemicals and execution of composite
structures for high-rise towers.
To date, Eversendai has completed over
150 projects in 10 countries.
MALAYSIA’S MAN OF STEEL DATO’ AK NATHAN
The name Eversendai (named after the
Japanese city of Sendai), means ‘for
a thousand generations’. Eversendai’s
foundation is built with strong emphasis
on excellent work ethics and culture.
Many Japanese work processes were
introduced at Eversendai, specifically in
areas related to safety, ownership, work
and responsibility.
“Whatever I learned, I put into practice.
There is one phrase that I always remember
: whatever the mind of a man can conceive
and believe, it can achieve,” said Nathan,
citing Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success.
A humble and soft-spoken man by
nature, this simple man built his steel
foundation out of sheer perseverance, zeal
and persistence.
“It’s all about hard work, persistence
and a drive to challenge yourself,” explains
the man of steel himself. Hailing from
an average middle-class family, this shy
Kepong boy left the country to further
his studies in Chennai, India during his
early adulthood. When the family was
hit by a sudden financial crisis, he had no
choice but to opt out of his pre-university
studies. He started working in a printing
press company in India to ease the family
burden.
He returned to Malaysia from Chennai with hopes of starting his own
printing company a year later, but
instead began working as an insurance
agent with AIA.
The short stint here gave him many
practical experiences in life. His tryst with
the steel industry happened by chance, and
in 1983 Nathan was awarded the contract
of constructing steel structures for the
Proton Factory in Shah Alam, Selangor by
the Nippon Steel Corporation.
A year later, Eversendai was incorporated, and the rest they say, is history.
Despite building such a huge construction empire, Nathan still derives inspiration from a job well done and continues to
look forward to new ventures.
“It all boils down to the person you
are within. Education sets the stage for
success, but without the right attitude,
success can never be within arm’s reach,”
he says gently.
He firmly believes that character and
inner strength are vital pieces in the puzzle of success. Volatile business markets
taught him early in life that without the
right ingredients of values and sacrifice,
you can never truly taste victory.
“Anyone can build a business, but
building it the right way, with the right
values, procedures and methods is the
biggest challenge of all. Build a business
that will last for generations, and add value
to it by incorporating the right practices
and principles.”
Fanning the Flames of Success
S
INCE Fire Fighter Industry Sdn Bhd was established in 1974, it has grown to become the
largest fire fighting equipment manufacturer and supplier in Malaysia and one of the most
recognised brands nationwide.
The company’s core business focuses on design and re-engineering, manufacturing, training
and after-sales services – utilising their highly-skilled and experienced technicians and engineers
for fire fighting products – ranging from basic fire extinguishers to highly sophisticated fire
fighting products. The company provides total fire protection solutions to the most prestigious
developments in the country that include residential buildings, commercial complexes, telecommunication
centres, industrial installations, oil refineries and petrochemical plants.
Fire Fighter Industry headquarters is located in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. It is here a wide range of innovative fire fighting equipment is produced utilising the company’s state-of-the-art technology. The company
is renowned for providing superb quality and reliable products at all times. With simple yet effective fire
extinguishers of all sizes, custom-made fire cabinets, heavy duty fire hoses, high capacity powerful pumps,
mobile fire fighting systems, including Fire Suppression systems and highly advanced NN100 applications
– the company has dedicated itself to the science of fire fighting.
Moreover, as the business evolves it has diversified from the fire protection arena and is now one of
the specialists in the field of automation and control for all types of fire alarm and security systems – thus
becoming a one-stop service station. By adhering to Fire Fighter Industry’s own set of quality standards,
their manufacturing has incorporated a series of quality controls to ensure zero-defect products.
With a staff strength of 130 and over 200 distribution outlets throughout Malaysia, Fire Fighter Industry
has made a mark as a market leader in fire prevention and protection industry, where all production and
management processes are ISO 14001:2004 certified.
This is further evidenced by the certifications obtained as the company endeavours to continually and
effectively improve the quality of its products in accordance with international standards – ensuring that
stringent processes are rigorously practised and adhered to in the manufacture of quality and reliable fire
fighting equipment.
ACHIEVING GOLD STANDARDS
Fire Fighter Industry was first awarded the ISO
9001:1994 by Lloyd Register Quality Assurance
when it first started in 1974. This proved to be a
major boost for the company as it kick started the
business.
This award was further upgraded to ISO
9001:2000 in 2004 and the new ISO 9001:2008
in 2010 along with ISO 14001:2004 in 2012 for the
Environmental Management System Certification.
Furthermore, they achieved an ISO award
for Manufacture and Servicing of Portable Fire
Extinguishers (Dry Powder & CO2), Servicing and
Maintenance of Fire Protection Systems – making
it as the first fire protection company in Malaysia
to attain such honour.
As recognition to the success of their business
growth, they have also been accredited with the
prestigious “The Brand Laureate” SMEs Chapter
Award for Best Brands in Fire Fighting Equipment,
the SME Excellence Award and MRCA 8TV Entrepreneur Award 2011 to name a few. Furthermore,
receiving Silver for Best Brand Award category in
The Star Business Awards (SOBA) 2012 and The
Platinum Partner Award by Siemens Building
Technology bears witness to their constant focus
towards the excellence of business and the quality
of services they provide.
Motivated by their slogan “Quality First & Foremost” ever since they opened their doors, it is no
surprise that the many quality awards under their
belt have been the result of a strong commitment
to give the customers the best. Fire Fighter Industry
strives to be the leader in providing comprehensive
and reliable fire protection solutions to make the
world a safer place to live in.
ETERNAL FLAME OF SUCCESS –
MEETING MICHELLE HAH
“When we started the company, we were trading
third party’s products and it was a difficult time
with all the taboo associating the business with
the ‘fire element’. But we moved on and aimed to
manufacture and sell products of our own,” said
Hah, Director for Fire Fighter Industry, recalling
her early years establishing the company with her
husband Jeffrey Soo. “We were not the first to do
such things but were definitely one of the earliest
to get involved in the fire fighting industry.”
An Exco member of the Malaysia Fire Protection
Association – an organisation representing the
manufacturers, contractors and professionals in
Michelle Hah ... Director
of Fire Fighter Industry
the fire trades – Hah says the business started
strenthening their position when they first applied
for the ISO 9001 certification at the launching of
the business. “Once we received the certification,
we knew we were ready to make a strong mark in
this business. It gave us credibility as it was a crucial
initial phase in our business and we were proud to
accomplish this at the start.”
Fire Fighter Industry also offers its services internationally, serving countries such as Indonesia,
Brunei, Myanmar, Vietnam and Timor Leste.
To be able to export its products and services
to these countries, Hah cited the role MATRADE
played in assisting them to help expand the Fire
Fighter Industry brand outside of Malaysia.
“It is hard to establish a business relationship
outside the country when you are standing on
your own. We faced setbacks and challenges, yet
we were determined to explore the opportunities
beyond our own shores.”
And when MATRADE came into the picture,
the process has definitely gotten smoother with
major networks and opportunities pouring
in. “With MATRADE’s assistance we actively
participated in their trade fairs. It gave us strong
international recognition as well as guiding us
in business dealings using the proper channels.”
Hah was also selected for MATRADE’s
Women Exporters Development Programme
in 2009 (formerly known as Women Trade
Outreach Programme), a three-year programme
aimed at creating competitive and sustainable
exporters.
It is an export assistance programme that
helps SMEs develop the necessary skills and
knowledge to penetrate and further expand their
export markets.
According to her, other than exporting and
supplying fire fighting products and services to
commercial industries, Fire Fighter also hopes
that fire extinguishing products will be extensively
used at home and in cars. She stated that not many
consumers are aware of such special purpose
fire-extinguishing products.
Wrapping up, Hah advised busy entrerprenuers to
keep the flame of ambition alive and be determined
to go the extra mile to realise the dreams.
“Starting a business is no bed of roses. I’m
a believer of hard work, passion and believe
in our capabilities. We need all these to go on
throughout our highs and lows.” In the fire
fighting business, Hah is indeed one cool lady.
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Innovating Quality Healthcare
Hovid Berhad
H
OVID Berhad’s journey to
glory began a long time ago
when a special concoction of
Ho Yan Hor Herbal Tea was
blended with cooling and
healing properties came to
life, post-World War II. The
sole purpose of this tea was to serve Malaysians,
particularly in the days that followed the worldwide
flu epidemic in the early 1950s. Ho Yan Hor Herbal
Tea soon became one of the most sought after
products in the country.
It was not until the early 1980s that the company
migrated its core business offerings into the competitive world of pharmaceuticals. With sound and
in-depth knowledge of research and pharmaceutical
science, the company was completely rebranded
and repositioned to offer pharmaceutical solutions
spanning various disciplines. It was a decision that
proved to be more than just right.
The company grew by leaps and bounds, and is
no stranger to the international pharmaceutical
industry. Today, Hovid Berhad is listed on the Main
Board of Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, and is a
seasoned player among healthcare providers in over
50 countries worldwide.
With the various divisions of Hovid established
through many years of hard work, research and
quality experience, Hovid continues to deliver all
that it promises clients both locally and worldwide
– speed, quality service, excellence and continuous
innovation.
THE EARLY BEGINNINGS
OF HOVID BERHAD
Starting from herbal tea business, Hovid had to
be re-built from scratch when changing winds
initiated a new direction in the company’s
core business offering. In the early 1980s, the
company was initiated with a small team of
Excellent processes ... Using only
the finest in available technology
employees, taking into consideration all the key
elements required to run a pharmaceutical business, ie. research and development, laboratories,
marketing and business development and other
divisions.
Using limited resources of capital and exclusive
recruitment, Hovid steadily grew with a few
product offerings in the state. After almost five
years of struggling, Hovid finally started to make
its mark in the country with a humble 15 – 20
products being distributed nationwide.
Today, Hovid has over 350 products marketed
worldwide and sold throughout ASEAN countries
and Africa, with staff strength of close to 1,000
committed individuals.
Combining knowledge in pharmacy and entrepreneurship, Hovid was a dream built on
the foundations of perseverance, patience and
extensive learning throughout the years the
company has been in existence.
As Hovid’s direction to dive headfirst into the
pharmaceutical industry in the early 1980s took
flight, it seemed to be a daunting task. Malaysia
was still considered a developing country then.
Even sourcing basic laboratory equipment was a
huge challenge to overcome in these initial stages
of the company’s growth.
Through commitment to a shared vision, the
company took all challenges as opportunities to
grow further, and tirelessly found innovative ways
to capture the new market effectively. Besides
diversifying the business, Hovid also retained the
herbal tea business in place, catering to their loyal
long standing customers.
KEEPING ABREAST OF
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
In Malaysia, almost all of the pharmaceutical
industry is dominated by imported products.
However, this did not serve as a deterrent to
Hovid to strive in placing its name at the top
of the list.
Massive investments were made to ensure Hovid
stayed well ahead of competition. To date, there are
close to 20-30 local factories that produce their own
pharmaceutical products.
In the early stages, Hovid participated in many
trade missions and trade fairs arranged by the
Malaysian Investment Development Authority
(MIDA). The early 2000s saw a boost in business,
as Hovid began to participate in MATRADE’s
various trade missions and key exhibitions around
the globe, specifically focused in promoting the
pharmaceutical industry.
Hovid’s largest export component lies in Africa,
where it has a firm foothold in the antibiotics,
diabetic and analgesic market. Besides Africa,
Hovid also exports to more than 50 countries
worldwide, including ASEAN countries such
as Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia and
Myanmar. Almost 70% of Hovid Berhad’s market
share lies in its export business.
Hovid now has operations in the Philippines,
Hong Kong and India. Hovid also incorporated
several wholly own subsidiaries to support their
extensive growth and research in the industry.
David Ho ... Managing Director
of Hovid Berhad
PIONEERING RESEARCH
Hovid has etched its name in Malaysia’s history
of research and development for its many firsts of
technological advancements. Some of the company’s
unmatched feats include being first in Malaysia and
the world to develop a commercial scale integrated
process for extracting valuable Carotenoids and
Tocotrienols from the natural palm oil, first in the
world to develop the self-emulsifying SupraBio
system for improved absorption of Tocotrienols in
the human body up to 300%.
In an effort to continue their research in this,
Hovid works with Ohio State University for Tocotrienol studies on strokes, and also collaborated
with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and Malaysia
Palm Oil Board (MPOB) for clinical studies on the
efficiency of Tocotrienol in stroke prevention and
liver protection.
Other pioneering research results by Hovid in
Malaysia include being the first to produce filmcoated analgesics, soft gel capsules, effervescent
tablets, antibiotics in dispersible tablet form,
patented technologies in drug delivery systems and
packing of herbal tea in dried, easy to use teabags.
After venturing into pharmaceutical manufacturing, Hovid has passed many significant milestones.
One memorable appointment for Hovid was in 1998
when they were appointed as suppliers to UNICEF’s
drugs procurement programme.
CONTINUOUS INNOVATION
IS KEY TO INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS –
DAVID HO
Understanding the changing landscape of the
medical fraternity, Managing Director of Hovid
Berhad, David Ho is a visionary who always sees
an opportunity to serve society better by putting into practice everything that he had learnt
in his tertiary education years in Pharmacy.
When his father, Dr Ho Kai Cheong decided it
was time to retire from the herbal tea business,
Ho resigned from his previous position with
a well known multinational pharmaceutical
company in the United Kingdom to assist in
growing the business.
To stay on top of the game, Ho stresses
the paramount importance of innovation and
continuous improvement in product offerings
for society.
“Always know your product, and know it well.
To penetrate the international market is not as
easy as some think – the first question to ask is, is
there a place for my product in the market? And if
there is, remember to raise significant capital and be
prepared to face perceptions, situations and cultural
differences,” Ho advises new entrepreneurs seeking
to take their business to the next level.
For specialised industries such as the pharmaceutical industry, it is crucial to ensure that
the right professional staff and research team
is in place before moving forward. Ideally, those
with a sound knowledge and educational background in pharmacy, physiology, biosciences
and human nutrition will be able to support the
high level of excellence and expectations of this
demanding industry.
Leading the Lubricant Industry
Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd
A
LEADER in developing and manufacturing a wide range of petroleum-based
products, Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd’s products are formulated and tested with exact
precision at their state-of-the-art laboratories in their efforts to deliver only the
highest quality and the best of standards to their clients worldwide.
With its small and simple beginnings 21 years ago as a trading business, Hyrax
Oil grew from a company that traded products from South Korea to one that started
blending their products locally with the same level of quality and precision as any
other well-established entity in the lubricant industry.
Under the visionary and forward-thinking leadership of its Founder and Managing Director,
Dato’ Hazimah Zainuddin, Hyrax Oil is now
a name synonymous with quality and high
standards within the industry, both locally and
internationally.
Holding strong presence in countries such
as Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, South
Africa, Uganda and Indonesia, the company’s
relentless passion for the business and determination to reach even greater heights continues
to move Hyrax Oil to higher places, as their
own bar of excellence is constantly challenged
by further success each year.
GLORIOUS DECADES
Hyrax Oil started its road to success in 1991 as a
trading business supplying petroleum-based prod-
ucts from South Korea, specifically transformer oil
products. In 2011, Hyrax Oil celebrated its 20th
anniversary. The road to success was not an easy
one, but with commitment, perseverance and an
undying passion to succeed, Hyrax Oil is now one of
the most reputable names in the industry, ranking
in international levels, as an exporter to more than
40 countries.
Never one to shy away from challenges, Hazimah
does not see herself as a woman working in a man’s
playing field.
In 1995, Hyrax Oil took a giant leap of faith by
deciding to blend their products locally. Among
the range of products that Hyrax Oil offers are
transformer oils, automotive lubricants, marine
lubricants, industrial lubricants, speciality
lubricants and greases. With operations moved
to where they are present today, Hyrax Oil has
succeeded in increasing their export ratio to
almost 70% today.
Working together with big names in the industry,
Hyrax Oil also does contract manufacturing for oil
and gas companies and some selected international
brands in Malaysia. The company has been growing
at a steady rate each year.
Looking beyond the Malaysian market, Hyrax
Oil was early to recognise the importance and
potential that lay in the export market. However,
healthy and continuous rate, understanding the
requirements of the current market. Of course,
all this will be reinvested into the work through
knowledge, marketing and branding.
the specific target markets Hyrax Oil was looking
at were not easy to penetrate as most of them were
third world countries.
There was an initial challenge for the company,
as many third world countries were not very brand
conscious. Nevertheless, Hyrax Oil pursued its goal,
with belief that their products will benefit clients
in such countries. One good example was the
company’s introduction to Petromoc – a petroleum
exploration company in Mozambique.
With hard work and consistent feedback, Hyrax
Oil managed to move Petromoc’s position as a
supplier of lubricants from the fifth spot in the
country to the number one player in the field, by
introducing quality products to them.
