Kingpins of an industry-memoryproducts-largely based in OC.
Enjoying
resurgence after tough years of tech downturn. 2003 sales rose 27% to
$1.8 billion. Company holds largest share of memory products at 21%.
Say it's been profitable for each of its 16 years.
Duo is living example of guan-xi, a sense of extended family among Chinese Americans that pervades business.
Chief Operating Officer, Vice President, Kingston Technology Co
Born in Tai-Chung, Taiwan, Oct. 12, 1951 Lives in Irvine
Can't be nice all the time. As prices for
computer memory products dove last year, duo fabled for generosity was
forced to cut some benefits, halt bonuses and lay off people for first
time in company history.
Back in 1996, made national news by
handing out $100 million in bonuses to workers after selling 80% of
Kingston to Softbank. Two bought back Kingston in 1999 for fraction of
what Softbank paid. Said Tu of the buyback: "Kingston is a family, and
you don't walk away from your family."
No. 63 on Fortune's 2001
list of 100 Best Companies to Work For list, down from No. 33 a year
earlier, No. 2 in 1997, after bonuses. Not just money: workers talk of
quiet gestures, paying for a funeral or for care of employee with
cancer.
----------------------------------
FORBES
The World's Billionaires#261 David Sun03.11.09, 06:00 PM EST
Net Worth:$2.5 bilFortune:self made
Source:computer memory
Age:57
Country Of Citizenship:United States
Residence:Orange County, California
Industry:Semiconductors
Education:Tatung University, Bachelor of Arts / Science,
Marital Status:married, 2 children
Settled in U.S. in 1977 from Taiwan, became chief
engineer for Alpha Micro. Cofounded Kingston Technology with John Tu in
1987; today largest privately held computer memory firm in U.S.
Company's USB flash drives and flash cards grace cell phones, digital
cameras, MP3 players. Sun and Tu work from cubicles in the middle of
Kingston sales floor. Pair started memory-chip outfit Camintonn 1982,
sold 4 years later for $6 million. Later formed Kingston. Sold 80%
stake to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996, bought it back for just
$450 million 3 years later.
Ask someone how they built their billion-dollar company, and you will
get answers including hard work, perseverance, good timing and
innovative thinking.
Rarely does the list include “painful memories.” But for John Tu, CEO of Kingston Technology, it does.
Those memories are pretty high up on the
list, and they’ve gone a long way toward making the multibillion-dollar
computer hardware manufacturer one of the best companies in the country
to work for.
“The reason is because we suffered a tragic, financial disaster,” says Tu.
They called it Black Monday — the stock
market crash of 1987. Tu and Kingston co-founder David Sun lost nearly
$6 million that day — all the money from the sale of a previous
business.
But out of those dark days, Kingston was born, along with a heightened appreciation for the human spirit.
“All the people in the beginning that we
recruited, we were just so appreciative that they came and worked for
us,” says Tu. “We knew that maybe we’d be OK, but maybe we’d be on the
street. So we really appreciated the little things.
“The (corporate) culture is influenced
from (Black Monday) because our lives were so painful and hopeless. You
think you’ll never recover from that.”
Kingston’s company values include terms
such as “respect,” “loyalty,” and “fairness.” Also on the list is
“Having fun ... working in the company of friends.”
That seems to be what really fuels
Kingston — there is a driving range behind the headquarters, a company
band that Tu participates in and the eye-popping $100 million in
employee bonuses awarded back in 1996.
The company also has a “Superstar”
program that recognizes employees for exemplary work. Nominated by
their peers, winners have their biographies and photos posted
throughout the company and have lunch with Tu and Sun.
“We just wanted to make sure that the
people are being heard and respected,” says Tu. “We always want to
think about decisions we’re making and how they may cause pain for
other people.”
So far, the decisions have been good
ones — in 2004, the company broke $2 billion in revenue. But that
success hasn’t kept Tu and Sun bottled up in ivory towers. They don’t
just have an open-door policy — they have a no-door policy, opting to
work in cubicles among their employees and department heads.
“It’s a very open environment,” says Tu.
“We all sit outside in the open and have these cubicles. David has his,
and maybe 20 feet away, I have mine. We are very visible. The cubicles
are not high, maybe 3 feet tall.”
Sun made the move before Tu, who had to be coaxed out of his fishbowl by his partner.
