Entrepreneur or Investor?

I have commented on OYL Industries Bhd and Hong Leong could be Samsung of Malaysia before.

Last Thursday, Hong Leong and its Executive Chairman, Billionaire Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan is leading the disposal of global air-conditioning manufacturer, OYL Industries Bhd, to Japan's Daikin Industries Ltd in a cash deal worth a whopping RM7.61 billion.

This followed months of market talk that OYL might sell off its air-conditioning business or merge it with another multinational corporation.

HONG Leong Group Malaysia will receive a huge net cash inflow from the proceeds of RM3.04bil, having bought OYL very cheaply 16 years ago.

While the group had to subscribe to a large rights issue when OYL bought the US-based McQuay group in 1994, most of that cost would have been recovered from the dividends paid by OYL over the years.

The Edge's journalist Maryann Tan commented that : Perhaps no one applies the buy-low-sell-high principle better than Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan. The Edge further speculated that reported that Quek will pour money into BIL International. A company in gaming and leisure industry.

It's really disappointed that another entrepreneur I respect in Malaysia exist manufacturing business and pour money into leisure business.

While most reader of my blog might have gain some money in the takeover. It is really debatable whether Tan Sri Quek is an entrepreneur or an investor. While he is skillful investor in applying buy-low-sell-high strategy. Unlike Samsung's founder in South Korea, he never grow the company like Samsung.

However, there are a lot of entrepreneur like Matsushita in Japan make huge loss when he fail to exist Mainframe computer market that dominance by IBM at that point of time. South Korea's Daewo even become bankrupt when he unable to foreseen that his company unable to compete in automobile industries.

Thus, it really debatable whether Quek is an entrepreneur or an investor. The sad things is Malaysian loss a good company to Japanese. However, when the price reach billion. There are few Malaysian that able to swallow this huge company. After the disposal, all value chain in Eletrical and Electronic industriesin Malaysia has been dominated by multinational.

Electrical Appliance----->Semiconductor------>Computer
Panasonic/Daikin-------->Intel(MPI?)-------->Dell(Ftec?)

TechnoratiTag: Business Commentary competitive Economics Economy Malaysia Opinion finance Shares Stock Market klse


Background

OYL's operating margins have been on the decline on high raw material prices and stiff competition in the global market.

Its most recent quarterly results show earnings margins were down 3% despite a sharp 22% drop in prices of cold rolled steel coils, which accounted for 40% of its operating costs. Surging copper prices in recent months are likely to put more pressure on margins.

The Star reported that there is intense global competition, in particular, from South Korean consumer electronics groups. It is believed that The Star refer to South Korea's LG Electronic, which is competitive in air-conditioner market rather than Samsung, which strength is in Handphone and Audio visual product.

Speaking at a press conference to announce the acquisition, Daikin senior executive officer for global operations and board director Katsuhiko Takagi said the merged entity will have the second largest market share in the global air-conditioner business based on its combined sales of US$9 billion (RM32.44 billion) out of a total of US$60 billion, and he would be targeting for the company, in time, to be the world's largest. Currently, the world's largest is the US-based Carrier group.

The Hong Leong group is reaping the reward for having created value in OYL through McQuay. The American company was bought at a time when it was incurring losses due to its junk bond debts, which were progressively paid off when it was under OYL.

Critics noted that McQuay operated under thin profit margins on its huge sales in the United States and Europe. However, it was McQuay's technologies in air-conditioning that enabled the group to pursue a highly profitable expansion into China, other analysts said.

OYL's McQuay is the world's number four in large-scale commercial air-conditioning and AAF is world number three in air filtration products. OYL has a solid presence in China and the US, and Daikin has a leading position in Japan and Europe. Combined, we can significantly increase our global presence. Said Daikin senior executive officer (global operations) Katsuhiko Takagi.

AmResearch said OYL could derive benefits from being part of the Daikin family as it planned to expand air-conditioning operations into North America, India, Russia and Brazil.

Daikin said it was strong in products and technologies in the ductless air-conditioning segment, especially in high value-added air-conditioning, while OYL was strong in Applied business segment, and low-cost heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning products, with its low-cost mass-production technology.