A story of hardwork and success

Some journeys are bound to fail, while others are destined to reap success.

Although fate and destiny are important factors that set the wall between failure and success, one company proves that hardwork and determination are equally powerful, if not greater, elements to flourish by leaps and bounds.

Thirty years since its entry into the region’s business community, Tan Holdings Corporation has grown from a shipping company in 1971 to a major contributor of economic growth in the small island nations of the Western Pacific Region today.

A $200-million corporation, THC has, since then diversified and now operates a myriad of business activities that include real estate, insurance, hotel, airline agent and airport service.

“In reality, Tan Holding’s growth is reflected in Micronesia’s own progress throughout the years. The region has been kind to us and brought us success to most of our endeavors,” says Dr. Tan Siu Lin, chairman of the THC Board of Directors.

Dr. Tan recalls the company’s humble beginnings in Micronesia, which then worked as an agent handling merchandise from China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. It later ventured into film distribution.

Before the onset of the 1980s, the company started expanding operations to other countries in the Pacific that include Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and South and North America.

It opened L&T International in 1982 to bring the film distribution to another level. L&T International was established to oversee trading, cinema and family entertainment businesses, according to Dr. Tan.

Within the same year, THC invested into what is now the company’s biggest business activity — garment manufacturing. THC launched its apparel manufacturing operation on Saipan before it expanded to the Philippines, China. Cambodia, Indonesia, and Guatemala.

THC has also infused huge investment into Pohnpei and plans to expand to other island-states in the Micronesian region. It also set up an office in Japan which had grown to become one of the largest suppliers of tuna in that North Asian country.

All these achievements would have not become possible without the leadership and vision of the people who established and are now running THC, backed by the cooperation and hardwork of the company’s thousands of employees.

“I believe that people who work hard to survive difficult situations will come out stronger. Difficulties give us new opportunities to be better than what we are today,” says THC President Willie Tan.

Speaking before close to a hundred THC employees from around the Western Pacific Region who converged for the company’s first annual business conference, Mr. Tan acknowledged the contributions they offered in making the corporation one of the top employers in the region.

Region’s most admired

THC has made major economic contributions in the West Pacific and Mr. Tan says the company is not stopping there. “We are going to do more. We will reaffirm our commitment to social responsibility. We will maintain the beautiful, clean environment where we do business.”

He lays down plans to make THC the Western Pacific Region’s counterpart of America’s General Electric, a world-renowned company operating various businesses in different industries.

“We will expand. We will explore acquisitions, particularly in tourism and real estate development. You will hear our vision to become the most admired company in the region,” he told participants to the first annual THC conference at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

The company executive also mentioned the factors that will support the realization of THC’s visions. These are the corporation’s impressive financial performance, worldwide partners and alliances, diversity in terms of employees’ cultural and ethnic background, strong management team, and more importantly, strong customer base.

Mr. Tan is aware THC’s competitive edge will soon be heavily reliant on the value added services it can provide customers, acknowledging that consumers have become more discriminating who look for lower prices, faster turnaround and better service.

He says efficient companies are strong in logistics, and that THC will use its expertise and strength to meet customers’ expectations. He believes the vast body of water that separates THC affiliates throughout the region should not be a detriment to the company’s growth.

“No matter what challenges lie ahead as we strive to become ‘The Most Admired Enterprise in the Western Pacific,’ we need not be afraid to move forward if we stick to our basic values,” says Mr. Tan.

Economic difficulties should not also be an obstruction to THC’s smooth journey toward expansion and further growth.

THC’s garment manufacturing business is largely dependent on the American economy, while many of its other activities were born during the Japanese bubble economy, says Mr. Tan.

The American economy is heading for a recession while Asia is in for an extended economic slowdown but THC and the rest of its affiliates will continue braving the hard times with ingenuity to bring out the best of the available products and services to the consumers it serves.

“We are going to re-invent and re-engineer Tan Holdings,” concludes Mr. Tan.