MATTHEW Koon Wing-yee, the 28-year-old founder, president and chief executive of Easyknit Enterprise Co, started business at the age of 19, with capital of $10,000 and a staff of six.
Now, the Young Entrepreneur award winner's company is Hong Kong's largest knitwear exporter to the United States and Canada, with turnover of $960 million.
His career began in the mid-1980s, when he established a small garment factory in Kwai Chung.
The small size of his staff forced Mr Koon to assist in the manufacturing processes. Consequently, he became personally involved in the cutting, sewing, ironing, packing and delivery of garments.
Mr Koon said the experience of having to do a lot of the work himself stood him in good stead and as a result, he was personally responsible for designing the layout of the company's present offices.
The factory soon expanded and by 1987, when Mr Koon bought a floor in an industrial building in Cheung Sha Wan, he had a staff of 70.
However, in 1988, Mr Koon made the decision to sell the factory to a former employee, and to focus the business on the sourcing and exporting of garments to the US.