Hyrax Oil continues to look for new acquisitions
and potential untapped markets. They have already
identified a huge potential of growth opportunity
in several countries. The company sees importance
in allowing the business to grow and improve at a
MANUFACTURING QUALITY PRODUCTS
THAT MEET INTERNATIONAL
REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Hyrax Oil’s mission is to manufacture petroleum
products of excellent quality that meet the standards and specifications set by the international
regulatory bodies worldwide.
To penetrate international markets, it is
important to first meet the global standard
of acceptance. As such, Hyrax Oil invests a
significant amount of time and resources in
ensuring their team is made of the right blend of
expertise and work culture. Efforts are focused
firmly on research and development, in order
to ensure Hyrax Oil stays on top of the game by
producing innovative products and ideas in a
rapidly changing market.
Investments were made early in Hyrax Oil’s
manufacturing plant, located on a 3.5 acre land
in Klang, Selangor. Truly one of its kind, the plant
houses a complex system of a tank farm, blending
and filling plant, testing and research laboratory
and a block of administrative offices. With nine
tanks of various sizes in the tank farm alone, this
allows for the company to store more than 2,000
metric tonnes of base oils at one time.
Hyrax Oil’s blending facilities are able to produce
more than 4,000 metric tonnes of finished products
monthly in a single shift, as they combine machinery and human expertise to produce an efficient
and effective production team.
In recognition of Hyrax Oil’s high quality, excellent and distinctive products, they are one of the
few recipients of the National Mark of Malaysian
Brand Award. Other award accolades bagged by
Hyrax Oil include the Malaysian Business Awards,
the Industrial Excellence Award, Ernst & Young
Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award and
the Enterprise 50 Award for being in the top ten
companies of 2012.
Their dedication and unparalleled commitment
to the petroleum industry has also gained global
recognition, with the awarding of several prestigious certifications such as from the American
Petroleum Institute (API), MTU Friedrichshafen
GmbH and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
MATRADE’S ASSISTIVE ROLE
There were a lot of challenges and initial resistance
that Hyrax Oil faced when the company started
to venture into the export business. Competition
was stiff, especially from the more well-known
branded products.
MATRADE provided solid support to Hyrax Oil
since 1992, when the company was still in the trading business. Assistance was rendered on products
and documentation procedures. Subsequently,
Hyrax Oil began to travel with MATRADE on trade
missions to ASEAN countries.
On their first ASEAN Trade Mission to the
Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia and Thailand – the
company managed to penetrate all four of the
country markets. From then on, it registered to
participate in many more missions.
MATRADE’s role in promoting and branding
Hyrax Oil to the right partners was a blessing
for the company. One of the most important
roles MATRADE plays is in authenticating the
Receiving an
award from
Malaysia’s Minister
of International
Trade and Industry
Dato’ Sri Mustapa
Mohamed
The team that
makes it happen
legitimacy of international companies when
contacted for potential business matching.
Thorough background searches and support
are provided to ensure Malaysian businesses
are not taken advantage of.
Extensive research and processes
come into play to produce the
best oil combination
Dato’ Hazimah
Zainuddin
... Hyrax is a
company built
on passion
and a zest for
excellence by a
lady with a vision
BUILDING AND EXPANDING HYRAX OIL
- DATO’ HAZIMAH ZAINUDDIN
With encouragement and support from her late
father in the first few years of Hyrax’s inception,
Hazimah brought into the business her love for
cars (defensive driving) and her never-say-die
attitude. The more challenges that Hyrax Oil has
to face, the more the company challenges itself
to succeed.
Hyrax Oil is still looking to expand overseas,
as well as opportunities to open production
plants in countries that are deemed feasible.
Besides continuing to increase their sales and
production, Hazimah also travels extensively
meeting clients and business partners alike
from all over the world. Sharing ideas with world
leaders and industry players have provided
Hyrax Oil with a perfect platform for knowledge
dissemination and information exchange. Some
ideas provided by the company have also been
adopted as policies in certain countries that
they export to.
“To climb the ladder in this business world, you
have to climb step-by-step. There is no shortcut.
Remember, you must always be focused. Being
a woman especially, multi-tasking is a key trait
one must have. We not only have to play the role
of a business leader, but also that of a mother,
daughter, and various others. Also be prepared
for challenges; there will be failures, but it is
important not to let the failures define you,” says
Hazimah.
“There are many men today in women’s fields of
expertise, such as culinary arts. Do we question their
presence and competence? In my opinion, anything
is possible, if you decide you want to do it.”
Hyrax Oil is a crystal clear example of visionary leadership and pure determination, passion
and perseverance manifested in the success of
their work.
JF – Just
Fantastic
Technology!
A
RELATIVELY young corporate
entity having been established
in 1999, JF Technology Berhad
was incorporated with recognition of a pressing need in the
semiconductor industry.
Seeing that many local industry players were depending solely on imported
products, JF Technology took on a challenging task
of manufacturing and trading electronic products
and components of world-class essence to the local
and global market alike. Starting out with a maiden
product, the single pin cantilever test probe, JF
Technology slowly climbed the ladder and earned
its place in the semiconductor industry, now holding a key role as the main supplier and specialist
in designing and manufacturing of test probes and
sockets to the worldwide industry.
BUILDING FANTASTIC TECHNOLOGY
Starting a company just at the turn of the millennia
was probably not a wise decision in the books of
many, but JF Technology charged ahead with firm
belief that if a need has been recognised, there will
surely be a way to provide for it.
The Y2K dilemma caused severe issues in the
semiconductor industry both nationwide and
globally. There was an oversupply of products, and a
high market adjustment rate was needed to ensure
the industry was back to its normal pace. However,
taking advantage of this period, JF Technology
focused time and effort in the first two years to
establish and develop products teamed with
local automation houses, and grew the business
successfully to where it stands today.
JF Technology saw an accelerated growth in
business from 2003 to 2008. The company found
One of JF Technology’s innovative
products ... ACMA – World First
Auto Centering Manual Actuator
features the industry’s most
cost effective accessory for both
product characterisation and
manual test solution
JF Technology Berhad’s
headquarters in Kota
Damansara, Selangor
that working with local automation houses was
turning out to be a good business model, so long
as each spoke the same language common to the
semiconductor sector. Slowly, JF Technology
migrated from an original equipment manufacturer
(OEM) to an original design manufacturer (ODM),
thus raising the stakes for themselves by producing
and developing their own patents suitable for global
distribution.
With two subsidiaries to its name, J Foong
Technologies Sdn Bhd and JF Microtechnology
Sdn Bhd, the Group has thus become a leading supplier and key design specialist in the industry. JF
Technology places high importance on research and
development, as it serves as a key enabler for the
business. As such, the Group invested a significant
amount of time, machinery and expertise in its
R&D arm situated in Kota Damansara, Selangor.
The on-going research activities give JF Technology a competitive edge and staying power, in the
forefront of the industry.
Currently, JF Technology’s Zigma range of
products have made a big impact in the semiconductor industry, far surpassing and outperforming
existing products in the marketplace. Marrying
creativity and innovation, JF Technology’s expert
team of researchers and engineers alike constantly
challenge themselves to raise the bar higher, in
order to ensure they exceed client expectations.
SUPPORT FROM GOVERNMENT
Chairman of JF Technology, Foong Wei Kuong
emphasises on the strong support received from
government agencies throughout JF Technology’s
growth in the industry. “MATRADE has done an
excellent job in encouraging and matching us to
international clients,” he says.
JF Technology intends to participate in more
international trade missions and trade fairs organised by MATRADE as the Group sees its relevance
and the great potential such initiatives have as
platforms for networking and business expansion.
The Group was also awarded a pioneer status in
the industry by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), and this has encouraged
them to invest profits back into product development and human capital expansion. Receiving
matching grants from MIDA mounting to almost
RM1.1 million (packaged according to JF Technolfrom zero to hero |41
ogy’s specific needs, ie. research and development,
and training purposes), JF Technology is grateful
for the strong support and encouragement that
they have received thus far.
JF Technology is proud to be the only Malaysian
firm to penetrate the global semiconductor test
socket market thus far. The group extends its
gratitude to the related Malaysian government
agencies for their belief in JF Technology’s capabilities to go far. JF Technology targets to expand its
export business in the next three years, with a
vision that it will dominate the overall business
with an 80:20 ratio.
ACHIEVING FANTASTIC RESULTS
As much time and effort has been invested in
continuous research and development, JF Technology prides itself as one of the few companies to file
patents for its designs and specialist work. To date,
JF Technology has filed seven patents over the last
three years. As a key rule of thumb, they aim to file
at least three patent designs in a year.
Globally, JF Technology’s research and designs
are outstanding, far surpassing the norms. This
shows that Malaysians do have talent and specialised skill sets to excel in this semiconductor
field and industry. JF Technology’s top product is
still at an infant stage of research currently, but
it has already been found to be a world beater.
The Zigma range is still young, being introduced
very recently. However, many have tried and tested
it, and love that their cost of testing can be saved
in millions of USD by using this product.
Evaluation reports from many locations have
provided outstanding test results – showing Higher
1st Pass Yield improved overall equipment efficiency,
besides slower wear and tear of test consumable –
thus lowering the Cost of Test. Due to this, clients
need not invest in hardware changes too often.
JF Technology’s typical timeframe for development of their products last as long as 9 months,
which is inclusive of reporting, testing, validation
and other processes.
JF Technology caters to both local and international clients – namely from countries such as the
United States of America, Taiwan, Thailand, the
Philippines and Singapore, besides locations across
Europe.
ONLY LOOKING UP FROM HERE ON
A turning point in the business occurred in 2009,
when the whole semiconductor market collapsed.
This triggered JF Technology’s move into original
Integrated Full Test Contractor Solution Development Centre
officiated by Malaysia’s Minister of International Trade and
Industry Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed
ZIGMA – A new performance
benchmark for short rigid
pins contact solution for
leaded and leadless devices
ALPHA – Kelvin & Non
Kelvin test contacting
solution for SOIC,TSOP,
QFN & QFP
Photos below ... The best of technology and skills combined to produce excellent products
Dynamic duo ... Chief Finance
Officer Pat Wang (left) and
Chairman Foong Wei Kuong
ZIGMA socket – An
actual Zigma socket
compared to 5 cents
coins designed and
manufactured by JF
Technology
ALPHA socket
– An actual
Alpha socket
designed and
manufactured by
JF Technology
Complete solution of
ZIGMA series – An
actual complete
solution of Zigma
Series test solution
for Manual and Auto
Testing of IC devices
OMEGA – A Test
contacting solution for
CSP and WLP
design manufacturing from original equipment
manufacturing.
There is no turning back for JF Technology. The
Group believes in consistency and perseverance, coupled with hard work and commitment to delivering
only the best of services to their clients worldwide. JF
Technology continues its success streak aggressively,
holding its place as market leader today.
Making sound investments and increasing
their resources, the Group continues to grow at
an accelerated rate. Although there were initial
challenges in terms of staffing, it was quickly addressed and overcome. Currently operating from
a 46,000 square feet of facility, JF Technology is
well aware that they have stumbled across a strong
niche in the business market and are determined
to be one of the biggest players in the industry.
To fulfill this vision, JF Technology invested
in a full test development centre located at their
head office in Kota Damansara, Selangor. Recruitment for technical team support was crucial, and
the Group began to explore opportunities by
recruiting employees with professional and skilled
backgrounds to join them.
When they developed their first generation of
ODM products, it was good, but it wasn’t great.
This pushed the Group forward as their strived
to deliver excellence. And thus, the new Zigma
range was born.
FINDING SUCCESS –
FOONG WEI KUONG
“For me, success is seeing the team happy, earning
more and working harder because they want to –
not because they have to,” says Foong.
Foong sees all his staff as one on this journey
towards future excellence. The vision of JF Technology is shared by everyone, and they continue to
show the world that Malaysian companies can
surpass global standards.
“The name stuck – Just Fantastic Technology.
And so, that’s exactly what JF Technology strives
to achieve everyday; for our clients and friends alike
to see the fantastic component in all of our work
and products,” Foong says.
Under the supervision and visionary leadership of Foong, JF Technology now caters extensively to semiconductor related fields and clients
both in Malaysia and abroad alike. Their continuous effort to improve and achieve greater heights
sees JF Technology aiming to provide nothing
short of the best in product and client services
worldwide.
KEN-RICH
Making the World a Cleaner Place
Ken-Rich Chemical Production Sdn Bhd
K
EN-RICH Chemical Production Sdn Bhd was established in 1986 from a humble rented
factory of 1,800 square feet. Today, Ken-Rich’s headquarters sit proudly on a 1.2 acre
plot of land. The company’s clients are primarily multinational conglomerates. For
them, Ken-Rich researches, develops and manufactures a wide range of high quality
products and provides services such as contract manufacturing, formulation and
packaging of household and industrial cleaning products.
With innovative technological excellence, Ken-Rich’s versatile manufacturing
facilities are capable of producing a wide range of household cleaning detergents, personal care and
car care products. The company also provides blending and repacking of both household and industrial
chemicals.
CONCEIVING A FULFILLING BUSINESS
Ken-Rich was conceived following the 1986 recession out of a need to support people from the dire financial
situation. With a unique blend of skill sets of initial staff, ranging from those with a chemistry background
to some with marketing, the company slowly grew with a set of targets and action plans in place.
Securing funds and building a facility with complete certifications and necessary standardisations,
construction proceeded while business was solicited.
Ken-Rich’s first breakthrough came in 1999, when a European conglomerate placed a huge order for its own
home brand cleaning detergents and personal care products. Since this first order, Ken-Rich now manufactures
a range of household cleaning and personal care products carrying reputable and renowned international
labels. Over the years, the company now serves large multinational retail stores and local conglomerates alike.
Ken-Rich now exports to over 12 countries,
including Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea,
Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, India and countries
from the African continent. Ken-Rich takes pride
in being a company that lives and stays true to its
core values in all its practices and business dealings.
Profits are certainly important, but the company
thrives on ensuring households and individuals
enjoy their products that are safe and harm-free.
As the inception of the company was largely
based on a mission of being able to offer employment in a time of distress, they continue to offer
fulfilling job opportunities today to those in need.
EXPANSION OF OFFERINGS
Ken-Rich has recently pursued a joint venture
opportunity with a renowned conglomerate in a
new manufacturing facility. With two facilities combined, the company can now produce a complete
wide range of both personal care and household
care products. Besides the day-to-day use products
such as shampoo, hand soap and shower cream,
Ken-Rich can now offer to clients a wider range
that includes cosmetic bar soap, deodorants, mouth
wash and toothpaste.
Ken-Rich has always taken pride in its household categories, being one of the pioneers in the
industry offering private label service. Ken-Rich
can manufacture almost every product required for
household chores, ranging from kitchen cleaning
to laundry products.
Recently, the company has also introduced a
range of unique degreasers, disinfectants, floor
cleaners, car-care, industrial cleaning agents for
commercial purposes and environmentally friendly
air fresheners.
In the personal care category, Ken-Rich has
developed a wide range of hair care, body lotion,
shower, baby bath and spa products.
The company is also moving away from a complete
reliance on chemicals, and investing time and efforts
to increase research and development activities
in a bid to develop products with lower chemical
compounds. Ken-Rich is looking to produce more
eco-friendly products, as they are working actively
towards making their products 100% plant-based.
The company is committed to developing and
producing products that are safe – this move is
in line with their vision of creating a safe home
environment for their consumers.
VALUING SUPPORT OF MATRADE
Before ideas were perceived to spread its wings into
overseas markets, Ken-Rich was only operating
within the country, with a far sighted vision to slowly
try its hand in the international playing field. In the
early 1990s, information and resources were rare and
scarce when it came to foreign market penetration.
Ken-Rich’s CEO, Hooi Lai Lin, is grateful for
MATRADE’s support in helping the company expand
overseas. “We are indeed very fortunate that we
have the support of MATRADE, which provides the
GPS so to speak, to almost every part of the world,”
she says.
Ken-Rich was also the recipient of MATRADE’s
provision of grants which were in place to help
turn dreams into new market discoveries. Through
active participation in MATRADE fairs and missions, Ken-Rich has managed to penetrate the
West Asian markets successfully.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
In terms of key areas of strength, Ken-Rich lives
by the company’s core values. Quality and In-
CEO of Ken-Rich ... Hooi Lai Lin
tegrity form the base for every product that is
manufactured through their machines, and as
such, would need to undergo stringent quality assurance procedures matching global standards. The
company stays firm to all specifications provided
in agreements with clients.
All of Ken-Rich’s processes for Personal Care
Products are manufactured in a GMP compliance
environment certified by the Ministry of Health.
Recognising the company’s immense potential
and contributions to the industry, Ken-Rich has
received awards from many institutions and
associations both locally and internationally.
Among some of the prestigious awards bagged by
Ken-Rich include the Most Innovative SME Award
by Tesco, the largest chain of supermarkets in
the United Kingdom, the NAWEM Entrepreneur
Award (2006), the Inaugural Prime Minister’s
Award for Women Entrepreneur (2011), the Community Contribution Award 2011 by Malaysia
Women’s Career Building Association and many
other outstanding accolades that add to the
existing feathers in their cap.
