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Chan Wah Cheung
Chan Wah Cheung
Managing Director, Chit Shing P.V.C Products Mfy. Ltd.
Sex: Male Birthyear: early 1950s Age at Interview: about 60 Education: Primary Occupation: Industrialist Theme: Industry When he was 18, he became the second head in a plastics factory, earning a monthly salary of around $300. A year later, Chan Wah Cheung started his own business with a small capital of $3,000 out of his own savings. Initially, Chan Wah Cheung had no intention of running his own business but only decided to take this action when his employer paid him just $100 despite that he had promised to offer a year-end double pay of $300. Thinking that even with a salary increase, it wouldn't be sufficient to support his family, Chan Wah Cheung was determined to quit and start his own business. It took him an hour to reach this decision. He established Chit Shing P.V.C. Products Manufactory Limited.
Title Founding his own business at the age of 18 to raise his family Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m46s 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-CWC-HLT-001 From its establishment in 1969 to 1978, Chit Shing’s business was booming. The factory operated days and nights. Reviewing his company’s accounts eight years after its establishment, Chan Wah Cheung was shocked to find that the losses had accumulated to around $500,000. The skilled master in charge of molding department repeatedly advised him to close the business down. Chan Wah Cheung summarized several reasons for his failure, such as low output value of products, intense competition within the trade and mis-management in terms of production cost.
Title Fierce competition of PVC product industry Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m 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-CWC-HLT-002 When Chit Shing was first established, female workers worked 10 hours a day while Chan Wah Cheung and his family members worked 15 hours each day. Working on Sundays was not unusual. When Chit Shing moved to Tsat Po Street in the mid-1970s, labour law restricted the working hours of female and child workers and overtime required a special application. During that time, Chan Wah Cheung’s elder brother and younger sister successively joined Chit Shing and the factory adopted a family-style operation.
Title Operated his factory ceaselessly at the start of his business Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 58s 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-CWC-HLT-003 Chan Wah Cheung admitted that when the factory was expanded to 12,000 square feet, it was operated with the style of squatter factory with no practices for staff appraisal and training. Chan Wah Cheung believed that easy communication was probably the biggest advantage of this type of factory as the management could promptly detect the emotion of its employees and correct any related problems accordingly.
Title Factory management style from 'Small Squatter' to 'Big Squatter' Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m5s 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-CWC-HLT-004 Chan Wah Cheung stressed that operating a factory involved sophisticated knowledge. Chan believed that manufacturers should have formal training in business administration in order to run a profitable enterprise. If not, companies would have to invest twice the effort to obtain half the outcome and would suffer from unnecessary emotional and monetary losses. Chan Wah Cheung recalled that at that time when he started his business, many other manufacturers started their companies with meager capitals, with the background of technician masters without much management knowledge. As they moved their factories to China, although the workforce had doubled, the style of squatter factory remained, leading to inefficient and ineffective management.
Title Enormous difficulties of running a factory without professional knowledge Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m5s 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-CWC-HLT-005 Chan Wah Cheung stressed that he seldom participated in social activities with other manufacturers in the trade. He only relied on his own effort to solve problems though it may take him unnecessarily much time to find the solution. He considered betting on horse races and going to nightclubs, common social activities among the people, were a waste his time. He pointed out that though he might have lost the chance to obtain industry-related information from other manufacturers, he preferred to spend time on actual work and do his utmost for the industry.
Title Focusing on his work and seldom participated in social activities Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m35s 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-CWC-HLT-006 Chan Wah Cheung planned to let the company’s mainland managers take over Chit Shing’s operation after he retired. He had no intention to make his son inherit the company. Chan Wah Cheung recalled that he started Chit Shing only to improve his poverty condition. After the living conditions were improved, he felt one should pursue a more meaningful life and contribute to the society and people’s welfare. Chan Wah Cheung encouraged his children not to follow his footsteps, and he believed that it made no sense to pass one's property from generation to generation. Instead, he encouraged his son to take part in researching into environmentally-friendly energy for the benefit of the future generations.
Title One should pursue a more meaningful life after living conditions were improved Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m43s 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-CWC-HLT-007 Chan Wah Cheung recalled that his industrial career for over 40 years was full of painful experiences. As a manufacturer, he was not worried about having a comfortable life in old age. That said, were he given a second chance, Chan Wah Cheung said he would choose not to not engage in industry because it was a hard job most people could not imagine.
Title Industrial career was full of painful experiences Date 28/02/2011 15:00-18:15 Subject Industry Duration 1m 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-CWC-HLT-008