Chua Song Seng Group of Companies 80th Anniversary Celebration

[Event]

 

We headed over to the HXC Grand Ballroom at ICC Pudu on 18 June 2019 for Chua Song Seng Group of Companies’ 80th anniversary celebration. The event was graced by many guests, notably Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, as well as brand principals, trade partners, suppliers, media and more.

Being able to sustain a conglomerate over decades was a remarkable achievement for Dato’ Chua Lai Huat, who led the company to pull through the toughest of times, despite the many economic turmoil and challenges, to become the company it is today.

In his welcome address, Dato’ Chua noted that the company was established 80 years ago, bearing witness to the country’s economic transformation and contributing to the country’s development since its independence. Having been through the ups and downs in the past 80 years, the group has transformed from a humble sundry shop to a reputable wholesaler of tobacco and alcoholic products.

He added that “ We witnessed all the crucial historical developments of the country including the British colonization, the Japanese occupation, the independence of Malaysia, Malaysia’s major flash floods, the first financial crisis in the 1980s, the birth of national car Proton, the dynamic economic growth in the 1990s as well as the new Alliance of Hope government. The Group also survived a fire and weathered the storm of the second financial crisis in 1997.

Dato’ Chua enthused, “Life is like an adventure, dare its limits, A duty, perform it with highest values, seize an opportunity, complete the journey, solve the puzzles and achieve goals.”

The CSS Group of Companies also thanked their brand principals that have been with the company through decades, as well as their suppliers, stakeholders and trade partners.

Truly, the story of the CSS Group of Companies is one of true grit, perseverance, innovation and astute business acumen over the past eight decades. From a humble sundry store, to setting the trend in the way hampers are wrapped (hampers are still wrapped this way in Malaysia today!), to overcoming adversity when the store burned down in 1989, to expanding to forming partnerships and securing distributorships with various brands including Carlsberg Malaysia and JTI, the success of the CSS Group of Companies is definitely cause for admiration.

 

 

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