Built from scratch
Originally from Changhua County, Liu Shu-tien lost his father at an early age. His mother raised him to be honest and steadfast, which served him well when establishing his career in business.
But Liu’s childhood poverty created difficulties with his education. During his elementary- and middle-school years, he had to walk an hour to and from his school bus stop, and also had chores at home and in the fields. He moved to Taipei after completing his military service, and found work there as a salesman for a company making stainless-steel cookware.
He recalls earning NT$50 for each delivery he made from Ximending to Songshan in 1969, when a typical salary was just NT$1,000 per month. He put his all into the job, which was his first. He became the company’s top salesperson in just three years and was then promoted to manager. Liu says that he worked as if the company were his own: while other employees marked time for eight hours per day, he always sought to do more than merely eke out a living, and clocked as many as 16 hours a day.
He went on to found his first company in 1975, investing NT$15,000 to start a venture that made stainless-steel cookware.
Once Liu’s domestic sales began to show steady growth, he began moving into overseas markets. He invested in expanding the company’s factory and buying new equipment, and worked unceasingly to develop new products. The strategy worked: sales grew rapidly and the company’s annual revenues reached NT$20 million. In 1981, Liu went on to start First Enamel Industrial Corporation. He expanded his factory again three years later, while also purchasing a kiln from Europe and automating his production equipment to improve product quality, develop his brand, and increase his overseas business.
The Youth Career Development Association of the ROC recognized him in 1985 by naming him a young model entrepreneur.
Liu continued his expansion in 1986 by opening an enamel housewares factory in Indonesia the following year, but ultimately gave it up when profit margins became too thin. His next move was to support his efforts in Southeast Asia by investing NT$150 million in the establishment of a subsidiary, Thai First Enamel, in Thailand.
Liu Shu-tien believes in the importance of production-line management, stressing discipline and efficiency.