Hong Kong LP Gas chief Albert Ma hopes recognition will inspire younger generation
Albert Ma Hon-ning will become an honorary Doctor of Humanities of Tarlac State University in the Philippines at a special conferment ceremony today to mark his achievements in the world of business and his outstanding contribution to society.
As chairman and managing director of Hong Kong LP Gas (Holdings), Dr Ma has overseen many changes in the course of his business career, but always recognises that success and innovation go hand in hand.
The company was founded by his father and soon became a leading distributor of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and related appliances. Importantly, though, it also proved adept at anticipating change. So, instead of relying on its original sales and installation business, the company expanded into air-conditioning and engineering services in the late 1960s.
Dr Ma continued to diversify through a number of strategic acquisitions to stay ahead of the competition. As a result, core activities now include project design, equipment sales and quality maintenance services for the government and other major institutions. More recently, the company also started supplying kitchen appliances and doing residential alteration work.
'At different times, we had to really identify what the market needed and use our resources to meet that requirement,' Dr Ma said. In doing this, each new initiative was also prompted by a desire to improve living standards in Hong Kong while ensuring safety.