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Wen Ken Group
IndustryTraditional Chinese Medicinal products
Founded1937 (1937)
FounderFoo Yin
Chan Seng Koon
Chong Tang Seong
Foo Yew Ming
HeadquartersSingapore

Wen Ken Group is a family-owned group of companies and one of the largest Traditional Chinese Medicine companies in Southeast Asia.[1] As a family business, the group has seen 3 generations and 5 successions. Founded in 1937 in what was then the colonial Malaya, Wen Ken Group specialises in the research and development, production and marketing of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Natural Medicine, Pharmaceuticals, Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs and health products. In recent years, the group has also gone into the production and development of functional food and drink products. In general, the group's products are distributed to more than 20 countries around the world including India, Australia and Turkey.[1]

Wen Ken Group consists of the parent company, Wen Ken Drug Co. Pte Ltd in Singapore, and 20 other subsidiary companies located in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands respectively. The subsidiary companies practically function as independent business components and each specialises in one of the following fields: (i) Brands & products, (ii) Manufacturing, (iii) Marketing, Distribution, Wholesale & Market Maker, (iv) Investments & Properties, (v) Intellectual Property and (vi) Services. Wen Ken’s existing factories and offices in Southeast Asia occupy a total land area of more than 40,000 square meters, hiring more than 1,000 employees.[2]

History

Wen Ken Group originated as a modest enterprise in 1937.[3] The four founding members, Foo Yin, Chan Seng Koon, Chong Tang Seong and Foo Yew Ming helmed from the Northern part of China and were part of the mass Chinese emigration movement to the Nanyang (Chinese: 南洋; pinyin: nányáng) region in the early 20th Century. In those days, many of the early immigrants to the region were susceptible to common ailments such as coughs, heatiness, headaches and skin rashes as they strove to adapt to the searing tropical climate and long hours of labour under the sun.[4] As basic health care was not easily available to the general masses before the 1940s, a trip to the medical clinic was hardly an option for these immigrants who survived on meager salaries.[4] Having observed this, the four friends decided to market their own traditional recipes of medical remedies in the hope of catering to the basic healthcare needs of the masses at affordable prices.[3] The group launched the Three Legs Brand which concentrated on four main products: cough relief syrup, cooling water (to relieve body heatiness), headache powder and tinea skin solution.[3]

With the end of WWII in 1945, the economy in the region began to pick up. The bourgeoning demand for the Three Legs Brand products prompted the group to shift their production from the small shophouse in Singapore to a new factory in Johor Bahru in order to increase the scale of production.[5]

In the 1950s, the 2nd generation directors successfully took the Three Legs products to beyond Singapore and West Malaysia, establishing the brand in East Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. In 1968, a second manufacturing plant was set up in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, solely for the production of the cooling water.[5]

In the 1980s, an automated manufacturing process using the latest technology was implemented, enhancing the efficiency and quality of production. In late 1980s, the company started packaging its Three Legs Cooling Water in plastic bottles instead of glass bottles.[5] This new lightweight packaging led to a huge increase in the sales of the cooling water. Around this time, the Three Legs Brand also started its licensing and joint venture operation in Indonesia with PT Sinde Budi Sentosa.[5]

Into the New Millennium

Since the 1990s, under the leadership of the 3rd generation directors (who are also the direct descendants of the original founders), the group has established a firm foothold in the international market. Additionally, the group also began operating as a corporate angel investor, having set up its own investment arm, Wen Ken Investment Pte Ltd. This independent business unit looks into different areas of investment opportunities in health, food and beverage, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, wholesale, media and health-related services such as gyms, spas and resorts.[1]

In 1997, Wen Ken invested angel funds to establish a joint venture, MarinEx Pharmaceuticals with Singapore Bio-innovations (a Life sciences, an investment arm of Singapore Economic Development Board).[6] The company works with the Ocean University of China (located in Qingdao) in the use of biotechnology to extract from rich marine resources for the manufacturing of health and skin care products.[6]

In 1999, Wen Ken provided venture capital for Singaporean entrepreneur Mr. Joe Fam, to set up the company GlucosCare International.[7] The company produces glucose-management herbal tea products that are suitable for diabetics and health-conscious consumers. Mr. Joe Fam had revealed in a number of interviews that GlucosCare Tea was created in light of a fast growing trend of diabetes mellitus in developed and developing countries and there arose a need to address the treatment of high blood sugar patients with an alternative and more natural source of medicine rather than the mainstream synthetic drugs.[8]

In December 2011, GlucosCare was awarded the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA) in the Regional Brand category.[9] The natural tea products produced by GlucosCare are sold in over 20 countries around the world including Kuwait in the Middle East and Poland in Eastern Europe.[7]

Manufacturing Plant

File:Manufacturing plant.png
Wen Ken's manufacturing plant in Johor Bahru

Wen Ken owns one of the largest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice)-certified manufacturing plants with licenses to produce Chinese and Herbal Medicine, Over-the-Counter products and Pharmaceuticals in Southeast Asia. The plant covers 116, 261 sq ft (11,626 m2) of land area and is located in Johor Bahru. It is operated by one of Wen Ken’s wholly owned subsidiary companies, Syarikat Wen Ken Drug Sdn Bhd.