“One day I just moved my desk out there,”
says Tu. “I was a little bit skeptical, but after a month, I never
wanted to work in offices anymore.
“When you sit next to people, you break
the barriers. There are no titles. The advantage is communication. You
don’t have to go out of your office or call someone on the phone from
your office. That’s horrible.”
Tu says that many of the things that
create an enjoyable working environment at Kingston revolve around
common sense. The driving range behind the company headquarters is a
good example.
“In the beginning, we had maybe 10 or 15
people working,” says Tu. “And then, we usually were there until 8 or 9
in the evening. We didn’t go to lunch, we’d just eat in the office. So
it was one of those things where you had to do something to have some
fun.
“David [Sun] is a golfer. A golf nut. It
was his idea. Whenever we were tired or wanted to stretch, we’d just go
back there, drive the ball and feel totally relaxed before we went back
to work. People have a lot of flexibility, and I think they like it. If
you make life more flexible, people have more excitement.”
There need to be boundaries, but being
too rigid a leader can backfire. There will always be someone who
abuses a privilege but, says Tu, those people are few.
“Which one is more important — to have a
good, comfortable working environment that is fun and lets people know
it is their place, or to worry about a few and then have a very rigid
culture?” Tu says. “The majority of people are good and conscientious
and willing to put their best foot forward.”
While Tu and Sun do their share to make
Kingston a good place to work, Tu says that employees create most of
the environment through their loyalty.
“Loyalty is the culture,” says Tu. “I
always go back to that. Some say money is the culture, but money is
secondary. Loyalty is what you have when you feel the company is fair.
You can trust the company. You can depend on the company when it’s a
critical time or harsh time.
“Money is always a short-term thing. You
can go to some other jobs and other places that will pay you more and
more, but there will always be other things you are looking for.”
Tu says he’s not an expect at conducting
interviews, but he has learned a few things about finding the right
people to fit in, be productive and contribute to the culture at
Kingston.
“The questions you ask aren’t
important,” he says. “You should just sit down and talk. It doesn’t
have to be about trick questions.”
Tu says he talks to candidates about life, family, even last night’s baseball game.
“The most important thing is having common
sense,” says Tu. “That’s what you look for. You have to have it.
Whether you’re a team player or very smart or a hard worker, it’s all a
risk. You don’t know. You’ll find out, but if this person has very good
common sense, then you most likely have a successful hire.”
By 1995, Kingston had made enough
successful hires to reach $1.3 billion in sales. That prompted Tu and
Sun to take out advertisements in the Wall Street Journal and Los
Angeles Times saying, “Thanks A Billion!” and listing each employee
name. They ran similar ads thanking their suppliers and distributors.
“That was not some well-planned
marketing thing,” says Tu. “We figured we have to say something about
it. And then maybe the best way to do this is ‘Thanks A Billion!’ in
publications all over the world.”
The next year, after 80 percent of
Kingston was acquired by Softbank Corp. of Japan for $1.5 billion, Tu
and Sun allocated $100 million in employee bonuses.
Not surprisingly, two years later,
Kingston began a run of five straight years as one of Fortune
magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Kingston has won similar recognition for its work environment from other publications, but Tu shies away from the publicity.
“I don’t want to discredit being listed,”
says Tu. “But I think if we start becoming conscious of it — we have to
be listed every year — maybe we are doing something that has less
substance, and that’s not good.
“Just let it happen. If you do the right
things, it will keep the value. The most important thing is that we
feel we are doing things the right way.”
That thinking continues to work for Tu and Kingston Technology.
“We are all born equal,” says Tu. “We all
have the same desires and pain and happiness. It’s all about coming to
work together. Hopefully, what we have done means something to
ourselves and other people. Hopefully, we have made some difference in
some people’s lives. That’s the success.”
Comments
Nice to see people getting ready to blog..keep on..
Your article is very insightful. Thank you! Side effect
nice...keep on writing another good quality post..
the comment function is good...but need moderation...
great content love it...
Excellent news and research/news, etc. Great to read all the responses and opinions.
Great suggestions and content, thanks for all the valuable input. Rebecca
Convert between Chinese traditional and simplified characters.
http://www.language.berkeley.edu/fanjian/start.html
JOHN TU
President, Kingston Technology Co.
Born in Chongquing, China, Aug. 21, 1941
Lives in Rolling Hills
DAVID SUN
COO, Vice President,
Kingston Technology Co.
