Chua Teck Boon’s Growing Concern for Coffee
Mention Chua Teck Boon’s name among the Sunway University College, Victoria University Alumni and chances are that you will get admirable comments about Chua and his success as a budding entrepreneur.
Thirty-one year old Chua recalls fondly his days as a student of the Sunway University College Bachelor of Business twinning degree programme with Victoria University (VU). “There were only 20 people in my class at Sunway then,” said Chua. “We learned many skills which I have used today in my business” he added.
Chua at 434 Café in Muar
Chua is currently the President of the Victoria University Malaysian Alumni Chapter, and he treasures the memories of his time spent as a student at Sunway University College. He remembers how a lecturer brought them, the students, on a trip to Parliament and how he had a chance to witness a campaign trail by one of our Malaysian politicians at that time. “It was activities like these that make a student more mature”
Today, Chua still keeps in touch with lecturers and students. “I am a product of Sunway University College and I feel it is necessary to share my views with academic staff, on how the syllabus can be altered to make it more industry friendly”
There is one subject that Chua is very passionate about – coffee. He shares how he built up the name of his family-related coffee business from Muar. “It is a small town quality coffee brand in 1953 but I have since revived and modernised the brand”. He explains how he worked hard from scratch to learn about the fine art of coffee roasting from a friend in Milan and how his coffee has grown beyond “Kopi O”. Chua has since acquired the latest technology for coffee roasting and has the capacity to produce gourmet coffee such as those found in internationally known American and European Coffee chains.
“I walked the extra mile to find contacts for my coffee and sometimes I had to work my way from the bottom, including traveling far and enduring long waits to meet the right people” Chua has recently gone on to develop his “434” Cafe outlets in Muar into retail outlets for consumers to learn more about coffee. “There is a need to promote a coffee appreciation especially in small towns where coffee can be a form of promoting local produce and tourism”.
Chua has recently added contract roasting among his other ventures in his business and is personally involved in the marketing of his coffee brand. He makes it a point to deal with his contacts personally. Chua has this advice to students thinking of venturing into business ‘Be humble and patient”. Chua also added, “Networking and information sharing is necessary and any businessman starting out today needs to be more proactive in order to succeed in the world of business.”
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