Hutchison Whampoa
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Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL, 和記黃埔有限公司), SEHK: 0013, of Hong Kong, is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. HWL is a leading international corporation committed to innovation and technology with businesses spanning the globe. Its diverse array of holdings range from some of the world's biggest port operators and retailers to property development and infrastructure to the most technologically-advanced and marketing-savvy telecommunications operators.
History
Hutchison Whampoa was originally two companies founded in 19th century, namely Hongkong and Whampoa Dock established in 1863 and Hutchison International in 1877. Hutchison International, under Douglas Clague, gained controlling interest of Hong Kong Whampoa Dock in 1960s. In 1977, Hutchison acquired all stake of Hongkong and Whampoa Dock and became Hutchison Whampoa Limited. In 1979, Li Ka-shing bought 22% stake in HWL and became chairman of the company. Li Ka-shing is a major well known entrepreneur and philanthropist. He founded his charity foundation in 1980 (www.lksf.org).
Company
HWL currently operates in 56 countries and employs over 220,000 staff worldwide. The company has five core businesses - ports and related services; property and hotels; retail; energy, infrastructure, investments and others; and telecommunications.
Industries
HWL operates in businesses related to:
- Ports and Related Services: Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) is the world's leading port investor, developer and operator that operates across Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It operates in five of the seven busiest container ports in the world, handling 13% of the world’s container traffic.
- Property and Hotels: From landmark office buildings such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, to luxury residential properties in the United Kingdom, Hutchison Whampoa Properties Limited develops and invests in leading real estate. Together with Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, HWL has set up a joint-venture company, Harbour Plaza Hotel Management (International) Limited to operate and mange hotels under the portfolio of the Hutchison Property division.
- Retail: A.S. Watson & Co., Limited (ASW), HWL's retail arm, operates its flagship retail chains in Asia such as Watsons Your Personal Store, PARKnSHOP supermarket, TASTE food galleria, GOURMET boutique style fine food hall, GREAT Food Hall, Fortress electrical appliances store, Watson's Wine Cellar and Nuance-Watson duty free operator. In Europe, ASW's retail network comprises health and beauty chains: DC, Drogas, Kruidvat, Rossmann, Savers, Superdrug, Trekpleister, Spektr and Watsons Your Personal Store, as well as luxury perfumeries and cosmetics retail brands: Marionnaud, ICI PARIS XL and The Perfume Shop. A.S. Watson is the world's largest health and beauty retailer.
- Energy, Infrastructure, Investments and Others: Cheung Kong Infrastructure (CKI), HWL’s infrastructure arm, is a diversified infrastructure company with businesses in transportation, energy, infrastructure materials, water plants and related operations. HWL has an interest in Hongkong Electric Holdings (HEH), the sole electricity supplier to Hong Kong Island and Lamma Island. Hutchison is also a major shareholder of Husky Energy, one of Canada's largest energy and energy related companies.
- Telecommunications: HWL is a pioneer of mobile multimedia communications with the launch of third-generation (3G) mobile phones and networks under the "3" brand. It is also a visionary and international telecommunications operator through Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited, which provides mobile phone networks and data services in nine dynamic markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Critics
During the Clinton Administration, when the President and Vice President were under attack for taking money from Chinese funders, several conservative congressmen and senators tried to tie Hutchison Whampoa and its chairman, Li Ka-shing, into the scandal. Hutchison had successfully earned the rights to operate ports on both sides of the Panama Canal, and the coincidence of that event with the Chinese troubles rocking the White House was too good to ignore. Despite the fact that Hutchison and its chairman had never given money to President Clinton's political effort, and despite the fact that Hutchison is a publicly traded company with no ties to the Chinese government, Right Wing critics tried to make the case that Hutchison's presence in Panama was an attempt by the People's Liberation Army to gain control over the Panama Canal, and that the effort was facilitated by President Clinton as a political favor. History has proven that these accusations are baseless.