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Au Kwan Cheung
Au Kwan Cheung
Founder, Yick Sun Knitting Company
Sex: Male Birthyear: 1947 Age at Interview: 62 Education: Senior Secondary Occupation: Small Factory Owner Theme: Industry Growing up in his father's knitting factory, Au Kwan Cheung became interested in knitting machine at an early age. While his father led his apprentices to repair machines, Au Kwan Cheung watched, helped and learned by his side. During his secondary school days, Au Kwan Cheung was asked to repair machines at other knitting factories. Working in the factory on weekdays and only shopping or going to the cinema very occasionally, he had few childhood leisure activities.
Title Became interested in knitting machine at an early age Date 20/08/2009 Subject Industry Duration 1m22s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-001 There were many dyeing factories in Sham Shui Po in the 1950s. Since they consumed much water and tanks were heavy, dyeing factories usually ran their businesses from ground level premises and operated by receiving orders from garment factories for processing. As dyeing factories had hot water supplies, Au Kwan Cheung often went to a neighbouring dyeing factory on Fuk Wah Street for a hot bath during the winter. He was of Primary Five and Six at that time.
Title Simple childhood: ‘‘In winter of course we went to take a shower in dyeing factories---hot water supply!’’ Date 23/07/2009 Subject industry Duration 1m10s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-002 He had helped in his father’s knitting factory since he was young. Thus he was familiar with knitting. He was not willing to try a new career path. As he was optimistic to the future of the knitting industry, he chose to commit his career in the trade. He reasoned that clothing was people’s daily necessity and so cloths and clothes would continue to be needed. Hong Kong’s fabric industry prospered in the 1960s.
Title Choosing his career: ‘‘I don’t believe textiles industry will go into decline!’’ Date 20/08/2009 Subject Industry Duration 1m10s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-003 Although the technology at his father's knitting factory was lagging behind, the sector as a whole grew steadily. However some successful fabric factories could be expanded ten times faster than Au Kwan Cheung’s father’s. Au Kwan Cheung felt that his father’s factory was old-fashioned and its technology remained at the level of the 1950s’. Shortly after dropping out from school, he started his own business with a friend.
Title Leaving father’s factory and starting his own business Date 20/08/2009 Subject Industry Duration 1m25s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-004 In the early 1990s, Au Kwan Cheung began investing in new fabric types, buying new materials from overseas to try out new fabric types. Occasionally, he would blend different types of raw materials together into cheap fabrics. While developing new fabric types did not bring much direct profit to the company, Au Kwan Cheung felt satisfied with this kind of work especially when the garment manufacturers bought in his creation for production.
Title Developing new fabric types for satisfaction Date 20/08/2009 Subject Industry Duration 1m32s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-005 Au Kwan Cheung set up production in Zhongshan and Foshan in the 1990s. While the bulk of Tai Hing’s manufacturing moved northward, the company still maintained some production in Hong Kong. As Au Kwan Cheung still had to take care of these Hong Kong operations, he was unable to manage both factories, finally closing the operation in the mainland. Requiring a hands-on approach to manage his investments in the mainland, rather than delegating the work to others, Au Kwan Cheung found it difficult to adopt Hong Kong style of management in China’s environment.
Title Failed to expand production in China: ‘‘You have to devote all of your energy if you start a business in China.’’ Date 20/08/2009 Subject Industry Duration 1m24s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-006 In reviewing his past career in the knitting industry, he considered the most glorious time to be the years when he did not have to worry about business! Those were the happiest days he had ever lived. After the decline of the local knitting industry, Au Kwan Cheung twice set up factories in the mainland. Though neither attempts were successful, he remains to be happy that he had made the effort to try
Title Most glorious time in his career Date 20/08/2009 Subject Industry Duration 1m27s Language Cantonese Material Type Audio Collection Oral History Archives Repository Hong Kong Memory Project Note to Copyright Copyright owned by Hong Kong Memory Project Accession No. LKF-ACC-HLT-007