L.T. Lam
When L.T. Lam, founder of Forward Winsome Industries Ltd, worked in Yuen Hing Hong & Co. Ltd as a sales representative, he volunteered to help his customer who was short of operation fund to get through his difficulties. For a business at its start-up stage, the business owners were challenged by many kinds of difficulty. For example, Mr. Tong, who founded his factory in Wai Ching Street (Yaumatei), bought 300 pounds of plastic granules as with 300 dollars. However, he was not able to settle the bill as the credit term expired. L.T Lam voluntarily drew one-month salary in advance to pay for Mr. Tong’s credit, without letting his boss know.
When L.T. Lam, founder of Forward Winsome Industries Ltd, worked in Yuen Hing Hong & Co. Ltd as a sales representative, he volunteered to help his customer who was short of operation fund to get through his difficulties. For a business at its start-up stage, the business owners were challenged by many kinds of difficulty. For example, Mr. Tong, who founded his factory in Wai Ching Street (Yaumatei), bought 300 pounds of plastic granules as with 300 dollars. However, he was not able to settle the bill as the credit term expired. L.T Lam voluntarily drew one-month salary in advance to pay for Mr. Tong’s credit, without letting his boss know.
| Title | Over-drafting his salary to settle payment for cash-stricken customers |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-001 |
Tin Hing Sin
The founder of Tins' Chemical Industrial Co Ltd and his successors cherished particularistic relations with their business partners. They were conscious of maintaining close relationships with their customers, suppliers and machinery providers. Tins Chemical was concerned about the situations of their customers. Tin Ka Ping and his son Tin Hing Sin took initiatives to keep in touch with their customers who bought PVC materials from Tins to make plastic products. Gradually they developed intense relationships with these factories. The Tin’s would not raise the prices of their PVC materials at times of material shortage. They even offered favorable credit terms to their customers. The Tin’s had a long-term co-operative relationship with a German raw material supplier. Although the ownership of this German company had changed several times, the new company owners continued to rate highly Tins’ credibility. A Japanese supplier was willing to provide Tins Chemical with the latest news of the industry because they understood and trusted Tins Chemical. The Tin’s attributed these competitive advantages to their abiding by the principle of trustworthiness in running the company.
The founder of Tins' Chemical Industrial Co Ltd and his successors cherished particularistic relations with their business partners. They were conscious of maintaining close relationships with their customers, suppliers and machinery providers. Tins Chemical was concerned about the situations of their customers. Tin Ka Ping and his son Tin Hing Sin took initiatives to keep in touch with their customers who bought PVC materials from Tins to make plastic products. Gradually they developed intense relationships with these factories. The Tin’s would not raise the prices of their PVC materials at times of material shortage. They even offered favorable credit terms to their customers. The Tin’s had a long-term co-operative relationship with a German raw material supplier. Although the ownership of this German company had changed several times, the new company owners continued to rate highly Tins’ credibility. A Japanese supplier was willing to provide Tins Chemical with the latest news of the industry because they understood and trusted Tins Chemical. The Tin’s attributed these competitive advantages to their abiding by the principle of trustworthiness in running the company.
| Title | Intense relations and mutual trust between business partners |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-002 |
Lai Kit Fong
Intense human relation was a feature of Silver Manufactory Holdings Co., Ltd. Co-founders Lee Sai Yick and his wife Lai Kit Fong were supported by their employees to get through difficult times. During the 1973 Oil Crisis, the price of raw material soared but the volume of orders severed. Silver operated just 3 days a week. A skilled craftsman in charge of injection molding voluntarily looked for orders of packing Chupa Chups and supervised the packing activities with Silver’s employers and employees. This earning helped Silver to survive through the difficult months.
Intense human relation was a feature of Silver Manufactory Holdings Co., Ltd. Co-founders Lee Sai Yick and his wife Lai Kit Fong were supported by their employees to get through difficult times. During the 1973 Oil Crisis, the price of raw material soared but the volume of orders severed. Silver operated just 3 days a week. A skilled craftsman in charge of injection molding voluntarily looked for orders of packing Chupa Chups and supervised the packing activities with Silver’s employers and employees. This earning helped Silver to survive through the difficult months.
| Title | A crew voluntarily obtained orders for his boss during business difficulties |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-003 |
Leung Wai Ho
Leung Wai Ho, founder of Dailywin Watch Products Mfg, had been an apprentice in Leung Lung Kee Metalware Factory Ltd, when he joined the clock and watch industry. Though he was a nephew of the factory owner, he did not count on this special relation when he worked with his co-workers. Leung’s home was close to the factory. However, in order to get along with his masters, Leung lived with them in the factory shopfloor from 1964 to 1967, so that he could seek advice and learn from his masters any time. In the 1960s, the workers lived in the factory and the factory provided them with meals every day. The skilled craftsmen and the apprentices slept on a piece of plank which they lay on the machines as a bed.