Born in Tai-Chung, Taiwan, Oct. 12, 1951
Lives in Irvine
Kingpins of an industry-memoryproducts-largely based in OC.
Enjoying resurgence after tough years of tech downturn. 2003 sales rose 27% to $1.8 billion. Company holds largest share of memory products at 21%. Say it's been profitable for each of its 16 years.
Duo is living example of guan-xi, a sense of extended family among Chinese Americans that pervades business.
IMAGE PHOTOGRAPH 1
Tu
The OC 50...profiles of the county's most influential business people: John Tu / David SunBy Simons, AndrewPublication: Orange County Business Journal Date: Monday, May 6 2002
JOHN TU
President, Kingston Technology Co.
Born in Chongquing, China, Aug. 21, 1941
Lives in Palos Verdes
DAVID SUN
Chief Operating Officer, Vice President, Kingston Technology Co
Born in Tai-Chung, Taiwan, Oct. 12, 1951 Lives in Irvine
Can't be nice all the time. As prices for computer memory products dove last year, duo fabled for generosity was forced to cut some benefits, halt bonuses and lay off people for first time in company history.
Back in 1996, made national news by handing out $100 million in bonuses to workers after selling 80% of Kingston to Softbank. Two bought back Kingston in 1999 for fraction of what Softbank paid. Said Tu of the buyback: "Kingston is a family, and you don't walk away from your family."
No. 63 on Fortune's 2001 list of 100 Best Companies to Work For list, down from No. 33 a year earlier, No. 2 in 1997, after bonuses. Not just money: workers talk of quiet gestures, paying for a funeral or for care of employee with cancer.
----------------------------------
FORBES
The World's Billionaires#261 David Sun03.11.09, 06:00 PM EST Net Worth:$2.5 bilFortune:self made Source:computer memory Age:57 Country Of Citizenship:United States Residence:Orange County, California Industry:Semiconductors Education:Tatung University, Bachelor of Arts / Science, Marital Status:married, 2 children
Settled in U.S. in 1977 from Taiwan, became chief engineer for Alpha Micro. Cofounded Kingston Technology with John Tu in 1987; today largest privately held computer memory firm in U.S. Company's USB flash drives and flash cards grace cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players. Sun and Tu work from cubicles in the middle of Kingston sales floor. Pair started memory-chip outfit Camintonn 1982, sold 4 years later for $6 million. Later formed Kingston. Sold 80% stake to Softbank for $1.5 billion in 1996, bought it back for just $450 million 3 years later.
Corporate Culture:http://www.kingston.com/company/awards.asp
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_David-Sun_OMV2.html
David Sun and John Tu of Kingston
Loyal sovereigns
How John Tu made Kingston Technology one of the best companies in the country to work for
By Scott Patsko
Smart Business Orange County | April 2006
Print This PageSend this page to a friendThe Tu fileAsk someone how they built their billion-dollar company, and you will get answers including hard work, perseverance, good timing and innovative thinking.
Rarely does the list include “painful memories.” But for John Tu, CEO of Kingston Technology, it does.
Those memories are pretty high up on the list, and they’ve gone a long way toward making the multibillion-dollar computer hardware manufacturer one of the best companies in the country to work for.
“The reason is because we suffered a tragic, financial disaster,” says Tu.
They called it Black Monday — the stock market crash of 1987. Tu and Kingston co-founder David Sun lost nearly $6 million that day — all the money from the sale of a previous business.
But out of those dark days, Kingston was born, along with a heightened appreciation for the human spirit.
“All the people in the beginning that we recruited, we were just so appreciative that they came and worked for us,” says Tu. “We knew that maybe we’d be OK, but maybe we’d be on the street. So we really appreciated the little things.
“The (corporate) culture is influenced from (Black Monday) because our lives were so painful and hopeless. You think you’ll never recover from that.”
Kingston’s company values include terms such as “respect,” “loyalty,” and “fairness.” Also on the list is “Having fun ... working in the company of friends.”
That seems to be what really fuels Kingston — there is a driving range behind the headquarters, a company band that Tu participates in and the eye-popping $100 million in employee bonuses awarded back in 1996.
The company also has a “Superstar” program that recognizes employees for exemplary work. Nominated by their peers, winners have their biographies and photos posted throughout the company and have lunch with Tu and Sun.