STEEL MAGNOLIA – HOOI LAI LIN
According to CEO, Hooi, success is indeed a journey
and there is no room for complacency. The climb to
establish a business is steep, but to retain business
success is even harder. Continuous improvements
and innovations are both necessary to sustain
any business growth. “Entrepreneurship is not
something that one can preach, but it can be taught
if there is passion,” she says.
Through commitment and a strong vision
to succeed, Hooi has grown Ken-Rich from its
humble beginnings to a well-known name in
this niche industry today. Fully engrossed and
consumed by her passion to find continuous success, she constantly looks for new opportunities
and engagements that will lift the business into
higher realms and playing fields.
Along the journey, awards and accolades have
been aplenty, nevertheless Hooi will not let them
stop her from continuing to strive for more.
“When I was growing up, I always had many
challenges. Now, I am in a position to find room for
others to improve and progress in their own lives.
That is a different feeling altogether – being be able
to make a lasting difference in others,” she says.
Milestone ... The
2,0000,001th fan
produced by Khind
on display with other
best-selling products
Top ... Khind’s new manufacturing plant to serve a growing business
Khind – Truly One of a Kind!
E
STABLISHED in 1961 as Syarikat Letrik Kee Hin, the Khind journey began by repairing
small electrical products. Nearly 20 years later, the company ventured into manufacturing
small electrical accessories, with the first product being a direct-current (DC) ballast. Slowly
but surely, the company moved into the import and distribution of electrical products in
1982 and eventually started exporting their own products in 1988. Today, Khind Holdings
Berhad (Khind) exports to more than sixty countries worldwide, with a total export business
of RM130 million in 2012.
KHIND’S DEVELOPING YEARS
Khind decided to venture into manufacturing in the late 1970s, after realising that it would be more profitable
for business expansions and support alike. Many new changes began for Khind with this drastic move. When
the first batch of export orders came from West Asia, it paved the way for more export opportunities to open
up for Khind. Within a year of exporting, Khind had made a profit of almost RM4 million. This profit turned
into a whopping RM50 million within a few years, as Khind continued its achievement streak with positive
outlooks for future investments.
In 1990, a new manufacturing plant was set up in Sekinchan, Selangor and eventually Khind started to
manufacture electric fans, one of their best selling products to date.
Manufacturing electrical products needed precision and quality assurance. As such, Khind started to
employ professional managers and skilled expertise to support their growth and expansion into international
markets. By 1998, Khind was listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (now known as Bursa Malaysia).
In 2002, Khind was the market leader for general
fans in Malaysia. Understanding the importance
of brand building and international trade, Khind
focused their export expansion through participation in several MATRADE’s trade missions overseas.
Participating in these trade missions allowed the
company to forge new ties and business opportunities with countries such as the United Arab Emirates,
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Investing in market research is a key business
objective of Khind, as the company’s leadership
understands that much of the business direction
depended on market stability and evolving needs.
EXPANDING THE BUSINESS OVERSEAS
From a humble electrical repair shop, the company
is now in a highly successful position, poised to
export locally manufactured electrical appliances
worldwide. Research and development was crucial,
and Khind spent much thought and energy in
ensuring the company understood the market needs
and demands.
Cable clips were the first accessories to be manufactured and shipped to Dubai, replacing European
suppliers. Of course, while pricing was relatively
cheaper, there was no compromise in quality and
design.
To date, Malaysia accounts for 55% of Khind’s
total turnover, while the remaining 45% comes from
the overseas market. Khind’s biggest international
market thus far is Singapore, where their presence is
strongly seen in the retail, wholesale and industrial
electrical business. Khind’s Singapore operations
have almost 120 employees working for the group.
The Singapore market alone accounts for RM31
million of turnover.
Besides Singapore, Khind also has a strong presence in West Asia and North Africa, that account for
almost RM33 million in terms of turnover.
In 2001, Khind took another giant leap with a
key milestone when they acquired Mistral, a well
known Australian brand. Thus, Mistral Singapore
Pte. Ltd – a subsidiary of Khind Holdings Berhad
was born. Looking at the company’s growth, Khind
is growing at a compounded rate of 20% every year.
In 2012 alone, Khind Holdings Berhad had
achieved quite a feat, closing RM240 million in sales.
Khind recognised the need to look beyond Malaysia,
and tap into the export potential.
For the last two years, there have been acquisitions of four cluster of companies, namely in
Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and China. A
Singaporean company was also acquired in 2012,
with strong retail business presence in Brunei and
Singapore respectively.
The company continues to look for acquisition
opportunities and new markets, particularly in renewable energy and green technology. From research
and years of strategic business development, Khind
has recognised enormous potential for this in West
Asia and North Africa.
BUILDING A BRAND
WITH MATRADE’S ASSISTANCE
Like many other Malaysian counterparts, Khind attended and participated in MATRADE trade fairs and
trade missions in the early years, allowing for early
penetration into international markets. “In March
2007, MATRADE approved a brand promotion grant
of RM1.991 million, that has helped greatly in our
own brand building exercises,” says Cheng Ping Keat,
Group CEO of Khind Holdings Berhad.
MATRADE’s role in facilitating trade between
Malaysian companies and foreign buyers has allowed
for businesses to explore new frontiers in uncharted
lands for the business. The company regards government assistance as a stepping stone for the business.
“What MATRADE does is like a booster, a bonus
of sorts. However, it is really up to us to be self-reliant
and independent after that,” Cheng adds.
COMPETING IN THE GLOBAL STAGE
Khind’s work culture defines how they interact with
the rest of the world. The company prides itself on
teamwork and an attitude that aims for continuous
improvement in all aspects of the business as key
drivers for their exponential growth. Keeping up
with the times, Khind also uses social media as a
tool to engage with their employees, where internal
staff can interact and keep abreast with the latest
developments of the company online.
Through trust and progressive education, Khind
believes that adapting to change and being resilient
in times of challenges are their strengths that have
brought them thus far.
With a strong focus on customer satisfaction and
quality product delivery, Khind continues to compete
in a global arena while strengthening their presence
in both local and international playing fields alike.
SUCCESS IS NOT INSTANT – WORDS
FROM CHENG PING KEAT
Success, in Cheng’s words, does not happen with the
snap of a finger.
“It took Khind 25 years to build its international
business that now generates almost RM130 million
in turnover. That doesn’t happen overnight. A lot of
hard work, experience and continuous striving for
excellence is what brought the business to where it
is today,” he says.
To build a multi-million dollar business starts
from building a solid foundation and gaining
relevant experience to support that level of
growth.
Learning about the market, its stability
and demands, as well as understanding global
business culture will assist in churning out the
numbers. Most importantly, it is very crucial to
understand a product’s core competency before
anything else.
“The question we always ask is what can we do,
and what does the market want? These help us with
gauging our customers and their needs better,”
explains Cheng.
“Once in a while, we may slip and fail. Do not be
discouraged. Turn your failures into experiences to
learn from. Always have a positive relationship with
failure,” he adds.
Below ... Group CEO of Khind
Holdings Berhad, Cheng Ping Keat
Putting the Best Foot Forward
W
HEN one thinks of fashionable footwear in Malaysia, it is immediately
associated with Lewre International, a 100% homegrown brand established
over years of hard work, perseverance and determination by Dato’ Lewré
Lew, who was fueled by his passion for the art of shoemaking.
Lewre International Sdn Bhd has just celebrated its quarter-century milestone
having been in business since 1987. An internationally acclaimed Malaysian
fashion brand, Lewré, since its humble beginnings, was an industry pioneer in
creating fashionable shoes that are stylish, contemporary and comfortable.
With a strong emphasis on brand values of
creativity, quality, elegance and comfort in its key
designs, Lewré is a globally recognised brand name
in the international fashion arena.
LEWRÉ – STEPPING OUT IN STYLE
Lewré happened by chance, with a recognition of
talent and a vision to start a successful footwear
company. Initially a small trading company, Roondy
(M) Sdn Bhd came into business at the tail end of
1984 with a total working capital of RM25,000.
As the business trudged along doing fairly well, a
wise decision to see how the company could prevent
a 10% loss in commission for trading resulted in
them consulting MATRADE in the early 1990s.
MATRADE has been an incredible support and
encouragement, especially in the early days when
there were very few early exporters.
The export industry for Malaysia was in its
infancy and little known, back then. Hence, the
assistance received from MATRADE was a tremendous boost.
The business growth started late for the company. In 1991, Roondy (M) Sdn Bhd was selected
to represent Malaysia in Dusseldorf, Germany for
the GDS International Trade Fair, one of the largest
accessories and shoe fairs in the world. This was an
exciting period for the business, as the company
was handpicked to represent the country among
nine others.
However, the outcome of the fair was far from
satisfactory. No one knew where Malaysia was,
let alone understand that Malaysians had the
capabilities to design internationally acceptable
fashion wear. Half the time was spent explaining
to visitors where Malaysia was.
International perception of Malaysia in the early
90s was less than promising. For the first year of
participation in the fair, Lewre International had
to return with no profitable networks at all. This
continued for three more years until the fourth year
of participation, when the company finally made
it’s big break with two customers from Lebanon
and Japan.
Although no one knew about Malaysia or its
offerings in the beginning, seeing the company
at trade fairs year after year brought about a great
change in perception. Ironically, the company fared
well in the 1997 economic crisis, as by then, Lewre
International was thriving on 70% export revenue.
With the company’s continued presence at the
trade fairs year after year, Lewre International
started to gain recognition and began to collaborate
with many famous international designers, including Ben De Lisi, Deepak Perwani, Eric Choong, Eric
Way, John Rocha, Justin Oh, Kai, Khoon Hooi,
Royal patronage ... the Queen of
Malaysia, Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku
Sultanah Hajah Haminah Hamidun
With Malaysian singing
sensation,
Dato’ Siti Nurhaliza
Dato’ Lewré Lew is fueled
by his passion for the art of
shoemaking
Melinda Looi and many others.
Soon, Lewré had expanded its business and
presence to more than 20 countries worldwide,
including the many fashion capitals of the world
in Asia, Europe, West Asia and North America.
Lewré’s first concept store opened its doors in 1
Utama Shopping Centre in Damansara, Selangor.
Three years later, the brand launched its second
concept store in Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala
Lumpur. The company was accorded the exclusive
ISO 9001:2000 certification in recognition of
its international standards and quality. One of
its most significant endorsements to date is by
Swarovski Elements in 2004.
To this day, Swarovski Elements are a main
feature in Lewré’s line of exquisite and elegant
couture shoes.
THE MAN BEHIND THE SHOES –
DATO’ LEWRÉ LEW
Lew begin his journey to success at the early age
of 8, from the day he volunteered to help his
brother tap rubber in order to help the family
make ends meet. Born into a family of fifteen
siblings, he recalls the difficulties faced in his
childhood days.
After completing his secondary education,
Lew wasted no time in thinking about what to do
next. He hopped on the next available bus to Kuala
Lumpur and joined his older siblings who were
already working in the city centre.
Initially working as temporary assembler at
the Mercedes Assembly Plant, he moved from
responsibilities as a machine operator to a sales
position in a food distribution company.
Soon, he left the food industry and took on a
position selling footwear for another company
for three years. Lew found his true passion when
he joined this shoe company. The natural artistic
inclination in him came to life during this sales
stint. It was through this particular company that
he was discovered by a long-standing client, who
then offered to finance a startup company for him.
He even sold his Nissan Datsun to finance a part
of this startup cost.
26 years since its inception, Lewre International
makes designer footwear that is now a well-known
name globally.
In Lew’s view, there is no answer to what the
measurement of success really is. His recipe is
simple – if one is able to face challenges, however
difficult they may be, and get through them calmly
and collectedly, then that is success to him.
“Quitters never win, and winners never quit,”
he says with zest.
Lew aspires to encourage the younger generation to join the shoe fashion industry. He actively
recruits students from associated design schools
to work for him, and personally mentors them in
their journeys.
The culture at Lewre International is one where
everyone needs to be inspired, and also be in a
position to inspire others – from the sweepers to
the top management.
Failures and challenges should only be regarded as stepping stones that come before
tasting success. Lew owes his own success to the
myriad of challenges over the years. They have
left him with a wealth of knowledge, wisdom
and strength.
Lewre International stands where it does now
due to the consistency and confidence that the team
has exulted – trusting in their abilities to deliver the
best of quality, design and comfort to clients from
all over the world.
Transforming the Perception of
the Medical Furniture Industry
O
PPORTUNITIES are found in the most unlikely places; and this was the same for LKL
Advance Metaltech Sdn Bhd, Malaysia’s leading medical furniture manufacturer that
provides comprehensive and smart solutions for today’s healthcare sector. The company
specialises in a broad spectrum of products, namely hospital beds, patient transport
trolleys, birthcare tables, medical treatment carts, peripheral support equipment and
the fabrication of steel and wooden products.
LKL products are widely recognised for their outstanding quality. Complemented by
excellent after sales service, the company has successfully earned the trust and confidence of healthcare
providers worldwide.
TRANSFORMING FURNITURE TO SUIT MEDICAL NEEDS
Founded in 1978 with only four staff, LKL Advance Metaltech Sdn Bhd initially dealt with simple trolleys
and carts that were used in hospitals as racks and bedside storage. The Malaysian government in the 1970s
had very centralised control over medical supplies, and thus as competition seemed to decrease, LKL started
to increase their work flow intensely.
Concentrating on production and sales, 1992
saw a big break as the company ventured into
Singapore to supply medical beds and birthcare
tables for a maternity centre. Using existing
resources and ensuring the highest of quality, LKL
managed to deliver its promise to the client, thus
allowing for good customer feedback to travel by
word of mouth.
Soon, many enquiries and orders started to
flood into LKL’s business. When the business
began to take a new direction, the company spent
a significant investment in researching for the best
of supplies. Germany became a second home, as the
company invested in traveling extensively to ensure
that the products manufactured were indeed the
best, and complied with all relevant requirements
of the government.
The company focuses on three main ideologies to
drive their business; quality, delivery and customer
satisfaction. Immediate attention was given to
ensure that improvements were made to stay on
par with their competitors.
LKL’s manufacturing processes conforms to
strict German certification board guidelines, and
is the first in the Malaysian industry to be awarded
the ISO 9001:2000 & ISO 13485:2003 certification
by the world renowned German body, TUV SUD.
The awards are testament to the company’s tireless
pursuit of quality.
LKL’s business code of ethics also has in place
a prompt response system, which ensures that
clients receive only the best in post-sales servicing. The company’s service team is dedicated to
ensure that the ‘down-time’ of a product is greatly
reduced, with immediate and consistent support
given for any problems that clients may face.
In order to ensure that their clients’ needs
are fully understood and addressed, LKL greatly
values its research and development facilities,
which support the advanced technologies used to
manufacture and create medical furniture of global
acceptance.
LKL’s research and development team comprises
of experienced and qualified engineers, who ensure
that each design is specifically engineered to cater
to client requirements.
With advanced technology in place at LKL,
almost all are carried out with the assistance of
computer aided machinery, thus reducing room
for possible human error. LKL is the first in the
local industry to acquire the use of robotic welding
systems in their processes.
DELIVERING BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
At LKL, their vision encapsulates what the
company stands for. They aim to be an innovative
leader in the forefront of the healthcare industry,
committed to delivering beyond expectations of
their clients.
LKL’s commitment has paved the way for international success, with the company being visibly
present in over 45 countries worldwide to date.
From 2002 onwards, LKL successfully penetrated
the global market, starting with West Asia. Initially,
there was some resistance and difficulties, due to
cultural differences, perceptions and cost issues.
However, LKL stayed true to its vision, by delivering
only the best.
Eventually, LKL managed to secure long-standing
business opportunities in various countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Singapore, the United
Arab Emirates, Thailand and Kenya. The role of
MATRADE came into play when LKL was seeking
further business matching opportunities.
“MATRADE really does make a difference,
especially when you belong to such a niche
market like the medical furniture industry,”
says Founder and Managing Director, Lim
Kon Lian.
Their export business is currently thriving,
with agents placed all around the world to assist
and facilitate services in various countries.
Citing an example of delivering beyond
expectations, Lim recalls when LKL was asked
to upgrade existing hospital beds in healthcare
institutions in Malaysia to electrical ones.
The company was able to customise each
delivery for each hospital in a short time
frame, allowing for very little room in ‘downtime’. Among the major hospitals LKL works
with closely here in Malaysia are Sime Darby
Medical Centre, Columbia Hospitals, the KPJ
Group, the Pantai Group and the Sunway
Group (all of which are well established
medical institutions in the country).
Completed work and projects in hospitals
then become LKL footprints, allowing future
potential clients to see for themselves, fully
operational healthcare institutions with LKL
products working in real time. As the products
speak for themselves, there is little need for the
company to sell the product.
