The SHL Group Story: Building Success in Taiwan

Recent Awards:
2007 Golden Merchant Award (November 2007)
Special Contribution Award (May 2007)
Taiwan Excellence Award (August 2006)

From a one-man trading company operating out of a small apartment in Taipei to a global workforce of over 1,300 highly skilled employees, what is it about the SHL Group that has enabled it to grow at such a rapid pace?

One of the most unique and remarkable stories of a foreign company succeeding in Taiwan's manufacturing industry is the success story of Scandinavian Health Ltd (The SHL Group). This company is a renowned designer, developer, and manufacturer of advanced drug delivery devices whose business and reputation have extended far beyond the boundaries of its Taiwan headquarters.

This story began in the early 1980's, when a young Swedish entrepreneur, Roger Samuelsson, became intrigued by the ''Made-in-Taiwan'' label he often found on many consumer products in Sweden. He was curious about how Taiwan-based companies could manufacture such a broad range of products so economically and efficiently. This led him to travel to Taiwan to gain a better understanding of business in this exciting part of the world. Attracted by the vast trading opportunities on the island, Roger took several suitcases full of Taiwan-made products to bring back with him to Sweden. Over time, however, he found it easier to manage his business from Taiwan rather than living in Sweden.

For his first 5 years in Taiwan, Roger made a living as a buyer for anything that his European customers wanted, from boxing gloves to complex components requiring precision molding. He conducted business, keeping his overhead very low, from his apartment using a simple P.O. Box. His only transportation at the time was a second-hand motorcycle.

Finding more potential in manufacturing than in trading, Roger established The SHL Group in 1989. His goal was to build a production base to provide the medical and hospital equipment industries with superior quality products that other manufacturers in Taiwan could not offer at that time. The toughest challenge that he faced during the initial phase of his business development was financing, as banks were not interested in cooperating with a foreigner with limited capital. ''Getting a loan was just not possible. They only laughed at me,'' he recalls. Determined to build his company, Roger constantly re-invested his own money into the enterprise.

A New Opportunity
In 1994, Roger Samuelsson had his first big break when he received an order to produce the Peninject 2.25, a pen injector for what was then Upjohn, a Michigan-based pharmaceutical company that is now part of Pfizer. He rented some space in a factory to produce these pen-style devices.

The SHL Group started off with this one product and the business developed rapidly, there wasn't much competition back then and entry barriers were less stringent than they are today. From a small rented space in a factory to five plants in Taiwan and one in China, The SHL Group has grown to become the world's largest privately-owned developer and manufacturer of high-end drug delivery devices that supplies globally-renowned pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. With design centers located in Sweden, Taiwan, and the USA, and manufacturing based in both Taiwan and China, The SHL Group combines the high quality manufacturing of Taiwan with the R&D excellence of Europe and North America. With this unique fusion of East and West, it's no wonder that products produced by The SHL Group are exceptional. Quality, safety, and integrity are built into every aspect of the development process.

Roger's passion for the best engineering technology and his insistence on the highest standards of production enables him to take on challenges fearlessly and achieve near-impossible objectives. Known today as one of the most prominent foreign business owners in Taiwan, Roger has achieved success in a remarkably short period of time. He has built a profitable company that is highly coveted and sought after by banks and venture capitalists eager to invest. However, ''There are no plans of selling or listing the company on the stock market,'' Roger declares. Moreover, all of the SHL Group's profits are re-invested into the business and Roger maintains ownership of over 70 percent of the company.

In Taiwan, it is customary for a successful businessman to drive a luxurious car and even have a driver. But Roger, who is very independent and quite humble prefers to drive a rather modest locally made vehicle – investing in new machines for his factories instead. Roger always has his customers' and employees' best interests in mind. A highly reputable man with many admirable qualities, Roger never ceases to amaze visitors to his factories in Taiwan. From his humble beginnings to his remarkable success, it's easy to see why so many people respect this man's ambition and passion for excellence.

Taiwan: A Global Hub
Roger Samuelsson's investments poured mostly into the construction of his five major manufacturing plants, including the SHL Group's headquarters in Taoyuan. Choosing only the best equipment possible, such as rows of state-of-the-art Krauss Maffei injection molding machines, are enough to prove his commitment to keep the Group's manufacturing in Taiwan. His obsession with manufacturing excellence and high standard production has proved a perfect match with the country's strong industrial base, abundant engineering know-how and favorable business climate. These are just some of the many reasons for choosing Taiwan as a global hub for the development and manufacturing of advanced drug delivery devices.

The SHL Group has a dynamic workforce of over 1,300 employees, of which 2/3 are employed in Taiwan. Taiwan's manufacturing experience makes it so much easier and faster to develop new products. Moreover, since the SHL Group's customers are quite demanding, it is absolutely vital for the company to maintain the highest quality standards - a strict requirement on which the company depends for its Taiwan operations to help fulfill. On the other hand, the SHL Group ensures that its local talent is well provided for and that they continue to improve in order to keep up with industry trends.

Partnerships, joint ventures, R&D collaboration, and customer relationships with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms from Europe and North America help to boost employees' competencies as more specialized skills are incorporated into the existing know-how of locally-based staff. These relationships also enhance the organization's overall competitiveness in highly-regulated drug delivery markets around the globe.

