Introducting Victory

必九

必 means “must be” – 九 means 9 – 9 represents the emperor – 必九 means “VICTORY”
必九 The formula for a successful collaboration.

Growing up in the seaport city Keelung Taiwan I was fascinated by the in and out going steamers – the hectic of the traders – creates and barrels dangling from the crane wires between boats and wharfs. Keelung was in those days the most important harbour of Taiwan due to the close distance to Taipei and had a long tradition as an export import harbour connecting Taiwan with the western world since the early 1600. Recalling this picture from my childhood it could be said to have encouraged my decision to set up our family company Victory Marketing Corporation in 1985 and engaging the whole Hsu family in the company’s future development.

The Californian Standard Brand Paint Company was our first true customer and for several years we produced all kind of paint accessories for this company. Often one or more 40-foot containers a month was loaded in the harbor of Keelung and of course it was more modern boats than my childhood’s steamers. Seeing the containerships disappearing in the horizon with the goods we have produced for our clients was a good feeling because I knew that my family and I had not only finished our job but that we have controlled every bit and pieces before the door to the container was sealed. We were all very proud… a proudness which still fill my heart today when the containers leave factories around China for its final destinations.

Victory’s business was growing into an international trading company with new partners in New Zealand and Europe.

With the opening of mainland China, I decided with my brother Victor to move the major part of our activities to Shanghai and greater China. With this decision we were able to handle sourcing and production for bigger international household and kitchenware companies like the Swiss/Danish Company Bodum and later other important western brands such as KOZIOL, ASA, JME, SIGG and Design House Stockholm between other well-known brands following the years to come.

The experience gained with these collaborations made it possible for us to work with designers and understand the high demands for quality and design which should become a crucial foundation of our business. With these collaborations it became important to engage in a deeper collaboration to be able to understand our customers’ needs and demands. In August 1999 Victory was able to establish the first retail business in Taiwan with Bodum and later Koziol.

With the tea house brand smith&hsu we wanted to deepen our gained experience with the purpose to understand what it means to create an independent brand from scratch. What would be more natural than trying to combine what we by Victory were good at. Developing and producing kitchen and tableware and bridging western and Asian culture… and finally combining the most essential of Taiwanese social and cultural life… Tea! smith&hsu should become one of the most bellowed and talked about Taiwanese Tea-House brands. Victory, more than any Asian trading and purchasing company, understands what it means to build a consistent brand to the highest international consumer demands.

The big experience we have gained in design, engineering, logistics, production and international quality standards is today the core of our business. We have been able to stay small and therefore build an efficient acting hand on family business where second generation, son and daughter, together with a trusted team maintain our values with a hands on down to earth and civilized attitude. It makes it possible for us to work beyond the pragmatic corporate professionalism of big trading organisations. A passion for each single of our client’s projects is our highest concern day out and day in for more than 35 years. We are both happy and proud of supporting our clients with a big range of services in particularly greater China and naturally Taiwan.

Through the past 35 years we have created many Victories for our clients and we have the power and the team to make even more Victories in the future.

James Hsu

CEO & Founder

Victory Marketing Corporation