Products

Traditional Chinese Medicine Over-the-Counter (Internal) Over-the-Counter (External) Others
Three Legs Cooling Water Three Legs Cough Relief Three Legs Balsem Mouth Cleansing Liquid
Cool Rhino & Cool Rhino O2 Three Legs Aximol 650 Caplet Three Legs Tolnaftate Cream Eurykuat Tongkat Ali Plus
Sea Dragon Brand Cooling Water Three Legs Lemon Sweet Purgative Three Legs Tinea Skin Solution GlucosCare Herbal Tea
Antelope & Rhino Brand Cooling Water Three Legs Medicinal Powder Adelim Ringworm Solution MarinEx OsteoMilk & OsteoSoy
Three Legs Pe Pa Kao Three Legs Ai Kan Shan Powder Three Legs Yellow Lotion
Three Legs Povidon Iodine
Three Legs Liniment Methyl Salicylate

Corporate Social Responsibility

Wen Ken Group is built upon the fundamental principle of 'Love and Gratitude'. These are values laid down by its founders and they form the cornerstone of the group's business philosophy. According to the group, "Love represents care for the community while Gratitude encompasses being grateful for what we have and learning to pass the blessings on by giving back to society."[10] Over the decades, the company has carried out a series of CSR initiatives to encourage their employees to be active participants in community work and to promote the spirit of volunteerism and giving back.

Wen Ken Group is very active in the area of CSR (corporate social responsibility). Apart from being a regular donor, the group is also an active sponsor and has organised several events to support different charity and educational causes. Some nonprofit organisations which Wen Ken Group has worked with include the Home Nursing Foundation (Singapore), Children Cancer Foundation (Singapore), National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia and several others.[10]

In 2011, the Director of Wen Ken Group, Mr. Fu Siang Jeen was named one of the top entrepreneurs at the Singapore Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The Award, jointly organized by the ASME (Association of Small and Medium Enterprises) and the Rotary Club of Singapore, ‘recognizes and inspires entrepreneurship in the local SME community.'[11] Mr. Fu also emerged as the overall winner in the subcategory for 'Social Contribution', having garnered the highest score in terms of social contribution, involvement in environmental policies, encouraging employee involvement in community activity and other efforts that value-add to the community at large.[12]

Awards

  • Singapore Prestige Brand Award 2008 -Heritage Brands category (Awarded to Three Legs Brand)
  • “The BRANDLAUREATE”- SMEs CHAPTER AWARDS 2007 (category for Best Brands in HealthCare- Pharmaceutical)
  • Malaysia Good Design Mark 2008 (Awarded to Cool Rhino)
  • Malaysia Good Design Mark 2011 (Awarded to Three Legs Pe Pa Kao)
  • Singapore Prestige Brand Award 2011 -Regional Brands Category (Awarded to GlucosCare International)
  • Entrepreneur of the Year 2011 for Social Contribution (Awarded to Mr. Fu Siang Jeen, Managing Director of Wen Ken Group)

References

  1. ^ a b c "Best Company Award." Healthy Times Issue 48 Oct-Dec 2011: 19. Print.
  2. ^ "Wenken Home page". Wenken.com. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  3. ^ a b c Wilmot, Elizabeth. "Four Families, Three Legs and...ONE 'COOL' COMPANY." The Straits Times Singapore 03 Dec 2008: B20. Print.
  4. ^ a b "muse gallery." BeMUSE Vol 3, Issue 4 ISSN: 1793-5261 Oct-Dec 2010: 11. Print.
  5. ^ a b c d "Our History". Wenken.com. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  6. ^ a b "Trade Development Successes." Singapore Trade Highlights 1999 Singapore Trade Development Board. Singapore, 2000: 64. Print.
  7. ^ a b Lee, Mike. "Special: Singapore Prestige Brand Awards 2011." The Straits Times Singapore 08 Dec 2011: 20. Print.
  8. ^ Lee, Mike. "Special: Singapore Prestige Brand Awards 2011." The Straits Times Singapore 08 Dec 2011: 20. Print.
  9. ^ The official website of Singapore Prestige Brand Awards
  10. ^ a b "CSR". Wenken.com. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  11. ^ "THE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2011". Eya.com.sg. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
  12. ^ "THE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2011". Eya.com.sg. Retrieved 2012-02-13.
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