Interactions with end users also provide valuable feedback to LKL, giving them clear pictures
of what is working and what isn’t. Feedback from
LKL clients and end users is highly valued by the
company, as they benchmark their offerings
based on client satisfaction and equipment
delivery.
INNOVATION LEADS
ACHIEVEMENTS IN LKL
LKL has won many achievements and awards
in the past years that speak for its quality,
innovation and product assurance. Among the
accolades added to LKL’s cap include The Brand
Laureate Award, SME Award, SMB Award and
1Malaysia Enterprise Award.
Recognition of LKL’s innovative work and
products is simply another stepping stone for
the company to achieve greater heights in the
business, as they continue to expand into more
countries this year forth.
While LKL focuses on the need to raise the
overall quality of patient care in healthcare institutions, all products designed are done so with
enhancing the aesthetics of these innovations
to ensure they assist in reducing the workload
on patients and carers alike.
In recent times, LKL has incorporated the
use of RFID tags to raise the bar in their bedside
locker. Using RFID technology has given an edge
to LKL products, as it allows for clients to ensure
that there will be a sense of security and personal
touch to their institution’s furniture.
“Technology advances so fast, we must keep
up with it. But what’s more important is that we
use it to improve and extend the existing lifespan
of medical furniture as we know it. That’s the key
in innovating a product,” says Lim.
Lim Kon Lian ...
Founder and
Managing Director
of LKL Advance
Metaltech Sdn Bhd
Above ... LKL’s booth at the Arab Health Exhibition
Below ... Factory and headquarters
THE LIM FAMILY – BEHIND LKL’S SUCCESS
From their humble beginnings as a four-person startup, Lim Kon Lian, Founder and Managing
Director of LKL Advance Metaltech worked the business from the early days in 1978, where he
would even drive the delivery van to ensure deadlines were met. Lim, a man of vision and values,
pushed beyond his comfort zone to ensure that LKL products were consistently improved and
improvised to meet standards and quality acceptable to both the nation and the globe.
His hard work and perseverance has paid off well, as today, LKL is striving to become one
of the world’s top medical furniture manufacturers. Joining Lim in the family business today
are both his sons, who work in the mechatronics engineering and information technology
departments respectively, assisting their father in his continuous quest to upgrade and
improve existing technologies at LKL.
LKL continues to strive to provide comprehensive, innovative and sensible solutions to
healthcare providers and institutions around the world today.
MAJULAH
KOKO
TAWAU
Asia’s Preferred
Cocoa Producer
M
AJULAH Koko Tawau Sdn Bhd was founded in the early 1970s, and went on to
become a vertically integrated cocoa company producing cocoa butter and cocoa
powder in 1976. Majulah Koko was in fact the second cocoa factory that was
established and operating in Malaysia in the early 70s, when growing cocoa was
still a rather new industry and field that was volatile and unpredictable.
Nevertheless, the company found overwhelming success in the industry, both
as a pioneer cocoa grower and exporter. Majulah Koko is the only cocoa factory in
East Malaysia, and is affiliated with renowned brands such as Nestle, Cadbury, M&M’s, Mars Bars, Gerkens
and EDF & Man.
Now known as the purest cocoa product in the world, Majulah Koko products are of pure cocoa powder,
medium and high fat cocoa powder and cocoa butter are no strangers to the cocoa industry. Under its
in-house brand name of Hoko, the company even manufactures natural cocoa soap, cocoa shower gel,
chocolate cereals, chocolate drinks and 3-in-1 instant beverages.
MAJULAH KOKO – ADVANCING
IN THE COCOA INDUSTRY
Majulah Koko processes cocoa beans from their own cocoa plantations, which are at their state-of-the-art
processing plants in Tawau, Sabah. This plant is reputedly one of the most efficient cocoa processing plants in
Asia. The company has been making, marketing and selling cocoa products for almost 37 years to reputable
international buyers such as Nestle and Novartis, the makers of Milo and Ovaltine respectively under their
original equipment manufacturing arm.
To support its extensive growth and demands, the
company has highly qualified, well motivated staff
and technicians who are equipped with substantial
knowledge and advanced technical expertise and
skills to meet the growing needs of their domestic
and international buyers, for products ranging from
customised orders to standard products alike.
Majulah Koko range of products cover uniquely
roasted high quality cocoa liquor, cocoa powder
and its signature product, pure cocoa butter with
a high melting point that attracts international
buyers worldwide.
The company owes its success in overcoming
the recession and economic crises that affected
millions worldwide, to its consistency in practicing
a thrifty policy, both in terms of recruitment and
expenditure. As quality is and will always remain
a top priority at Majulah Koko, the company
continues to provide only the best for all services
and end products produced for customers.
ZERO-SHADE COCOA PLANTING:
A REVOLUTIONARY PROCESS
Zero-shade cocoa planting is an extraordinary
achievement that has removed boundaries for
success in the cocoa industry. Commercial cocoa
planting for the last 400 years, was done under
shade. For example, cocoa was originally found
growing under the shade of trees in a jungle; and
ffrom zero to h
hero |61
therefore, it was thought that cocoa needs shade
to grow.
Many have attempted, in isolated research and
trial attempts, to find alternatives to this and find
a way to grow cocoa devoid of shade, but all have
reached dead ends. Majulah Koko’s Executive
Chairman, Datuk Hong Ngit Ming through his own
unique experiments and research made a remarkable
breakthrough, and found a solution to growing cocoa
trees robustly without shade, in open fields
The planting method was hence named,
zero-shade cocoa. Although the concept was first
proposed in 1929 by Freeman, and subsequent
trials were done by various researchers over years,
there was no such attempt in Malaysia till Hong
decided to do so.
This unique method, successfully replicated by a
Malaysian, brings with it great economic benefits.
Cocoa yields under the zero-shade planting method
can be tripled, and hence this lowers the cost of
production immensely. Such an increase in yield
allows the company to sustain its cocoa business
during abnormal climatic conditions and eroded
commodity pricing.
Besides that, the elimination of the need for
shade planting reduces the costs of planting, and
competition for moisture during drought seasons.
Another clear benefit is the precocity; as yield
happens faster, the capital outlay is lower, and thus
there will be earlier and higher payback in the cycle.
Hong has revolutionised cocoa planting by
pioneering this new methodology. The company
also has a book titled “Development History of
Zero-Shade Cocoa and Its Theories – Let There Be
Light”, that describes the fascinating process.
Selective cocoa breeding, optimum cocoa growing conditions, a five day fermentation process, a
low temperature and slow drying technique coupled
with a premium roasting regime has created
Majulah Koko’s unique cocoa flavor. The intrinsic
flavour and taste of Majulah Koko make its cocoa
powder the premium ingredient for Nestle’s Milo
and Novartis’s Ovaltine.
Their cocoa butter brand, also a premium
product with a 34.7ºC melting point, is far more
superior to African counterpart that produces the
same for chocolates at 32ºC.
FINDING STRENGTH IN MATRADE
SUPPORT
Majulah Koko actively participates in MATRADE trade fairs and trade missions overseas
on a regular basis. The company is grateful
Left ... Majulah Koko
Tawau’s Deputy
Executive Chairman,
Hong Kim Fah
for the Market Development Grant (MDG)
provided by MATRADE – that has considerably lessened their burden in expanding their
network overseas.
Majulah Koko sees MATRADE as a government
agency which is necessary and vital to the growth
of Malaysian home-grown companies that are
seeking to expand and penetrate into relevant
export markets today.
Through their participation in various MATRADE exhibitions, Majulah Koko has managed to
close significant deals and working partnerships
with buyers from well-known backgrounds in the
cocoa industry.
BUILDING A COCOA LEGACY –
DATUK HONG NGIT MING
Hong, the Executive Chairman of Majulah Koko
Tawau Sdn Bhd explains how the long term
vision of the company was conceived during the
Japanese occupation by their founder, Datuk
Seri Panglima Hong Teck Guan. Majulah Koko’s
holding company, Teck Guan, is synonymous with
fair play, which is always possible if one puts their
mind to it.
“During the Japanese occupation, through close
association with the army, our founder managed to
change all Japanese currency into Borneo currency.
After the war, Japanese currency became worthless,
and so with ten bundles of Borneo currency in a
small gunny sack, Datuk Seri managed to maximise
this through well planned and quick witted decisions, which made more than RM200,000 in the
early days, post-war,” he says.
The sum of this money formed the foundation of
his future development, and in 1946, the company
was able to sustain itself,” he explains further.
Majulah Koko today has built a reputable and
strong name for itself, with Hong leading a team
of committed and talented staff. Continuing
the legacy from Teck Guan, Hong emphasises
the need for ensuring health and environment
protection as a necessary hallmark of today’s
business principles.
In his words, keeping customers happy and
satisfied through honest and genuine deals and
product deliveries will ensure that Majulah Koko
remains steady and stable in its position as one
of Asia’s and the world’s most preferred cocoa
producers.
A Distinctly Different Taste
Marrybrown Sdn Bhd
M
ARRYBROWN was founded in 1981 by Datuk Lawrence and Datin Nancy
Liew, who with a fiery entrepreneurship spirit started its first restaurant in
Johor Bahru, Johor.
A truly Malaysian success story that reflects pure passion in a Malaysian
homegrown brand, it now serves millions of customers in more than 350
restaurants spread across 16 countries in the world.
THE RESTAURANT EXPANDS
Marrybrown’s first restaurant started in Johor Bahru, Johor some 32 years ago. The restaurant’s concept
was a unique, first-time invention – a concept that offered great food at a great price within a fun, friendly
and welcoming atmosphere. Today, the business is one of the largest and most successful fast-food chains
in the country and beyond – boasting a multi award winning franchise system that is recognised and
endorsed by Malaysian government.
Marrybrown has a presence in China, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Africa, West Asia and very
soon – in Myanmar. The company prides itself in
citing innovation, quality HALAL products and a
strong franchise relationship as the cornerstone of
their growth and success.
Marrybrown is a name that is well accepted and
recognised by Malaysians and international customers alike. It is also a trusted brand for its HALAL
standards and certification in all of the restaurants.
Its menu features a wide variety of tasty meals,
that include crispy juicy chicken, delicious burgers,
specialty wraps, fabulous seafood, rice delicacies, a
range of finger food, fun fries and a variety of hot/
cold beverages and deserts.
From its humble beginnings in Johor Bahru,
Marrybrown has established a chain of restaurants
at major shopping malls, hypermarkets, theme
parks, airports, hospitals, universities, petrol stations, free zones, residential areas and commercial
areas. These are not only limited to Malaysian
shores, as Marrybrown has placed a firm landmark
in many countries overseas.
tions, training, marketing, technology, restaurant
concept ideas, purchasing and distribution support, human development resources and financial
structure advisory.
OPPORTUNITIES IN FRANCHISING
The Marrybrown franchising system is founded
on the philosophy that franchisees are business
partners and co-owners of the brand, and a member
of the Marrybrown family. The standardisation and
streamline of chain restaurants allows all franchisee
to benefit, regardless of distance, country and
culture.
Marrybrown has a unique franchise structure
that supports the system in a strategic manner.
In each phase of the franchise development, the
company’s franchise support team is ever ready
to lend a hand; from inception to restaurant
establishment, extending to ongoing operations.
The franchise model system maintains Marrybrown brand standards by ensuring all restaurants
receive same tools, practices same processes and
procedures. Marrybrown reinvests in ensuring all relevant skills and expertise are available. For example,
the company has franchise consultants, engineers,
chefs, technology experts, trainers, and others that
work closely with top management to create more
efficient, intelligent and lasting systems to ensure a
better dining experience for all customers.
Marrybrown has a Global Headquarters situated
in Johor Bahru, with 10 departments to support
all of its franchisees. There are also two Regional
Headquarters, namely in Dubai and Chennai. In
all its activities, the firm’s philosophy is focused on
meeting the needs and expectations of its franchise
partners and ensuring all Marrybrown customers are
served the same great food and services.
UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY
For over 30 years, the brand has developed into a regional powerhouse – with worldwide recognitions. The company reinvests a lot of its resources in developing proven operating and management
methods, comprehensive training systems, wholly owned food distribution system, and state-ofthe-art Innovation Centre that acts as a hub of all research and development, marketing and food
safety initiative.
Marrybrown’s success stems from its commitment with their franchisees that ensures that they have
ample support. The company provides them with all necessary business advisory, operative consultation and
services needed to operate Marrybrown restaurants.
These resources include things like providing all franchisees with significant support in the areas of opera-
CHALLENGES IN EXPANDING INTO
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS MET
WITH CONFIDENCE
Marrybrown views the world as its largest
market potential, and global franchising as
a key enabler in expanding internationally.
Understanding various factors before expanding
was key to their success. The company spent a
lot of time getting to know different business
cultures, understanding language barriers,
familiarising themselves with market demands
and competition and reading government policies. Other factors that came into consideration
were consumer preference, market acceptance
as well as social, political and legal factors.
Ensuring all accreditations and certifications
were in place before expanding internationally
was a step the company took early in the business. As such, this made their transition into the
global market smooth and easier than expected.
Along with these, Marrybrown has won many
awards and achievements that further support
its extensive growth potential and credibility
as a preferred choice for a memorable dining
experience.
Some of the company’s achievements include
winning Malaysia Franchise of the Year, Malaysia International Homegrown Franchise of the
Year, The First Malaysian Fast Food Franchise
(in the Malaysia Book of Records), Most Promising Franchisor of the Year, The BrandLaureate
Award 2007 and others.
BUILDING A FAST FOOD CHAIN –
DATIN NANCY LIEW
The founder of Marrybrown, Liew had a clear
vision of what she wanted Marrybrown to be
when she started the first restaurant in Johor
Bahru. With firm conviction and commitment,
she built a brand name that can offer good food
at a great price, in a fun, friendly and comfortable atmosphere. This was the business concept
upon which Marrybrown was founded.
Building one of the most successful franchise
chains in the country and globally, Liew relentlessly worked to ensure that the company
continued its winning streak to become a global
food service organisation and a worldwide brand
that resonates with excellence and high quality.
When speaking of the future, the awardwinning Marrybrown seeks to grow aggressively
as an international franchise chain.
“Fast food culture is now a way of life. It
appears to have become a rather staple part of
our diet. As such, here at Marrybrown, we strive
to provide a wholesome, healthy and balanced
meal for all our customers,” says Liew.
Marrybrown has a strong foundation laid
from years of hard work. The investments seem
to be paying off well, as the future holds new
possibilities and opportunities for further
growth.
As a made-in-Malaysia franchise, Liew is
proud to have put a homegrown brand and local
delights on a global pedestal.
Visionary business
leader ... Founder of
Marrybrown, Datin
Nancy Liew
Tapping into
the Frequency
of Success
MDT Group
M
AL AYSIAN at heart,
but global in outlook and
presence, MDT Group
of Companies is highly
specialised in one of the
world’s most sought after
technologies; radio frequency identification technology (RFID).
The company has made waves in the RFID
field over the past decade, firmly placing itself
among the top international players around
the globe.
Liew Choon Lian, the company’s Chairman and
CEO, has led MDT through trials and tribulations
with a level headed and forward thinking approach.
This has formed MDT’s core values and business
ethics, which has not failed to produce only the
best of results despite difficulties and challenges
encountered. With more than 90% of MDT’s business invested and focused in international markets,
MDT Group is yet another homegrown name that
has created a significant mark in the global market
for Malaysia.
GROWING MDT
MDT was formed in 2000, beginning with Display
Technology Incorporated. Initially, the business
focus was on designing core video processing
chipsets to cater for flat panel displays such as LCD
monitors and mobile output devices.
Display technology was the “hottest thing” in
the market back then, when the bulky CRT display
monitors were replaced by the slim, rugged and flat
panel displays – more commonly known as LCD’s.
In 2003, Liew and a few senior management
members from his former company, Matsushita
Industrial Electric (now known as Panasonic), were
involved in the National RFID initiative known as
the Hibiki Project in Japan.
The company decided to shift into Radio Frequency Identification Technology (RFID). The
company understood the advantages possessed by
RFID technology and started to research in depth
68
from zero to hero
to design creative, innovative and useful solutions
incorporating this technology for potential clientele
across the globe. Investments were made to ensure
the highest and best of technologies and expertise
were in place to enable seamless integration of autoidentification, information and communications
technology to produce product and system solutions
that were unique and cost competitive.
The business expanded rapidly and the firm’s core
activities now include design, development, prototyping, manufacturing, applications development,
sales and marketing, maintenance and support services of RFID and high-tech information products,
key components and parts and advanced display
products. MDT’s tireless research and development
has made it a pioneer in promoting RFID technology
and systems application in Malaysia, South East
Asia, Australia, and the Far Eastern Region.