Growing with the SHL Group - A Global Family
The SHL Group offers employees a great launching pad to start or further their career. Because it is a recognized leader in the drug delivery device industry, the SHL Group provides the ideal environment and opportunities for employees to challenge themselves and develop. The SHL Group recognizes the value of every employee and encourages both personal and professional growth. For people who want to be a part of a team that comes up with innovative ideas to create cutting-edge products using the most advanced technology and still have fun doing it, they can find such a position at this company.

The SHL Group headquarters in Taiwan is like a melting pot, where one can find an amazing mix of cultures – Swedish, American, Hungarian, Canadian, Swiss, German, French, Taiwanese and more – all blending together into a unique corporate culture. A very enriching environment that can truly enhance one's global perspective, anyone who has the chance to visit the SHL Group's Taoyuan plant would find the dedication and excitement of the staff both impressive and contagious. Besides meeting and getting to work with talented people, one can also notice their friendliness and willingness to learn about and accept a culture that is unlike their own.

The SHL-Fostag General Manager, Willi Germann, a Swiss-born expert in tool making, recalls those memorable moments when he was still new to Taiwan and was unfamiliar with working with Taiwanese. ''The Taiwanese are somewhat more reserved by nature and are rather hesitant to express themselves in the beginning, possibly because of the language barrier. However, once they become familiar with you and become more comfortable, they will work with you to get things done. They are very capable, loyal, and easy to get along with.'' Willi Germann also stated, ''Although it may be difficult at times to make myself understood especially because I do not speak the language, a pleasant smile and a little patience will most often do the job.'' SHL-Fostag is a joint venture between the SHL Group and the Swiss tool manufacturer Fostag.

Although the SHL Group is a global company, it has become a close-knit extended family for most, especially the foreign expats. Though from different countries, one would be inspired to see the close bond that is evident among the employees. Mathilde Lot, a Team Leader from the Project Development Scale Up Department, flashed a smile as she shared, ''I come from France and I've been with the SHL Group for 5 years. A lot of us are from different places, but it's amazing to see how we have all become like a family. Despite our differences we have fun working together and we look after each other.'' Taiwan gives one a sense of community where the society is free and unrestricted. Several of the staff mentioned how easy it is to fit in here because ''Taiwanese are basically warm, friendly people who are very interested in visitors from other countries,'' said Mathilde Lot, who recalled how much her mother enjoyed her visit to the island recently.

The SHL Group also reflects the globalized and multicultural world that Taiwan currently represents. The SHL Group's foreign expats agree that their stay in Taiwan has been quite enjoyable. Swedish-born Niklas Eriksson, the SHL Group's Business Controller, was originally an exchange-student at the National Chengchi University for an IMBA program prior to joining the company. ''I've been in Taiwan for over 5 years and I find life here very convenient. In Sweden, stores are closed early and streets are quiet early in the evening. I also feel safe here in Taiwan. You can even walk around in the streets late at night.''

Gabor L. Papp, originally from Hungary, has been living in Taiwan since 1993, also studied at the National Chengchi University. Prior to joining the company in 2004 as General Manager of SHL Technologies, he worked for the Hungarian Trade Office in Taipei as Marketing Director. Being in Taiwan for many years, he now speaks fluent Chinese and can therefore communicate quite easily with local staff. Gabor feels that Taiwan is his second home and is pleased to see the vast improvements taken place in Taiwan over the years.

Hakan Ryhle, a Process Development Manager born in Sweden, had visited Taiwan numerous times before joining the SHL Group in August of 2007, and he found Taiwan quite entertaining and exciting. ''Learning about a new culture takes time, but the people here are very patient and I respect that. The pace of life here is very appealing to me'', he explained.

Finally, they all agree that life in Taiwan is generally quite good and ''most things back home can actually be found here in Taiwan.''

The SHL Group: A gateway to quality manufacturing in Asia
THE SHL Group's global reputation as outstanding manufacturer has enabled it to serve as an ideal gateway for the North American and European countries to access manufacturing in Asia without sacrificing quality. At present, The SHL Group already has a large number of new orders through 2011 as it continues to develop auto-injectors for many of the top 20 pharmaceutical firms worldwide, including Pfizer and Amgen. Marketing Director Steven R. Kaufman explained, ''With the growing number of inquiries and customer visits to our facilities we see a clear growth trend in the market. Auto injectors and similar medical devices will be increasingly in demand worldwide and the SHL Group is ready to expand to meet this demand.''

As the SHL Group also strives to expand into other drug delivery devices and aggressively moves into med-tech industrial products and hospital and home health care equipment, it seeks to develop joint ventures, partnerships, or other strategic relationships in order to increase vertical integration. According to General Manager Frank Isaksson, ''We have continued to expand on the scope of services that we can provide to our customers, making significant progress in the areas of automation and tooling. Looking forward to 2009 and 2010, we see several other exciting strategic opportunities for our company.''

As the SHL Group to expand capacity to meet demands of new customers, an additional facility in northern Taiwan is currently being considered. Such expansion will once again provide numerous work opportunities to those in Taiwan as well as to those in other countries and regions. Over the years, the SHL Group has made generous contributions not only to the global medical device industry, but also hopes to get more actively involved in Taiwan's growing biotech industry. Clearly, the SHL Group's strict quality standards and continued innovation have helped enhance Taiwan's image and reputation in world markets.

The SHL Group's success story began with one man's passion for machines. His drive for perfection served as the foundation on which the SHL Group is continuing to build on today.