Letter from Chairman

Dear colleagues,

It is always my pleasure to present long service awards to employees at the K. Wah Group’s Anniversary Celebration. Many of our staff have been working with us for twenty, thirty or even forty years, and a great number of them are from the construction materials division, the founding business of the Group. It was an impassioned moment when I was writing this letter as the Anderson Road Quarry was undergoing the handover progress to the HKSAR Government after the completion of its historical mission for 53 years. This quarry is deemed as the cornerstone of the K. Wah Group and was an excel outcome achieved through the untiring effort  of all colleagues.

Back in 1964, K. Wah was awarded the first quarrying rights contract in Hong Kong. For over half a century, the Anderson Road Quarry has supplied one third of the construction materials for development in Hong Kong. K. Wah is honoured to have participated in various major projects such as the construction of the first resettlement area, Kai Tak airport, the Cross-Harbour Tunnel, the MTR, Island Eastern Corridor, Tsing Ma Bridge, Chek Lap Kok Airport, and the Ten Major Infrastructure Projects. All in all, the quarrying industry is an unsung hero, without which, the developments of our city today could not be made possible.

The Anderson Road Quarry has changed the history of manual quarrying in Hong Kong, applying world class management concept and technologies, and keeping up with the times in terms of blasting techniques, transportation, crushing and greening.  A fully-enclosed and environment-friendly plant under automated management has been developed. For 53 years, the Anderson Road Quarry has supplied 100 million tons of stone materials for Hong Kong. It has also established a one-stop upstream and downstream industrial chain to produce premium construction materials such as concrete, asphalt, eco-bricks, pipes and precast components.

Though Anderson Road Quarry has been excavated for over half a century, the overall terrain is kept intact. Under the “green quarrying and rehabilitation” model, nearly 230,000 trees have been planted, restoring the natural landscape of the barren hill. In future, the government will develop on this 40-hectare quality land a brand-new community for 25,000 people with nearly 10,000 residential units.

Anderson Road Quarry Site has established as an exemplary model in quarrying. Apart from attaining the highest level of quarrying capacity, Anderson Road Quarry’s greenery coverage and site area have also claimed the top of the list, apart from offering numerous job opportunities for the local market and training up various specialists for the construction industry.

I can still remember that in those days, my colleagues and I only had one day off on the Chinese New Year’s Eve during the year, and we had to get back to work the very next day. Those days were difficult, but everyone was committed and no one complained. I would like to express my heartiest appreciation to my colleagues for their hard work, diligence, and perseverance to make Anderson Road Quarry a great success along a fruitful journey.

In the long term, demand for construction materials remains buoyant, underpinned by the development of extensive infrastructure facilities in Hong Kong. Projects like Lantau Island development, the third runway of the Hong Kong International Airport and Northeast New Territories Development as well as the construction of more public and private residential properties require huge supply of  aggregates. Entirely relying on imports not only increases the costs but also involves the risks of supply instability and pollution from long-haul transport. I sincerely hope that the Government would support the development of quarrying industry in Hong Kong so as to ensure steady supply of local construction materials.

The handover of the Anderson Road Quarry to the Government marks a milestone and a beginning. Back in six years ago, K. Wah Construction Materials has acquired the quarrying rights in a green mega quarry in Huidong, Guangdong Province, applying the advanced management, technology and successful experiences of the Anderson Road Quarry. The scale of the quarry is comparable to that of the Anderson Road Quarry with annual production capacity of 4.3-million tonnes of aggregates that are fully supplied to Hong Kong. For now, the Huidong Quarry has become the leading role model for quarrying industry in Guangdong, and is frequently visited by government authorities and industry professionals for exchange of ideas and insights. Besides, K. Wah Construction Materials has started cross-border and diversified production since 2000. Environment-friendly products such as cement and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag are manufactured with annual production of over 12 million tonnes and 14 million tonnes respectively.

With over 50 years of experience, advanced technology and the best management talents, K. Wah Construction Materials is eager to look for new opportunities to serve Hong Kong and Mainland China with our valuable experiences and expertise. We will continue to uphold the spirit of “serving the motherland with foothold in Hong Kong and eyeing on the world”. We also look forward to participating in the “One Belt, One Road” and the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Big Bay Area. In the supply of construction materials and premium aggregates, K. Wah will continue to contribute to the society with our vast experiences and pass on the legacy of our premium brand and reputation. 

   

Dr Lui Che-woo GBS, MBE, JP, LLD, DSSc, DBA,
Chairman and Founder of K. Wah Group