“We just wanted to make sure that the people are being heard and respected,” says Tu. “We always want to think about decisions we’re making and how they may cause pain for other people.”
So far, the decisions have been good ones — in 2004, the company broke $2 billion in revenue. But that success hasn’t kept Tu and Sun bottled up in ivory towers. They don’t just have an open-door policy — they have a no-door policy, opting to work in cubicles among their employees and department heads.
“It’s a very open environment,” says Tu. “We all sit outside in the open and have these cubicles. David has his, and maybe 20 feet away, I have mine. We are very visible. The cubicles are not high, maybe 3 feet tall.”
Sun made the move before Tu, who had to be coaxed out of his fishbowl by his partner.
“One day I just moved my desk out there,” says Tu. “I was a little bit skeptical, but after a month, I never wanted to work in offices anymore.
“When you sit next to people, you break the barriers. There are no titles. The advantage is communication. You don’t have to go out of your office or call someone on the phone from your office. That’s horrible.”
Tu says that many of the things that create an enjoyable working environment at Kingston revolve around common sense. The driving range behind the company headquarters is a good example.
“In the beginning, we had maybe 10 or 15 people working,” says Tu. “And then, we usually were there until 8 or 9 in the evening. We didn’t go to lunch, we’d just eat in the office. So it was one of those things where you had to do something to have some fun.
“David [Sun] is a golfer. A golf nut. It was his idea. Whenever we were tired or wanted to stretch, we’d just go back there, drive the ball and feel totally relaxed before we went back to work. People have a lot of flexibility, and I think they like it. If you make life more flexible, people have more excitement.”
There need to be boundaries, but being too rigid a leader can backfire. There will always be someone who abuses a privilege but, says Tu, those people are few.
“Which one is more important — to have a good, comfortable working environment that is fun and lets people know it is their place, or to worry about a few and then have a very rigid culture?” Tu says. “The majority of people are good and conscientious and willing to put their best foot forward.”
While Tu and Sun do their share to make Kingston a good place to work, Tu says that employees create most of the environment through their loyalty.
“Loyalty is the culture,” says Tu. “I always go back to that. Some say money is the culture, but money is secondary. Loyalty is what you have when you feel the company is fair. You can trust the company. You can depend on the company when it’s a critical time or harsh time.
“Money is always a short-term thing. You can go to some other jobs and other places that will pay you more and more, but there will always be other things you are looking for.”
Tu says he’s not an expect at conducting interviews, but he has learned a few things about finding the right people to fit in, be productive and contribute to the culture at Kingston.
“The questions you ask aren’t important,” he says. “You should just sit down and talk. It doesn’t have to be about trick questions.”
Tu says he talks to candidates about life, family, even last night’s baseball game.
“The most important thing is having common sense,” says Tu. “That’s what you look for. You have to have it. Whether you’re a team player or very smart or a hard worker, it’s all a risk. You don’t know. You’ll find out, but if this person has very good common sense, then you most likely have a successful hire.”
By 1995, Kingston had made enough successful hires to reach $1.3 billion in sales. That prompted Tu and Sun to take out advertisements in the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times saying, “Thanks A Billion!” and listing each employee name. They ran similar ads thanking their suppliers and distributors.
“That was not some well-planned marketing thing,” says Tu. “We figured we have to say something about it. And then maybe the best way to do this is ‘Thanks A Billion!’ in publications all over the world.”
The next year, after 80 percent of Kingston was acquired by Softbank Corp. of Japan for $1.5 billion, Tu and Sun allocated $100 million in employee bonuses.
Not surprisingly, two years later, Kingston began a run of five straight years as one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.
Kingston has won similar recognition for its work environment from other publications, but Tu shies away from the publicity.
“I don’t want to discredit being listed,” says Tu. “But I think if we start becoming conscious of it — we have to be listed every year — maybe we are doing something that has less substance, and that’s not good.
“Just let it happen. If you do the right things, it will keep the value. The most important thing is that we feel we are doing things the right way.”
That thinking continues to work for Tu and Kingston Technology.
“We are all born equal,” says Tu. “We all have the same desires and pain and happiness. It’s all about coming to work together. Hopefully, what we have done means something to ourselves and other people. Hopefully, we have made some difference in some people’s lives. That’s the success.”
How to reach: Kingston Technology, http://www.kingston.com
------------------------------
大家好，
现在是4：47分，像吃晚饭了吗？
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