SMALL ORGANISATION WITH
A GREAT POTENTIAL
From its small beginnings with just Display Technology Incorporated, MDT expanded its product line up
and services through its subsidiaries, Multimedia
Display Technologies Sdn Bhd, MDT Software Labs
Sdn Bhd, MDT Innovations Sdn Bhd and MDT
Japan Co Ltd. Each subsidiary focuses on specific
business area that it does best, allowing the Group
to offer specialised technology solutions, such
as application-specific software development
and turnkey system solutions for biometric,
multimedia, network communications and data
processing applications.
Other key business activities also include specialised prototype development, value engineering,
circuit design, Printed Circuit Board layout and
systems development in RFID components.
Their extensive research and development has
led to the company to possessing its own product
branding and intellectuall properties, including the
RAPITA Series and Mi-RFID
RFID products that MDT
develops for the selected customers in a wide variety
of industry sectors. Thesee include modules, readers,
antennae, tags, and middleware
ddleware utilising various
ISO communication protocols
rotocols (low frequency,
h frequency and 2.45GHz
high frequency, ultra high
microwave bandwidths).
Application packages
es and system solutions
offered by MDT includee the likes of Automated
tem, Access Control, School
Vehicle Management System,
Surveillance and Securityy System, Library Managence and Access Control
ment System, Conference
System, Staff and Visitorr Tracking System, Work
ring System, Convocation
Place Safety and Monitoring
Management System, Warehouse Management
ement System, Hospital
System, Asset Management
Management System, Automobile Inspection
System and others.
n RFID Solutions provider,
Dubbed as the next-gen
w entities in the world that
MDT is also one of the few
ng RF-SIM cards and NFChas the capability of making
n a tightly sealed cell phone
SIM Cards, which works on
h the SIM placed under the
with metal cover, and with
battery. The market willll see an explosive growth
yment become mainstream
when NFC and mobile payment
applications. MDT is welll positioned in this market
mong the leading solution
sector as it is currently among
ther the best of intellectual
providers. Blending together
rst-class research facilities,
minds in industry and first-class
it is no doubt that MDT has placed the country on a
very high pedestal in the global industry.
international market
markets.
presence has helped many local
MATRADE’s prese
grown
own businesses to explore their opportunities
outside
tside of Malaysia with ease. The consistent
trade
ade missions and tr
trade fairs, which are specific
to industries have hel
helped in introducing local businesses
sses to other markets
mark overseas. These have also
assisted
how different an
sisted many in understanding
und
international
ternational market iis compared to the local scene.
from MATRADE is an
Receiving assistance
assista
surance for many p
assurance
potential exporters, as MATRADE
facilitate proper business matchADE is able to facili
an ensure that a thorough
ingg opportunities and
ckground investigation
investig
background
is conducted prior to
signing
gning deals with for
foreign buyers.
HARD WORK DOES NOT
T GO UNNOTICED
UNNOTICED
MDT’s passion and inquisitive
sitive overall nature has resulted in the Group producing
ucing optimal solutions in
the shortest time frame to meet the requirements
of their diverse clientele.. As they strive to provide
products that are nothingg short of excellent, a high
level of commitment to research
esearch and development
is required to create solutions
tions that are innovative,
exciting, and useful for clients.
Thus, it is no surprise that MDT has caught the eye
of renowned awards and certifications alike, in the
global arena. “One of our greatest achievements to
date is to be one of the recipients of the coveted Red
Herring Awards,” explains Liew. MDT was awarded
with Red Herring Asia 100 in 2008, an award that
recognises the 100 “Most Promising” Asian Companies Driving the Future of Technology.
In 2009, MDT was awarded with the prestigious
Red Herring Top 100 Global Company Award.
Past winners of this prestigious award include
GROWING
ROWING EXPONENTIALLY
EXPON
As the technology for
forefront is one that constantly
changes,
on their toes, ever ready
anges, MDT too is always
al
to step up the game. Among their current major
clients
ents are telcos, gas and utility companies, super
retail
tail stores, schools and institutions, hospitals
and
centres, as well as museums and
d medical centres
warehouses.
arehouses.
In international m
markets, MDT has a strong
presence in the United States of America, Germany,
France, Holland, Russia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India and West
Asia.
RFID is considered as one of the most important
and revolutionary technologies, with enormous
market potential today. Hence, MDT will continue
to invest their time and effort in exploring new
innovations and solutions that will support the
use and incorporation of this technology into
business solutions for their clients.
70
from zero to hero
MSC Malaysia APICTA 2007 Awards
Qualcomm,
omm, eBay, Yahoo, Google, YouTube, Twitter,
Skypee and other highly successful global companies.
MDT
DT has also received a myriad of other awards
and certifications,
ertifications, both locally and globally. Among
them include the MITI Industry Excellence Award
(2011), its 5th trophy in the 13th Edition of MSC
APICTA Award (2012), Asia Thought Leader in
Science and Technology Award (2012), Deloitte
Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Winner (2011),
APEC Spirit of Innovation Award 2013 and a range
of other prestigious accolades and rankings.
GRATEFUL FOR MATRADE’S ROLE
MDT views MATRADE as a government body that
is key for local companies that need to penetrate
BRAINS BEHIND THE TECHNOLOGY –
LIEW CHOON LIAN
The company Chairman and CEO is no stranger to
the arena of information technology and solutions;
he is in fact a scholar who has done the country
proud with his various achievements, both in the
academic and business fields.
Holding track academic records, including
being the top 0.5% of the National Dean’s List
in the United States of America, graduating
with First Class Honours, Liew majored in
Computer Science, with a second major in
Business Administration and Physics.
His Master of Science Degree was in Computer
Science and Software Engineering.
Liew went on to work for several multinational
corporations at a very young age, holding senior
management positions with distinguished roles
and responsibilities. His thirst for knowledge and
the excitement derived from making new things, led
Liew to form MDT Group, a name that is no stranger
in today’s world of information technology and the
RFID market.
Placing high importance on consistent innovation and research development, MDT’s team
now consists of highly specialised and qualified
individuals who oversee operations and product
development both locally and internationally.
MDT hopes to continue to achieve unparalleled
success, and present their research discoveries
to clients in their commitment to continuously
improve work processes for them.
Looking ahead, MDT will continue to strengthen
its R&D, enhance its product quality, expand its
business scale, and maintain its competitiveness
in order to be a globally established player.
Chairman & CEO of MDT
Group ... Liew Choon Lian
New Factory in Chemor, Perak
Passion of ‘Royal Corn Man’
I
T’S not hard to spot a Nelson’s booth with its green and yellow signboard in Malaysia. Nelson’s
booths have a ubiquitous presence in most shopping complexes in Malaysia.
With its trademark Corn in Cup unique concept – Nelson’s has indeed struck the pot of gold in
the business world when it all started in the 1980s. Having succeeded in the Corn in Cup concept,
Nelson’s has diversified into corn farming and processing to ensure constant and quality supply to
its franchisees and customers.
Today, Nelson’s is truly a homegrown brand that has established itself well in the global arena.
With almost 25 years of experience behind the brand and business, Nelson’s has created a strong brand
presence and promise in the corn and snack food industry.
Outlet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
From a humble one-shop establishment, the business had successfully opened a chain of seven shops by 1994.
In 1995, the first Nelson’s Corn in Cup franchise system was invented and launched locally. Interestingly
enough, Nelson’s also became the first company in the world to introduce the concept of “corn in cup”,
earning the business a pioneer status.
Outlet at the National Zoo,
Kuala Lumpur
The simplicity and fun method to eat corn with
a spoon has also captured the interests of tourists
from abroad who tasted and enjoyed the concept so
much that it resulted in an international business
expansion. Soon the global market beckoned –
today Nelson’s franchise operates more than 800
outlets in 16 countries and continues to expand its
operations to further reaches of the world.
At the start, there was a strong desire to branch
out of the Klang Valley area and also enhance the
idea of corn consumption among its customers.
That was when the idea of corn in cup as an
ideal method originated. This innovative idea has
certainly proven to be fruitful as the extracted
individual kernels are easier to freeze for freshness
compared to the traditional corn on cob.
The company is proud to have pioneered this
idea. It has resulted in a longer shelf-life with quality
assurance and Nelson’s saw this as a breakthrough
to franchise the business to other people.
Today, Nelson’s can be found almost anywhere.
Outlet in Xiamen, China
Nelson’s products include their famous corn in cup,
snacks such as waffles, dorayaki, corny fish sticks,
Malaysia’s famous fruit ice-cream, the ice-cream
‘potong’, corn soup and various beverages like corn
juice, fruit juices, pearl bubble tea, ice blended corn
smoothies and ice blended cappuccino.
OVERCOMING INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
The retail industry can be quite a challenging
place to be in and one must prepare for any initial
setbacks and know how to overcome them. For Nelson’s, the major issues faced in retail and franchise
would be capital and people. After operating for a
number of years, the company found that capital
was a vital issue in ensuring success. Through a
slow and steady climb, the company managed to
work with existing resources and seek expansion
through determination, ample research, marketing
and understanding the business.
The “5 Ps” of business mantra – product, place,
price, people and promotion – are the guiding light
of the ever expanding Nelson’s business empire.
The people factor also proved to be a big challenge as there always seem to be a shortage of
manpower, causing a bump and halt in outlet
operations or openings. The system of franchising,
in a way, has helped pave the way for sharing of a
business concept. It became a business model to
gather capital resources as well as a strong workforce through a network of enthusiastic people
who are always keen on the business and franchise.
Within this group of people, the company found
that they could reach out for assistance, gaining
knowledge and advice along the way.
ACHIEVING GREAT HEIGHTS
As the business continued to grow progressively,
Nelson’s became an award-winning brand, and still
is today. Among the records and feats achieved
include the Bronze Award for Industry Excellence – Franchisors 2008, Global Growth Award
2008 – Gold Award, The BrandLaureate – SMEs
All smiles ... Nelson Kwok is
the Founder and Managing
Director of Nelson’s
With a partner from
Mozambique
Nelson’s obtains its
ingredients from the best
cornfields
Chapter Award 2006 for Excellence in the Food &
Beverage Category and a variety of others.
Nelson’s owes part of its success to the company’s active participation in trade missions, trade
fairs and events organised by government agencies
and associations such as MATRADE, SME Corp,
Malaysian Investment Development Authority
(MIDA) and Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association
(MRCA). The company has gained great value,
insight and experience through such participations.
Besides this, many opportunities for international
growth also came along with their participation in
such events.
To ensure that all Nelson’s franchisees and
customers are provided with quality controlled
corn, the company has a pool of contracted farmers
that yield their very own N28 species of corn.
This species produces succulent kernels with a
high sweetness level. In addition to this, Nelson’s
HALAL and HACCP certified processing plant in
Chemor, Perak plays a significant role in ensuring
that the quality and sweetness of kernels are
maintained, standardised and consistent through
stringent quality control processes.
NO SHORTCUT – INSPIRING WORDS
FROM THE “ROYAL CORN MAN”, DATO’
NELSON KWOK
Famously dubbed as the “Royal Corn Man”, a
nickname he has been accustomed to since starting
the business, Kwok – the Founder and Managing
Director – has now steered his business into its 25th
successful year. A firm believer that one must work
and live the experience and hardship to taste
success, Kwok said there’s no shortcut in getting
what you want to achieve.
“Not everyone is born rich. We need to accumulate the know-how to succeed in this industry.
Have a sense of direction and move up the ladder
of success. Never look down on any business. Start
things with utmost passion, focus and always give
it time, effort and commitment,” says Kwok.
He always believes in moving forward, improving
and upgrading one’s self in seeking business success.
Innovation is key, and to realise that a quality leader
is already present in an individual will automatically
serve as a boost in cultivating responsible leadership.
“Share the knowledge around you. And the
support will come if you share sincerely and
wholeheartedly,” he says.
Inspiring words from a “royal corn-man” indeed!
Putting Delicious Back
into Cookies
A
N unlikely journey that began from a humble kitchen environment in 1984, Noraini
Cookies Worldwide Sdn Bhd turned into a full-fledged cookie empire after years of hard
work, challenges and successes.
Noraini Cookies ’s products speak volumes for the high standards that have been set
for the company, through years of experience, knowledge and information accumulation.
Recognising an opportunity to turn passion into a working business model, the
company started its steady paced journey to success with persistence and sheer faith in
the home made food that was produced , from its humble beginnings supplying kuih Melayu (local delicacies)
to hotels 14 years ago, to exporting to more than ten countries worldwide including China, Singapore, the
United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
A TALE OF RAGS TO RICHES
Noraini Cookies started out in the 1980s supplying simple breakfast meals to a limited number of individuals.
As the business seemed to flourish, opportunities were identified for the potential to be exponentially
expanded. A big break arrived for the business, when a particular chef from PJ Hilton ordered additional
food, specifically kuih Melayu.
Mesmerised by the myriad of flavours, an offer was made to the business to expand into the hotel industry.
Taking up the challenge, the business expanded the humble operations from a home kitchen, registered as
an enterprise, and proceeded to provide catering services to almost eight hotels in just under six months.
This was a major milestone for the company, where 14 years were spent creating and supplying local
delicacies to the hotel industry.
After being in operations for over a decade, decisions were made to expand the business. Seizing
opportunities, the company started exporting to
Brunei in the late 1990s. Slowly, business began to
grow and flourish, with the company’s delicacies
finding its way to local hypermarkets and outlets
such as Jaya Jusco. During the 1992 festive season
alone (Hari Raya), the company made RM40,000
in sales with Jaya Jusco.
Finding that business was stabilising, the company eventually stopped producing kuih basah (local
delicacy) and started to focus their attention on
making cookies instead. With the brand sitting firm-
ly on Jaya Jusco shelves, it was not too long before
other hypermarket chains started to enquire about
their products.
Soon, they were receiving enquiries from
major hypermarkets such as Giant and Ocean
Supermarket in Klang, Selangor. The early 1990s
marked a profitable time for the business, as
sales rocketed sky high during festive seasons.
The company achieved total sales of almost
RM120,000 in just one celebration period alone in
Ocean Supermarket. Noticing the great potential
for sales, a decision was made to expand their
business even further.
Besides Giant and Ocean Supermarket, Noraini
Cookies also ventured into Tesco in 2008.
Business began to grow at an accelerated rate
after that, as the company continued to grow and
branch out into more and more areas in Malaysia,
including the southern and northern regions,
exceeding more than RM500,000 in generated
sales per festive season over the years.
As the expansion reached the eyes and ears
of the public, Noraini Cookies became a familiar
face in the media, being featured in many local
news stations, newspapers and magazines
recounting the company’s success and growth
story.
NOT ALWAYS SMOOTH SAILING SEAS
Like many that were affected by the economic crisis
in 1997, Noraini Cookies suffered crippling losses.
Just as all looked bleak, another door opened
for the company when an invitation to attend
Hajah Noraini Ahmad ... Director of
the Angsana Johor Expo came along. Although they were not an official vendor, the
company generated a total of RM12,000
in sales over a span of four days. This
introduction to the southern region earned
the company many new customers, most
of whom are loyal customers to this day.
Expanding the business, the company
introduced a line of kuih bahulu (local delicacy),
which was immensely popular in the northern
states of Malaysia.
In 2004, the company had almost 14 stalls
nationwide. Seeing the exponential growth
of the business, Noraini Cookies decided it
was time to open a factory to support their
production line requirements. Noraini Cookies was rebranded and renamed to Noraini
Cookies Worldwide Sdn Bhd, with a focus on
promoting their business within the country
and possible export opportunities that may
be tapped.
Their first big international break came from
Dubai, when a buyer expressed interest in their
extensive cookie range. However, it was not
all sunny skies as the shipment to Dubai was
deemed unusable due to unforeseen circumstances. The company suffered a great loss,
wasting almost RM50,000 worth of products
and resources. It was then that MATRADE’s
assistance and role in identifying business
opportunities for the company came into play.
MATRADE INTRODUCES NORAINI
COOKIES TO THE GLOBAL
PLATFORM
Although the company had already been actively exporting their goods to various countries,
MATRADE played a strong supporting role in
introducing the business to more potential
business clients overseas through their many
trade missions.
The company acknowledges the important
position MATRADE holds in ensuring local
businesses are matched with genuine and
proper buyers overseas, as well as their role
in advising on proper channels and correct
procedures for processing orders, documentation and shipment.
“MATRADE’s trade missions and trade fairs
have been very encouraging for us as a business
entity. Much exposure and support has come
through our participation in such events.
We have learned a lot of new and interesting
tricks of the trade, so to speak, and given it
a Malaysian feel,” Hajah Noraini Ahmad,
Director of Noraini Cookies Worldwide Sdn
Bhd elaborates.
MATRADE’s support for small medium
enterprises and corporations alike is highly
recommended as Malaysian products need a
platform and voice on the international stage;
and MATRADE provides for this with par
excellence.
EXPANDING THE COOKIE
EMPIRE AND FUTURE OUTLOOK –
HAJAH NORAINI AHMAD
When Noraini Cookies was first conceptualised,
Noraini , a simple yet feisty lady, had already
been selling other types of food as a small
business operating from home in the early
1980s. After resigning as an accounts clerk,
she began to make local delicacies such as nasi
lemak, mee goreng and other sumptuous easy-tomake meals for her husband’s colleagues. Her
entrepreneurship skills and passion for food
lead to a continuous growth and improvement
in her humble business.