Leung Wai Ho, founder of Dailywin Watch Products Mfg, had been an apprentice in Leung Lung Kee Metalware Factory Ltd, when he joined the clock and watch industry. Though he was a nephew of the factory owner, he did not count on this special relation when he worked with his co-workers. Leung’s home was close to the factory. However, in order to get along with his masters, Leung lived with them in the factory shopfloor from 1964 to 1967, so that he could seek advice and learn from his masters any time. In the 1960s, the workers lived in the factory and the factory provided them with meals every day. The skilled craftsmen and the apprentices slept on a piece of plank which they lay on the machines as a bed.
| Title | By living together business inheritor merged with workers |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-004 |
David So
The three co-founders of Elec & Eltek International Company Limited had worked together in the same American firm, Ampex Ferrotec. They had cultivated intense friendship, which became the foundation of the collaborative business of their own. After David So Cheung Sing, Wilson Tam Kam Ho, and Marcus Tsang Ming Pui made a breakthrough in the technology of Printed Circuit Board production, they formed the joint venture, Elec & Etlek. The partnership was built on invaluable friendship. They understood each other’s strength and personalities well. This partnership was a stable one which had lasted for more than 30 years.
The three co-founders of Elec & Eltek International Company Limited had worked together in the same American firm, Ampex Ferrotec. They had cultivated intense friendship, which became the foundation of the collaborative business of their own. After David So Cheung Sing, Wilson Tam Kam Ho, and Marcus Tsang Ming Pui made a breakthrough in the technology of Printed Circuit Board production, they formed the joint venture, Elec & Etlek. The partnership was built on invaluable friendship. They understood each other’s strength and personalities well. This partnership was a stable one which had lasted for more than 30 years.
| Title | Old comrades formed a stable business partnership for several decades |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-005 |
Lo Lei Wo
Hing Wah Battery Factory was an old-style factory founded before the World War II. The employer and the employees took close relations and hometown connections seriously. The founder of Hing Wah was a native from Shunde. Most of his workers were fellow natives who were introduced to work for the factory by their kin from Shunde. Lo Lei Wo was hired in this way because one of his relatives was a domestic maid of the factory owner’s family. As he was given a job in the factory, Lo Lei Wo worked diligently and devoted to his job. Therefore he won the trust of his boss. Afterwards he was promoted as an exceptional case and was deployed to the factory’s laboratory. Lo thought that although his boss had 5 brothers and was not short of talents, he regarded Lo highly with special respect.
Hing Wah Battery Factory was an old-style factory founded before the World War II. The employer and the employees took close relations and hometown connections seriously. The founder of Hing Wah was a native from Shunde. Most of his workers were fellow natives who were introduced to work for the factory by their kin from Shunde. Lo Lei Wo was hired in this way because one of his relatives was a domestic maid of the factory owner’s family. As he was given a job in the factory, Lo Lei Wo worked diligently and devoted to his job. Therefore he won the trust of his boss. Afterwards he was promoted as an exceptional case and was deployed to the factory’s laboratory. Lo thought that although his boss had 5 brothers and was not short of talents, he regarded Lo highly with special respect.
| Title | A factory recruited townsmen as workers through relative’s referral |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-006 |
Cheng Y.K.
The founding families of Amoy Food Limited were devoted Christians who organized Sunday schools for their staff and relatives in the Amoy’s industrial estate at Ngau Chi Wan. In the 1950s, Amoy’s Sunday schools were hosted by members of the founding families. On Sundays many employees’ children attended the worshipping activities in Amoy’s industrial estate. After service they stayed behind for meal and amusement. When the employee returned home, they carried home used charcoal from the industrial estate by wooden carts. Cheng Yum Kwai became a Christian under the influence of this corporate culture.
The founding families of Amoy Food Limited were devoted Christians who organized Sunday schools for their staff and relatives in the Amoy’s industrial estate at Ngau Chi Wan. In the 1950s, Amoy’s Sunday schools were hosted by members of the founding families. On Sundays many employees’ children attended the worshipping activities in Amoy’s industrial estate. After service they stayed behind for meal and amusement. When the employee returned home, they carried home used charcoal from the industrial estate by wooden carts. Cheng Yum Kwai became a Christian under the influence of this corporate culture.
| Title | Christian boss and Christina workers worshiped together |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-007 |
To Sui Wan
To Sui Wan, an experienced female textiles worker, was 15 years old when she worked in Fung Li Wool Knitting Factory. She formed sworn sisterhood with 7 friend-coworkers. The girls were aged from 15 to 20. To Sui Wan was the youngest. All except one were shopfloor workers and the other one was a supervisor. Inspired by some movie scene, they became sworn sisters and addressed each other by ‘elder sister’ and ‘younger sister’ in everyday life. They enjoyed leisure time together. Very often they helped and cared each other. Even when they grew older, they kept in contact and gathered to play Mahjong.
To Sui Wan, an experienced female textiles worker, was 15 years old when she worked in Fung Li Wool Knitting Factory. She formed sworn sisterhood with 7 friend-coworkers. The girls were aged from 15 to 20. To Sui Wan was the youngest. All except one were shopfloor workers and the other one was a supervisor. Inspired by some movie scene, they became sworn sisters and addressed each other by ‘elder sister’ and ‘younger sister’ in everyday life. They enjoyed leisure time together. Very often they helped and cared each other. Even when they grew older, they kept in contact and gathered to play Mahjong.
| Title | Female workers of a wool knitting factory formed a sworn sisterhood for mutual support |
| Material Type | Audio |
| Collection | Oral History Archives |
| Accession No. | LKF-OH-STORY2-008 |