Today, she is the proud founder and director
of Noraini Cookies Worldwide Sdn Bhd,that
makes more than just daily cookies. With her
enterprising outlook and thirst for greater
success, Noraini has managed to create a means
for the business to grow leaps and bounds with
its various subsidiaries.
From just cookies, the company now caters
for different sectors such as Noraini Farm
House Sdn Bhd, Noraini Entreprise Sdn Bhd,
PT Noraini Worldwide (Indonesia), Noraini
Marketing Sdn Bhd, Noraini Food and Beverage
Sdn Bhd and Magnificent Solution.
Their product range covers festive cookies,
daily cookies, premix packages, canned food
and ketupat, a local Malay delicacy.
The company is also looking to see their
products reach the shores of Korea, Australia
and the United States of America in the near
future. With exposure, experience and sound
knowledge of the industry, Noraini Cookies
Worldwide is set to take the world by storm
with their delectable delicacies made with a
heart filled with love for the job.
Baked with Love
Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn Bhd
P
ERFECT Food Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, the manufacturer of the famous Julie’s biscuits
of Malaysia, was established in 1980 and has been operating since 1982. It started with
a single plant with just 200 employees. The company is now operating three large-scale
plants with 1,000 employees and top-of-the-range equipment.
Owing to the company’s care and love for its employees, the delicious biscuits they
produced are ‘baked with love’, a motto that is clearly evident in all its operations and
policies.
Perfect Food’s offerings have expanded to include a wide range of biscuits, all of which are made to
perfection. Started by Su Chin Hock, a far-sighted entrepreneur, who believes in conducting business with
conscience, care for the society and love for the environment.
BAKING PREMIUM QUALITY
BISCUITS WITH A HEART
Julie’s biscuits have been in the market for over
30 years. In the early days, when its brand was
not known, the company decided to take the
difficult path of conducting the one-on-one
sampling method. Though this was a slow and
most tedious method (thus not favoured by
others), the company’s hard work paid off as
its products won over the hearts of Malaysian
consumers.
Slowly, from just the humble cream crackers,
Julie’s now offers a wide range that includes
sandwich biscuits, wafer rolls, assorted biscuits
and many others. Some of its well-known
ranges are the peanut butter sandwich biscuits,
Singapore Food Expo 2012
Expo Beli Barangan Malaysia
(The Buy Malaysia Expo) 2012
wafer rolls, cream crackers and oat cookies.
At the outlets, Julie’s biscuits are displayed
prominently and exclusively.
Innovating new products is one of the key features at Perfect Food. Whilst intending to provide
healthy and nutritious products for the consumers, Perfect Food also makes these products tasty.
Hence, producing a healthy biscuit range such as
oat cookies and also sugar-free biscuits for those
suffering from diabetes or obesity.
The company’s vision is to conduct its business with conscience to benefit all parties. As
such, to ensure that its products stay clean
and hygienic, Perfect Food carried out drastic
changes in 1999 to upgrade and improve its
operations and management. A year later, it
obtained the coveted ISO 9002 certification.
However, in its quest for continued improvement, the company upgraded its operations and
control systems. Eventually, its accreditation
was upgraded to ISO 9001:2000 in 2001.
Not a company to rest on its laurels, Perfect
Gulfood 2012 Exhibition in Dubai
Food carried out extensive plant renovation
and upgrading activities to ensure that the
company had a clean and safe manufacturing
environment that was at par with international
standards of safety and health. A year later, the
company was awarded the prestigious HACCP
certification by an international certification
body, which emphasises on GMP in its factories.
With the aim to meet the local government’s
strict food safety requirements, Perfect Food
went on to attain a second HACCP certification,
this time by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health.
In 2005, the company underwent another
extensive factory upgrading to enable its brand
presence in European markets and Wal-Mart
outlets. The company was awarded the British
Retail Consortium food standard certification
in 2006. In the same year, its high food safety
standard was recognised and subsequently
awarded the “Industry Excellence Award” by the
Ministry of International Trade and Industry
Malaysia.
In 2007, the company expanded from one to
three factories covering a total land area of 14.8
acres. Currently, these three factories have six
oven lines, twelve wafer roll lines, a wafer book
line with a chocolate coating line, and several
sandwiching and wrapping machines.
In line with these massive expansions,
Perfect Food also received three additional
certifications in 2007; Occupational Health
& Safety Management System 18001:1999
(OHSAS), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
and ISO 22000:2005 International Standard
certification for the third factory.
Besides its own range of products, Perfect
Food also manufactures for prestigious brands
under original equipment manufacturing
(OEM) practices, such as Kraft, Ovaltine,
Kelloggs and Griffin Biscuits (New Zealand).
PENETRATING THE EXPORT MARKET
While an encouraging expansion was occurring
in the 1980s, where the distribution of its
biscuits was expanding in the country – Perfect
Food also quickly recognised the vast potentials
of the export markets. It began its export
venture in Singapore.
Then in 1989, it expanded its reach to the
United States of America. From its small scale
exporting days in the early years, Julie’s biscuits
are now exported to over 60 countries worldwide,
with Asia being its largest export market. Other
locations include Sri Lanka, Japan, countries in
West Asia and the Pacific Islands.
From its inception, the company is one that
dares to try out unconventional paths. In 2010,
the company arranged for an all-expense paid
trip for a group of potential clients from China.
With the belief that when these clients see for
themselves that Julie’s biscuits are indeed baked
with love, they will want to distribute them in
their regions. True enough, they managed to
close a very lucrative deal with these clients
from China.
To date, many existing and potential clients
including those from Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States
of America, Cambodia, the Philippines, Brunei
and Japan have visited Perfect Food’s factories.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES – THE
MELAMINE EPISODE
The year 2008 brought about severe challenges
with the emergence of the melamine issue,
which badly hit numerous businesses throughout Asia. The business struggled to rebuild
confidence in their clients and customers.
However, true to their vision of baking with love
and a conscience, the company bravely opened its
doors to clients for them to see for themselves
how their biscuits are manufactured, and emerged
untarnished from the milamine issue.
With a crisis management team in place,
the company doubled their efforts in ensuring
that the integrity and value of Julie’s was not
compromised. Clients were brought to Perfect
Food to see first-hand – the process of baking
Julie’s biscuits.
With a determination to educate the public
about the reality behind the melamine issue and
Julie’s integrity, Perfect Food went on to ensure
that they retain their position and standing in
a global arena without any difficulties.
SERVING ITS PEOPLE AND SOCIETY
WITH LOVE
Perfect Food’s motto of love transcends not just
the baking but the company’s daily activities,
according to its General Manager Martin Ang.
“Here, we care for our people, and also the
society. Julie’s brand is involved in a range of
corporate social responsibility activities that
have been in place since its inception. This
applies to both our people and the society
alike,” he says.
Julie’s “Share the Love” movement is one
such initiative, where the core message is simply
to inspire and engage society with love and
gratitude. Julie’s has distributed thousands of
biscuits to unsuspecting citizens around the
country.
Taking this movement to another level, their
distributors and outlets in overseas branches
have also been inspired to do the same.
Besides this, the company actively participates in events organized by the Lion’s Club
Malaysia and Harvest Centre, an independent
Founder and CEO
of Perfect Food
Manufacturing ...
Su Chin Hock
organisation that assists refugees and children
with no identification or means to live independently. Perfect Food also gives away meals
during World Food Day and regularly donates to
countries that were hit by natural disasters such
as the floods in Pakistan, Thailand, Indonesia
and Myanmar.
TREATING THE ENTERPRISE AS
THE COMMON ASSET OF SOCIETY –
SU CHIN HOCK
The founder and CEO of Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Su, believes that an enterprise
should not be treated as a private asset, but as
the asset of society in whole. Using this as a
motivation and driving force, Perfect Food was
born with the intention of creating value for
society and consumers at the same time.
His strong belief that an entrepreneur is
able to make a sustainable difference in the
world through continuous transformation and
innovation was the enabler behind Julie’s brand
and the company’s tremendous success today.
A humble and quiet man, Su believes in running a responsible business, baking with love
for society and contributing to nation building
through what the company stands for.
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All the World’s a Playground
F
OR each of the playgrounds they design, Pro-Landscape Structure Sdn Bhd needs to see the
world from a child’s perspective.
Meet Malaysia’s most successful playground builder and designer, Pro-Landscape Structure
Sdn Bhd. This is the company behind all the creative play equipment seen in a majority
of parks, commercial and residential areas in the country. In a span of just over 10 years,
Pro-Landscape Structure has moved to the top of the market, being the most sought-after
builder of playgrounds and play equipment in the country. Among their biggest clients include
SP Setia, Perbadanan Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and
National Science Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
WEAVING A STORY FROM CHILDREN’S FANTASIES INTO REALITY
Pro-Landscape Structure Sdn Bhd was conceptualised almost 10 years ago. Initially operating from only a
small shop lot with six to seven workers, the company, which was initially only manned by two partners,
took on the daunting task of building their business from scratch.
A positive outlook for the company was that
many old clients of the current Managing Director
trusted the ability to deliver their requirements,
and strong support was given when Pro-Landscape
Structure was established.
The company’s undying thirst for success landed
them in a RM1.5 million contract with Seberang
Perai Municipal Council (MPSP), Penang in 2001.
The company was expected to complete the entire
project of building play equipment for the whole of
Seberang Perai. In a duration of three months, the
team tirelessly worked, doing everything from A-Z
for days and nights to deliver above and beyond the
normal level of expectation.
Like any new business ventures, Pro-Landscape
Structure too faced challenges in the initial stages.
The biggest challenge faced was financial support.
Many banks were approached with hopes of
securing loans, but all attempts were in vain. Finally
after consistent attempts and a lot of patience, they
finally secured a loan.
Floral theme ... Housing project in Shah Alam, Selangor
Competition was also very keen, as the industry
and market the company specialises in is very small
and selective. Ensuring that business comes in at
regular intervals was another challenge that the
company faced.
Consequently, the management team has always
engaged itself in both marketing and sales.
Apart from running the company and overseeing
its operations, they still continue to meet clients
and suppliers alike.
By 2004, Pro-Landscape Structure attained
financial stability. A wise move made in the earlier
stages was to sort out all of the relevant certifications required by international projects and clients.
This has increased the trust and reliability of
the company, as certifications translate into their
ability to deliver work that has been benchmarked
against internationally required standards.
A demanding task was to constantly challenge
their creativity, when it came to designing unique
and specialised play equipment. At Pro-Landscape
Structure, the right type of imagination is key, as it
is vital to comply with requisite safety and quality
standards.
The right ingredients to be successful in the field
of design, especially when it involves children is
to always see things from a child’s perspective, be
as creative as possible, and comply with all safety
regulations.
Apart from having an in-house research and
development department, each employee also does
their own personal R&D by constantly observing
how children play in neighbourhood playground
and parks. When observing children play with glee
and excitement in their own creations, it brings a
deep sense of satisfaction to the company to see
their concepts turn into working realities. A great
sense of reward is felt seeing children play safely
on Pro-Landscape Structure designs.
DIVERSIFYING THE BUSINESS
The company is always on the lookout for ways to
improve and stay ahead of the game, as competition
is very keen. One rule of thumb to follow is to
always launch new designs and products once in
every two years. Time and effort was also invested
in rebranding the company, and providing staff
with all the necessary training required to maximise
Spider set ... Installed
at a public park in
Semnan, Iran
Partners from Japan
Contract signing ceremony with a company in Erbil, Iraq
their individual potentials.
Other areas that Pro-Landscape Structure works
in include outdoor gyms, garden furniture and
tensile membranes to name a few. Expansion plans
are important as Pro-Landscape Structure is a big
believer in ever challenging their existing strengths
and standing. Some of the company’s biggest
international clients come from countries such
as Kuwait, Lebanon, Bangladesh, the Philippines,
Thailand and Vietnam.
The company gives all credit to MATRADE for
their steady expansion and firm foothold in the
global market. MATRADE trade missions and trade
fairs immensely helped Pro-Landscape Structure
with much needed international exposure and
penetration.
MATRADE has also allowed the business to have
significant presence overseas. Some of the clients
secured from such trade fairs are now long-standing
ones - who always return to the company for new
offerings and products.
“When we go for such trade missions and fairs,
we are always on the lookout for agents in each
country who can help us with marketing. Of course,
there are many bogus agents out there. MATRADE
has been providing very sound and reliable counsel
for this, and have assisted in all the necessary
verification details of these agents for us,” says Faris
Abdul Halim, Managing Director of Pro-Landscape
Structure Sdn Bhd.
These exhibitions also allow for the company
to form new friendships and strong networking
bonds.
DESIGNING FOR CHILDREN,
A DEEP PASSION
Faris found his love for designing a fantasyland
for children when he joined the sales team of
another company selling play equipment. Though
his journey with Pro-Landscape began in the early
2000s, his risk-taking attitude, focus and ambitions
were moulded into his character from his university
days in Sydney, where he was studying and working
for almost ten years.
Faris then returned to Malaysia and started to
seek employment in the logistics industry. Eventually, he found himself employed with a well-known
play equipment company doing sales.
As he continued to close deals, it did not take long
for Faris to climb the corporate ladder and reach
a prominent position in the company. However,
reaching a top management position with a fairly
reasonable salary was still not satisfying enough
for him. It was at this juncture that he decided
to resign and start out on his own, thus forming
Pro-Landscape Structure Sdn Bhd, one of Malaysia’s
most successful playground builders today.
Faris Abdul
Halim ...
Managing
Director of
Pro-Landscape
Structure
Partners from
Qatar
To Faris, it is important not to take anything for
granted. He always looks for ways to improve himself, and never allows himself to get too comfortable
with where he is. “Everyday is a learning process.
We must be willing to learn more each day,” he says.
He cites the company’s core value of constantly
being focused and committed to the work that
needs to be delivered. Despite challenging work
environments and obstacles, the right priorities
and mindset can result in anything being accomplished.
“It is important to have stamina and endurance
in this field. Be prepared to meet a lot of rejections,”
he says. Regardless of what happens, Faris ends on
a positive note by encouraging everyone to always
give their best in whatever they do.
“Anyone can build a normal business. It’s a
question of whether you want that business to
reach greater heights, or not,” Faris concluded.
Furniture Industry’s
Dynamic Duo
SKS Group
S
KS Group of Companies was started in the early
1970s with a modest working capital and only 5,000
square feet of working space. From a small furniture
company, SKS Group is now Malaysia’s largest metal
furniture exporter to various industries and sectors
across the world. Their rise in the business world is
truly inspiring.
The Group has evolved into a highly diversified multinational
organisation with nine specialised brands, all operational from a
brand new world-class factory sitting on six acres of land in Subang
Jaya Industrial Park, Selangor, spanning an area of 650,000 square
feet.
To date, SKS exports to over fifty countries across the globe with
a stable presence in industries that cut across borders.
SKS factory situated in
Subang Jaya, Selangor
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
In the initial stages, the business depended
largely on labour intensive methodologies.
Working with a very small team of employees,
the company’s first few years saw individuals
multitask as cleaners and delivery boys, to
managers and salespersons.
The business grew slowly but steadily, focusing on internal operations and the Malaysian
market. After some years of experience, the
company invested in more technologies to
support manual labour in production. It could
be seen clearly that with the proper assistance
of semi automation, the room for human errors
are reduced drastically.
The company started to see significant
improvement in operational capacity and
reduction of wastage during these stages. Also,
SKS Group recognised the importance of human
skills and strongly focuses on investing in human capital, which directly plays an important
role in delivering high quality services and
products worldwide.
As SKS manufacturing facility began its
transformation into systematic production
facility via its ISO 9001 quality management
system and with capital equipment as well
as the right market timing – a clear opportunity to expand into areas other than just office
chairs emerged. Using creativity and diverse
methodologies, the company penetrated new
market segments such as hospitality, corporate
fitout, institutional, kitchener, healthcare,
architectural and casino gaming.
With that, SKS Group began to expand their
core business on its diversification into new
markets. The company continued to invest in
high technology metal fabrication equipment.
Capital investments were made in a systematic
production process coupled with cutting-edge
technology such as robotic welding, 2D and
3D laser cutting machinery, hydraulic bending
machines and efficient processing line-up to be
able to provide a high-level of consistency in
quality for all their products.
This puts SKS Group on the radar as specialists in metal fabrication processes globally.
With all these in place, the group now caters to various industries worldwide, with
specialised metal furniture solutions offered
to suit each industry’s specific needs. Some
of their clients include the Marina Bay Sands
Singapore, Palace Hotel of Japan, MGM, Qatar
Foundation QNCC and many more. To date,
they have completed projects at over 4,000
hotels worldwide, besides having their products
and offerings being exported to more than 50
countries.
PENETRATING THE GLOBAL MARKET
Business Development is a core component at
SKS. Recognising the importance of growing
and expanding into unchartered frontiers,
new opportunities and platforms began to
emerge for the Group. With the assistance of
MATRADE, the Group participated in many
international trade fairs and trade missions
that MATRADE organised annually in strategic
locations around the world. Their participation
has given birth to a platform for international
presence.
Every year, these trade missions gave SKS
Group a platform to explore new opportunities,
gain vital experiences and network connections, as well as share the immense wealth of
Cutting-edge facilities ...
Folding machine at SKS’ factory
knowledge in their own operations.
Through research, risk assessment and wide
exposure, SKS Group was able to increase their
capital investment, look into significant product
expansion and build a wide network of reliable
sources. SKS group was able to benefit from
MATRADE efforts in coordinating with government bodies and participating actively in such
trade mission gives a tremendous boost to many
Malaysian companies such as SKS group – in terms
of credibility and international playing fields.
COMBINING CREATIVITY WITH
EXPERT FURNISHING SOLUTIONS
To support the changing landscape of the various industries SKS Group worked in, creative
minds were always in demand. A research and
development arm was soon put in place, and the
most advanced of computer-aided technologies
were procured in high value to support the
product development processes in SKS group.
Most of the capital equipment technologies
used in the company originated from Germany
and Japan. This high tech equipment supported
the high volume production process and thus its
output capacity doubled with faster turnaround
time. In fact, SKS takes pride in being the first
company in the country to use and manufacture
products from pioneer technologies even before
they were introduced into the furniture industry.
SKS Group has the first mover advantage,
as their access to technology started at a very
early stage, thanks to the company’s far-sighted
vision. The company is considered as specialists
in robotic welding technologies in the market.
Capital Investments were made not only for
product quality purposes, but also to ensure that
SKS complies with environmental policies. SKS
Group is committed to protecting the environment and controlling the usage of resources in
manufacturing and related activities through
continuous improvement of manufacturing
processes.
The Group has put in place an environmental
management programme that complies with
all relevant environmental legislation rules
and regulations prescribed by the cities, states
and the Government. The specific management
programme is vital to ensure prevention and
reduction of pollution in manufacturing and
other related processes, to safeguard an adverse
impact on the environment. SKS group is moving towards ISO 14000 and have set its objective
to achieve it by year 2014.
Also, SKS Group have upgraded to LED
lighting to reduce their high output of energy,
and have a system set to quantify and minimise
energy usage. Jay explains how the Group
incorporated a complicated exhaust system that
filters and disposes harmful gases by standard
procedures. They also have a green supply chain
for certain global markets that are able to pay a
premium for the raw materials.
For example, to reduce energy wastage
on washing hotel table covers, SKS Group
designed and created linenless tables for their
hotel industry clients. The company also uses
products that are environmentally friendly,
durable and comply with all relevant certification requirements. In short, “The longer it last,
the less wastage” for their clients.
In a way, SKS Group can be considered as
trendsetters for the industry. As SKS Group
places high importance on creating new designs,
functionality and ways to maximise space for
their clients, they are well ahead of the norm
in the global industry. Three factors weighed in
their innovative designs – comfort, practicality
and quality.
THE FATHER AND SON DYNAMIC
DUO BEHIND THE FURNITURE
Lee Kien Seng (Managing Director and Founder
of SKS Group of Companies), who embarked on
his career in the furniture industry in his early
20s, was ignited by an entrepreneurial passion
to establish the SKS Group of Companies.
Kien Seng and his son, Jay Lee form a dynamic management team that has created
the success of SKS Group today. While Kien
Seng manages most of the administrative and
management aspects of the business, Jay Lee
leads the business development and research
Jay Lee ...
Business
Development
Director of
SKS Group
arm, being a qualified engineer himself. Their
combined passion and leadership has led SKS
Group from one key milestone to the other,
consistently and confidently ensuring that the
Group stays on top of the game, forming and
creating trends in the industry.
The company’s values and work ethics are
centred around ensuring that their employees are
well taken care of – even in times of crisis. Their
positive outlook and strong support saw the SKS
Group sailing through the storm as one united
crew on a steady ship.
Till today, the SKS Group practices a strict “no
retrenchment” policy.
Kien Seng strongly believes that if an individual
is willing to take responsibility for failures as well
as successes, it will take them far. Self analysis is
an important stepping stone in any career, he says.
He adds: “Only if a person is willing to accept
failure, and analyse what went wrong, can an
employer assist in providing the proper guidance
and solutions for improved performance. Other
key ingredients include the willingness to sacrifice,
lead by example and a strong positive attitude.
There is a Chinese proverb that says ‘taste bitterness first and then sweetness will come’.”
Under their combined mentorship and
visionary leadership, SKS Group continues
to take the world by storm with their fresh,
innovative and practical furnishing solutions
for mammoth projects globally.
Lee Kien Seng ... Founder
and Managing Director
of SKS Group
Strateq’s Data centre in
Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Leading Technology Enabler
Strateq Group
E
STABLISHED since 1983, Strateq is one of Asia’s leading technology enablers, which
has over the years become both a Malaysian and regional success story. Formerly
known as Kompakar, the company was a jack of all trades, penetrating diverse IT
markets in all things related to the booming information technology age. In 2011,
Kompakar was rebranded to Strateq Sdn Bhd, with a specialised focus on domain
expertise, technology products and services. Strateq’s Group Chief Executive Officer,
Datuk Ir Dr Ahmad Fikri Hussein, is a strong believer in the strength of Malaysia’s
grasp and expertise in the field of ICT, and is positive that Strateq will be able to explore new
frontiers in this field.
CREATING A LEADING INDUSTRY
DRIVER WITH WORLD-CLASS
EXPERTISE
From the early inception of Strateq, their main
strength has been on leveraging local industry expertise and technological strengths to provide both
local and regional clients the means of expanding
their businesses and strengthening their presence
through technological products and services. For
the past 28 years, Strateq’s vision echoes its delivery
and performances that are par excellence.
Three vital points in Strateq’s business development and management lie in their three vision
statements – a vision to foresee, the ability to
execute and the ability to understand their custom-
ers like no other. As the ICT industry is very much
like a chameleon, constantly changing to suit the
current situation and time, Strateq recognised
the need to have the business streamlined to very
specific needs. As such, the company’s key product
offerings and solutions are now focused on industry
solutions, IT infrastructure and enterprise systems.
These include sub-categories of healthcare, oil &
gas, financial services, data centre and business
continuity, disaster management/recovery and
enterprise solutions and services.
With over 600-strong work force in Malaysia,
the company is considered to be one of the largest
local, homegrown ICT entities in the country.
One of Strateq’s key specialities is its ability to
Datuk Ir Dr Ahmad Fikri Hussein ... Strateq’s Group Chief
Executive Officer
identify the best and latest technology available
in the market with ease, and use it to implement
relevant solution strategies for their clientele.
Innovation is a core component in all of Strateq’s
business solutions, to ensure that their clients are
able to move forward while improving their respective revenue and profitability.
After almost two decades, Strateq has a strong
and firm presence in the region, including countries
such as Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, the
Philippines and China to name a few. Strateq also
partners with a few MNCs to add more value and
enhancement to existing business offerings that
they may have.
MATRADE has played a strong supportive and
assistive role in carrying Strateq’s offerings to the
international arena through the myriad of trade
missions and fairs held in various countries. Through
participation in such missions, Strateq has been
able to expand their network of partners and also
showcase their unique solutions and expertise to
the international market.
Malaysia is recognised as one of the fastest
growing ICT hubs in the world in comparison to
other countries. Malaysian companies are also fast
recognising the importance of specialised technology
solutions to assist their day-to-day administration
and business, and that change management plays
an important role.
As a post-service support to all their clients,
Strateq also provides change management programme training, to ensure that the end user is able
to use ICT as a tool to enhance their work. Some
of the custom-made solutions by Strateq include
the AGORA™, which is specific for a cost-effective
solution in sourcing and procurement and FiSiCien™,
a leading locally-designed solutions product for the
healthcare and hospital systems.
A huge component of Strateq’s operations is
their research and development team, who work on
improving and upgrading their solutions consistently. Some products take up to seven months to
be thoroughly tried and tested before it is ready to
be commercialised. Keeping in mind the specific
needs of each industry client, Strateq’s dedicated
team of engineers and specialists work tirelessly to
provide only the best in technology solutions for all
of their clientele.
To support their expanding business and penetration into the regional and international markets,
Strateq recruits subject matter experts in all their
major business offering components. The Group now
serves over 1,000 organisations from industries that
cut across borders. These also include Fortune 500
companies, multinationals, large local organisations
and public sector entities.
LEADING A NATION’S KEY TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS ENABLER – DATUK IR DR
AHMAD FIKRI HUSSEIN
To lead the nation’s key technology solutions enabler
may sound like a daunting responsibility, but Ahmad
Fikri, Strateq’s Group Chief Executive Officer finds
his work exciting and challenging.
With over 20 years of collective experience in
the engineering and consultancy field, Ahmad
Fikri is a key instrument in driving Strateq’s focus
forward to lead the industry, both locally and
internationally. Under his visionary and steady
leadership, Strateq is fast gaining an excellent
reputation and trust through its technology
solutions and services.
When he joined the Group as a member of the
Board of Directors and Group Chief Executive
Officer in 2007, Ahmad Fikri knew that it would
be a very challenging task to stay on top of the
market.
“Strateq’s tagline speaks for itself – ‘Your Strategic
Technology Enabler’. We are all about creating value
for your business. The ICT industry is a fast changing,
and fast growing one. We must be constantly on our
toes and up to date with what is happening,” he says.
Under his leadership, the Group is now looking to
expand into cloud services. As this is a relatively new
area of ICT, research and development is currently
under way to prepare for a procurement of cloud
computing in the near future.
To him, some of the important qualities one
must have to excel in this field is sound technical
knowledge, the willingness to learn and improve,
and constantly strive to build strength upon failures
when they occur.
“Technical knowledge is important in this field.
Actually, it is the key to succeed in the field – we must
know what we are doing, and be able to respond to
needs immediately,” he says.
As Group Chief Executive Officer, there are many
times when he has to make important decisions
within minutes. He weighs all options carefully,
keeping the bigger picture and sustainable growth
of the business and the client in mind for all
decisions.
Ahmad Fikri is positive that Strateq will
continue to make the nation proud with its
steady and exponential climb towards regional
and global presence and success.
Top Quality
Gloves
for the World
T
OP GLOVE was founded in 1991,
when there was only one factory,
three production lines and a hundred employees in total. Just over
a decade later, Top Glove was listed
on the Malaysian bourse, Bursa
Saham Kuala Lumpur and then
shortly after, promoted from the Second Board
to the Main Market in 2002. Today, Top Glove
has emerged as the world’s largest rubber glove
manufacturer with 24 factories located across
Malaysia, Thailand and China, 462 production
lines and 11,000 employees.
Their production capacity of 40.3 billion
gloves a year serves 1,800 customers in over
185 countries through sales and marketing
offices based in Malaysia, the United States of
America and Germany.
BUILDING THE SUCCESS OF TOP
GLOVE
Top Glove started with a capital of RM180,000;
all of which were savings from the founder and
chairman of the company. Coupled with savings,
time and energy, the company worked tirelessly
to ensure that the business would reach a level
of unparalleled success. The company’s key success and growth lies ultimately in ensuring
customer satisfaction is met. Heavy emphasis
and investments are placed in research and
development activities and facilities to ensure
a continuous improvement in product quality,
creativity and efficiency.
The company also endeavours to stay ahead
of competition by working closely with Ministry
of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia
(MITI) and other government agencies such as
MATRADE and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) – to keep abreast with
the latest developments in rubber research
technology, and find key potential business
opportunities in untapped markets.
MATRADE has a specific role in assisting
companies to gain a firm foothold in the global
markets. The organisation is very helpful to
facilitate in matching a business to the right
key clients and support.
The company focuses entirely on producing
and manufacturing gloves that meet the highest
standards, catering to the needs of various industries, particularly the healthcare industry. As a
greater emphasis was placed on the healthcare
industry, the company could foresee a higher
demand for medical gloves. Hence, Top Glove
found that the demand for rubber gloves at that
time was far greater than the supply, rendering
margins particularly attractive.
Through extensive research and development
activities, Top Glove manufactures high quality
disposable gloves, that support the needs of
today’s improved healthcare standards.
Many challenges were faced by the business
as the company learnt the industry through
experience and knowledge acquired on-the-job.
An initial challenge was the lack of technical
knowledge in the manufacturing process, which
was eventually solved through collaboration
with the Malaysian Rubber Research Institute
on research and development. This was a key
milestone for the company as technical skills
and know-how were learnt.
Understanding the company’s customer client
base allowed for Top Glove to provide exactly what
was required without too many rectifications. In
the face of increasing costs of raw materials and
energy, the company was fortunate to have already
established good relationships with customers
who were willing to accept higher prices. Conversely, when latex or raw material prices return
to a low, the company ensures that this cost-saving
is also passed on to their customers.
While the business understands that the external market is important, much importance is
placed on their internal on-going cost improvement
and efficiency measures. Top Glove has intensified
production of nitrile gloves, thus lowering their
reliance on natural rubber gloves, which will allow
a reduction in their exposure to price fluctuations.
The company has also invested in automation
initiatives to reduce dependence on unskilled
labour, while beefing up the number of skilled
workers and staff. A recent venture upstream
with a rubber plantation investment has allowed the company greater control and ensure
consistent latex supply.
Top Glove manufactures a wide range of
gloves – including latex examination gloves,
nitrile examination gloves, vinyl examination
gloves, surgical gloves, household/industrial
gloves, long length high risk gloves, cleanroom
gloves, high density polyethylene gloves, low
density polyethylene gloves and PE aprons.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
FOR INTENSIVE GROWTH
Top Glove has won numerous awards over the
past years, all of which are prestigious and
well accepted ones in the industry. Just last
year alone, Top Glove bagged awards for “Most
Admired ASEAN Enterprise” for the category
of Corporate Social Responsibility (Large Company) at the ASEAN Business Awards 2012, the
Special Achievement Organisation Category
by Malaysian Achievement Organisation, MIS
Asia 100 – Top 100 IT departments in Asia,
MOSHIPA Occupational Safety and Health
Awards 2012, and The Perak State Industry
Appreciation Awards for 2011/2012, by the
Department of Environment Perak.
Other coveted awards include the Brand
Icon Leadership Award 2011, Frost & Sullivan
2009, Best Brands Manufacturing – Rubber
Gloves 2007/2008 by The BrandLaureate and
the Enterprise 50 Award Programme in 2007.
THE HUMBLE AND HANDS-ON
BUSINESS TYCOON, TAN SRI LIM
WEE CHAI
A soft-spoken and humble gentleman, Lim,
Chairman of the largest glove manufacturer
in the world, built the company with his wife,
Puan Sri Tong Siew Bee.
To ensure a business stays successful and
prosperous, Top Glove practices simple principles that extend from top management to
factory workers alike. A visionary thinker and
firm believer in a balanced lifestyle, Lim has
put in place a set of guidelines that serve his
people well.
“I am an advocate of positive thinking, discipline and healthy living. I am also a firm believer
in continuous learning, as learning should never
stop. I take a very firm stand against corruption, which is the single greatest obstacle to
economic and social development around the
world. Top Glove practices integrity, honesty and
Tan Sri Lim Wee Chai ... Chairman
and Founder of Top Glove
transparency in all of our business transactions,
and all employees do the same. Only through such
principles and practices, can we gain the trust and
confidence of our shareholders, business associates
and the general public,” says Lim.
Although work is important, Top Glove encourages its people to place the same importance on
family, colleagues and friends. Lim takes the
lead by setting an example for the rest to follow;
regardless of his busy schedule, he takes time to
strike a work-life balance. Simple things that he
does, is to have breakfast with his family, lunch
with his customers, business associates and staff,
and dinner with either family or friends. As sports
is part of his working schedule, he takes the opportunity to play badminton and golf twice a week.
As advice to young people seeking direction in
their own businesses today, the humble Lim says
that there is no short cut to success. “I believe firmly
in working hard and working smart. Be committed,
be focused. Success will surely come.”
Thumbs up for Top Glove
Designing for the Future
V
ERITAS Design Group is a multi-disciplinary consulting firm, providing integrated
architecture, planning, interior design, landscape design, quantity surveying and environmental consulting services for innovative buildings and environment both within
Malaysia and beyond. Drawing from over 25 years of sound experience and knowledge
in the field of design, the firm is committed to delivering international standards of
design with quality and excellent service.
CREATING VALUE IN DESIGN
Founded in 1987, VERITAS Design Group began its journey in creative work based on the principles of
innovation and a commitment to quality. In its early days since its inception, VERITAS was purely focused
on architectural practices. Slowly, through a keen eye and passion for creativity and constant innovation,
VERITAS expanded its core offerings to include design services and consulting. Now, the firm proudly offers
a full range of supporting design services through subsidiary and associate companies.
Among VERITAS’ signature services are architectural services (Veritas Architects Sdn Bhd), interior design
services (Veritas Interiors Sdn Bhd), landscape services (Veritas Landscape Sdn Bhd), planning services
(Veritas Planning Sdn Bhd), quantity surveying services (Veritas Contracts Sdn Bhd) and environmental
consulting (Veritas Environment Sdn Bhd).
With the world moving towards being environmentally conscious, VERITAS saw a value-adding
opportunity in tying architectural design to environmentally sound solutions.
The green building and energy efficiency consultancy services that Veritas Environment Sdn
Bhd offers economically and efficiently assists
clients in creating a high performance, environmentally sustainable and friendly building with
award-winning design.
With such a complete, all-encompassing range of
offerings, it is clear why the firm is highly successful
in its own right.
VERITAS WITH A VISION
Far from just an average service provider,
VERITAS constantly strives to ensure that
all their services are unique and specifically
catered to each client. The firm looks to striking
a balance between modern designs and human
touch, thus creating a powerful blend of both
in a space that highlights structure, lighting,
The Icon in
Dubai, the
United
Arab
Emirates
Desa Park City
International School,
Kuala Lumpur
Digi Telecommunications Headquarters
in Shah Alam, Selangor
One Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
Right ... JW Marriot
Gaakoshibee Resort & Spa,
Maldives
materials and atmosphere.
Having expanded out of Malaysia in 2005 to
Dubai (United Arab Emirates), where VERITAS
established its first international office, the firm
has made further successful inroads into Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam (2007); Melbourne, Australia
(2010) and very recently to Mumbai, India and
Portland, the United States of America (2012).
The firm owes its success to meticulous involvement and attention at every stage of each project it
executes. Heavy investments were made to ensure
that the firm was in possession of state-of-the-art
design and drafting technology, the latest CAD
technology and all necessary accreditations and
certifications alike, ie. MS ISO 9001:2000 for the
provision of architectural design, consulting and
contract administration/management services
for all types of building projects.
Their ISO certified work procedures and design
processes is the key in producing innovative and
award-winning designs that meet global demands
of a highly evolving future.
CREATING AWARD WINNING
DESIGNS FOR THE WORLD
VERITAS has been at the forefront of design in
many aspects, and as a result of their commitment
to delivering far above expectations, the firm has
been awarded and honoured for its contribution to
the design profession.
Some of the prestigious accolades swept away by
VERITAS include the 2011 Brandlaureate – Great
Entrepreneur Brand Icon Leadership Award,
Building & Construction Interchange Asia (BCIA)
Top Ten Architects in Malaysia Award 2011,
Architecture + Design & Spectrum Foundation
– Golden Award for Excellence in Architecture
Malaysia 2010 and a multitude of other outstanding
achievements.
The firm through its visionary goals has been
honoured to serve and complete projects for well
known clients. Among their accomplished feats
are the iconic 1 Sentral in Malaysia, Ministry of
Natural Resources & Environment in Malaysia,
Dubai Islamic Bank in the United Arab Emirates, JW Mariott & Spa Hotel in Maldives, Doha
Indoor ... Desa Park City
International School, Kuala Lumpur
Airport Catering Building in Qatar and a myriad
of other landmark buildings. Veritas Architects
Sdn Bhd is proud to have a dedicated, talented
and long-serving staff team and works with the
best professionals in the industry for each project.
Getting the exceptionally talented and experienced individuals in, on all levels of project
and design, makes the VERITAS team most
enriching and diverse.
VERITAS is one of the largest design firms in the
ASEAN region with a staff strength of over 300 and
with offices in Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia and the
United States of America.
MATRADE’S SHARED
VISION FOR VERITAS
According to Founding Principal, David Mizan
Hashim, some of the firm’s greatest project deals
Right ... VERITAS’ Founding
Principal, David Mizan Hashim
and networking moments were established with
the assistance of MATRADE.
Citing MATRADE trade fairs and trade missions as a key enabler for VERITAS’ penetration
into the international market, the firm is also
grateful for MATRADE’s full support in ensuring
the VERITAS brand is promoted throughout
the world in the form of a memorabilia that
was published by MATRADE – highlighting all
of VERITAS key milestones, achievements and
completed projects.
“This was published for a conference that was
held in Doha sometime ago. We are very grateful
for MATRADE’s support and trust in the work
we do,” said David Mizan.
For VERITAS, government encouragement
and support is very important in providing
them with suitable benchmark to see if they are
really ready to take on the big guns. MATRADE’s
support and recognition of VERITAS’ success
has given the firm a further reason to continue
their winning streak and exceptional design
work overseas.
EYEING THE GLOBE –
DAVID MIZAN HASHIM
“One cannot stay small. Go global, as there is no
limit to the potential for growth,” says David Mizan.
He returned to Malaysia in 1986, after obtaining
a Masters Degree in Architecture from Harvard
University. With encouragement from the family,
he stepped into the daunting world of professional
entrepreneurship armed with a love for the arts
and creativity.
Through a vision for success and a passion for the
work, VERITAS has grown steadily over the years
to where it is now, with almost over 300 employees
and international offices placed in almost every
continent.
According to him, the professional architecture
and design is a demanding and exciting field,
which is solely driven by creativity and undying
passion. It is vital for anyone in the field to have a
burning desire to succeed and translate a vision
into reality by combining art, design, building and
technology.
Firing Young Blood
into Visionary Technology
T
HE STORY behind ViTrox’s inception and establishment is one of young blood, fiery and
ready to take on risks without compromising dreams. Only 12 years old, ViTrox is managed
and led by Chu Jenn Weng, a vibrant Chief Executive Officer in his early 40s.
A cutting-edge solutions provider, ViTrox was founded with the objective to provide
advanced, innovative and cost effective inspection solutions to assist manufacturers
to improve their product quality and turnaround time. The team works closely with its
clients to design, develop and implement inspection solutions for the semiconductor
and electronic industries alike.
EARLY BEGINNINGS OF VITROX
It was a tough time to startup a company in 2000, as it was the turn of a century and also a recovery period
for many businesses that had survived the economic recession. In the beginning, all founding members and
pioneers of ViTrox found themselves playing multiple roles, as engineers, administrative staff, purchasers,
shipment personnel, accountants, sales personnel and customer support officers. Although multi-tasking
was daunting at first, team work was apparent as
each member strived to provide only the best of
their capabilities in order to ensure smooth daily
operations and client satisfaction.
Specialising in a unique segment of the industry
known as machine vision technology, ViTrox’s
inception was driven primarily by the interest and
passion of its founding members.
Identifying tremendous potential of this specific
subset of technology almost 15 years ago, ViTrox
continues to play on its wide range of offerings
in the semiconductor and electronic packaging
industry. Machine vision today is of extreme
importance, as components and devices start to get
smaller and smaller. As a result of this, human eye
vision is no longer conducive and useful to detect
and inspect manufactured products of high quality.
Hence the use of machine vision comes into play.
ViTrox provides total machine vision solutions
for semiconductor IC inspection and electronics
printed circuits assemblies. Products designed
by ViTrox includes Mark, Lead & Package defects
inspection systems, customised solutions for true
3D Lead Inspection, sub-pixel accuracy measurement systems, 5-in-1 integrated and high-speed
Left ... Tray inspection
equipment assembly
on-the-fly vision systems, advanced optical inspec
tion system, advanced X-ray inspection system and
many more. All of ViTrox designs and solutions are
focused on being cost-effective and innovative to
suit their worldwide semiconductor and electronics
assemblies manufacturing clients. All products and
solutions are built with their client’s needs in mind
for ease of use, lower cost of ownership, higher
inspection capabilities and a thorough output.
Currently, ViTrox is an award winning public
listed company, with a strong presence in Malaysia
and countries including Thailand, the Philippines,
India, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and the United
States of America.
ADDRESSING SPECIFIC NEEDS WITH
LIMITED MANPOWER
ViTrox knew from the beginning that one of their
biggest challenges would be a lack of manpower,
and limited clientele as this solutions technology
was still relatively new in the market. Nevertheless,
by focusing on securing skilled staff and subject
experts, the company continues to multitask as
they strive to fulfill client expectations to the best
of their capabilities.
True to the company’s vision to become the
world’s leading company in providing total machine
vision solution, ViTrox works tirelessly day and
night to innovate vision technology, in their
bid to provide advanced, cost effective machine
vision solutions of excellent quality to clients. By
AXI ... Advanced X-ray
Inspection (V180)
Standard 5S Vision
Inspection
Non Conversion 5S Vision Inspec
Inspection
Advanced Optical Inspection (V510)
Dual Cam 5S Vision Inspection
integrating technology, people and strategic alliances, ViTrox has
managed to find the right mix for the business to blossom to where
it stands today.
Understanding that this is a very niche market, ViTrox plays up their unique key selling points well in order to
retain and expand the business. To support this, ViTrox invests back into their business by using close to 15% of
revenue in research and development needs and facilities every year.
Placing high importance on R&D has allowed the company to ensure
their products are able to compete with the best in the market.
Through extensive research and development activities, the company has been able to introduce technologies such as the revolutionary
colour vision technology that surpasses conventional monochrome
vision, also detecting exposed copper and pad discolouration.
Other technologies offered by ViTrox include powerful 3D and 5S
combination inspection, optical character recognition, true co-plan
inspection and WiSS technology.
GROWING WITH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Like many other businesses in the country, ViTrox also deems
government support as one of the key push factors for international
market penetration.
“Introduction to the international market is relatively easier when
we go through government bodies such as MATRADE,” says Chu.
With trade missions and trade fairs that cater to specific market
needs, MATRADE creates the best channel for businesses to expand
into the global market with fewer difficulties as target markets are
narrowed down and specified for a good business match.
With MATRADE’s assistance, it became easier for ViTrox to stay
focused on the business fundamentals and make wise investments
for a healthier financial position.
THE FUTURE OF ELECTRONICS AND
SEMICONDUCTORS IN MALAYSIA
The electrical and electronics industry has been identified as one
of the 12 NKEAs (National Key Economic Areas) that drives the
Malaysian economy.
ViTrox Group CEO ...
Chu Jenn Weng
In ViTrox’s view, the industry has tremendous
potential to provide a lot more than current offerings. Growing more small medium enterprises
and mid-tier companies aggressively to support
the electrical and electronics industry will inspire
more potential startups to build growth in this
sector.
With more investments and incentives channeled towards SMEs and local mid-tier companies,
the country’s economic growth will be able to be
supported to a greater extent, hence reducing
our dependency on foreign multinational companies.
ViTrox themselves have no local competitors,
with most of their competition stemming from
global market leaders. The company is currently
among the top ten global suppliers of inspection
solutions for semiconductor back-end and electronics manufacturing services.
BUILDING A HEALTHY AND
PRODUCTIVE WORKPLACE FUELED BY
PASSION – CHU JENN WENG
“My interest is in photography, and I could see that
machine vision was a technology that requires the
use of a camera to capture images of an object. I
decided to put two of my passions together and
continue to do it as part of my work for the past
13 years,” Chu explains.
Never one to shy away from challenges, Chu used
his passion and interest to develop the cutting edge
vision technology that ViTrox offers today, with the
other founding members.
In Chu’s opinion, some of the key ingredients for
a successful business is to ensure that the workplace
stays healthy and productive.
“An open concept, disciplined and fair
environment and the practice of integrity,
accountability, courage, trust, respect, gratitude
and care; these make a healthy workplace,” Chu
relates.
He credits the success of ViTrox to all of these,
and the accumulated vision of all founding members of the company. In terms of looking forward
post 2012, ViTrox hopes to achieve even more
success than the previous years, with a stronger
focus on their technology solution offerings and
products.
COMPANIES FEATURED IN THIS BOOK
Abdul Raman Saad & Associates (ARSA)
Level 8, Bangunan KWSP
No. 3, Changkat Raja Chulan, Off Jalan Raja Chulan
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel:
+603 2032 2323
Fax:
+603 2032 5775
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.arsa.com.my
Block B & C, Lot 780, Jalan Sungai Putus
3 3/4 Miles Off Jalan Kapar
42100 Klang
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 3290 7260 Fax:
+603 3290 7261
Web: www.consobiz.com.my
DPI Group
K69, Jalan Perindustrian 6
Tanjong Agas Industrial Estate
84000 Ledang (Muar)
Johor, Malaysia
Tel:
+606 952 2854
Fax:
+606 951 3543
Web: www.dpiaerosol.com
No. 2, Jalan Teknologi 3/4
Taman Sains Selangor 1, Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 7491 4460
Fax:
+603 6140 6314
Web: www.drgroup.com.my
Lot 19956, Jalan Industry 3/6
Rawang Integrated Industrial Park
48000 Rawang
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 6091 2575
Fax:
+603 6091 2577
Web: www.eversendai.com
No. 1A, 10th Mile, Federal Highway, Sungai Way
47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 7962 9999
Fax:
+603 7877 9699
Web: www.firefighter.com.my
No. 2, Jalan Astaka U8/82, Bukit Jelutong
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 7839 2000
Fax:
+603 7847 5300
Web: www.khind.com
Hovid Berhad
121, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
30010 Ipoh
Perak, Malaysia
Tel:
+605 506 0690
Fax:
+605 506 1215
Web: www.hovid.com.my
A-8-09, Block A, Oasis Square
Jalan PJU 1A/7, Ara Damansara
47301 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 7734 1991
Fax:
+603 7734 1661
Web: www.lewre.com
Hyrax Oil Sdn Bhd
No. A-8-1, Megan Avenue II
12, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel:
+603 2163 5893
Fax:
+603 2164 6577
Web: www.hyraxoil.com
Lot 6, Jalan Teknologi 3/6
Taman Sains Selangor 1
Kota Damansara
47810 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 6140 8668
Fax:
+603 6140 8998
Web: www.jftech.com.my
Ken-Rich Chemical Production Sdn Bhd
Lot 12, Jalan Utarid U5/26, Seksyen U5
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 7845 6112
Fax:
+603 7845 7112
Web: www.kenrichchemical.com
No. 3, Jln BS 7/18
Kawasan Perindustrian Bukit Serdang
Seksyen 7
43300 Seri Kembangan
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 8948 2990
F ax:
+603 8948 7904 / 8943 8487
Web: www.lklbeds.com
Teck Guan Regency, 318 Jalan St. Patrick,
Off Jalan Belunu, PO Box 33
91007 Tawau
Sabah, Malaysia
Tel:
+6089 772277
Fax:
+6089 769955
Web: www.teckguan.com
Marrybrown Sdn Bhd
No. 3 & 5, Jalan Dewani 3
Kawasan Perindustrian Dewani
81100 Johor Bahru
Johor, Malaysia
Tel:
+607 331 6590
Fax:
+607 333 7899
Web: www.marrybrown.com.my
MDT Group
3F, IRIS Smart Technology Complex
Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil
57000 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel:
+603 8996 8800
F ax:
+603 8996 8211
Web: www.mmdt.cc
SKS Group
Lot 801, Jalan Subang 5
Taman Perindustrian Subang
47500 Subang Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 5636 1118 Fax:
+603 5636 1113
Web: www.meditron.com.my
7, Jalan Penyelenggara, UI/77
Taman Perindustrian Batu Tiga
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 5512 8228
Fax:
+603 5512 6133
Web: www.nelsons.com.my
Strateq Group
Level 11, Menara Kencana Petroleum
Solaris Dutamas, No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel:
+603 6209 5900
Fax:
+603 6209 5910
Email: [email protected] Web: www.strateqgrp.com
No. 21, 23, 25, 27
Jalan Marikh U5/174
Seksyen U5
40150 Shah Alam
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 7848 1276
Fax:
+603 7848 1423
Web: www.norainis.com.my
Lot 4969, Jalan Teratai, 6th Miles, Off Jalan Meru
41050 Klang
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 3392 1992 / 1905
Fax:
+603 3392 1291 / 8410
Web: www.topglove.com.my
Perfect Food Manufacturing Sdn Bhd
AG 6876, Alor Gajah Industrial Estate
78000 Alor Gajah
Melaka, Malaysia
Tel:
+606 556 1401
Fax:
+606 556 5746
Web: www.julies.com.my
No. 53, Jalan BRP 8/2
Bukit Rahman Putra Industrial Park
47000 Sungai Buloh
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel:
+603 6140 3018
Fax:
+603 6140 3027
Web: www.prolandscape.com.my
2nd Floor, Bangunan Getah Asli
148 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel:
+603 2162 2300
Fax:
+603 2162 2310
Web: www.veritas.com.my
No. 85-A, Lintang Bayan Lepas 11
Bayan Lepas Industrial Park
Phase 4
11900 Bayan Lepas
Penang, Malaysia
Tel:
+604 646 6227
Fax:
+604 646 6327
Web: www.vitrox.com
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business success stories of visionary malaysians

Transcription

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