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Establishing New Frontiers

If there is one word to describe Johnson Fitness Malaysia, cutting-edge would be the first word that comes to mind. Though the wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson Health Tech Co. Ltd. (JHT) has been competing in the Malaysian market for only a decade, it continues to fortify world-class standards – making them one of the nation’s top fitness equipment companies. As Johnson Fitness Malaysia starts a fresh chapter, Top 10 of Malaysia speaks with Dean Chu, the new Managing Director of Johnson Fitness Malaysia about his business strategies and the mission of burgeoning Johnson Fitness to greater heights.

Recapitulating the heritage of Johnson Fitness Malaysia, JHT was founded by Peter Lo in 1975. AndLo was determined to nurture his commitment to great health and well-beingas well as to establish a sustainable range of fitness equipment. He personally handwrote over 1,000 letters to American companiesoffering support and services for their manufacturing needs. For his relentless effort, Lo received two responses which soon changed the future of JHT. 40 years and still counting, JHT has grown tremendously in the ever-evolving fitness marketas Asia’s top fitness equipment retailer.

Established in 2005, Johnson Fitness Malaysiaprovides an extensive state-of-the-art range of machineries; featuring bikes, cross-trainers, elliptical, steppers, treadmills and ascent trainers.These fitness equipment are not only suited for the gym or commercial purposes, the products are designed to be utilised in the comfort of one’s home too. Its brands – Matrix, Johnson, Vision and Horizon – have claimed a plethora of accolades which includethe Taiwan Excellence Gold Award, International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) andTaiSPO Excellence Award.

Even with Johnson Fitness Malaysia’s three full-fledgedoutlets up and running, Dean Chu, its managing director, believes that there is a long way to go.

“Johnson is one of the largest and top brands in many countries as we have worldwide networks of distributors in over 60 countries and 20 subsidiaries – Malaysia being one of them. However, as fruitful as we may be, there is still room for perfection,” says Chu.

Competition is not much of an issue with Johnson Fitness Malaysia as the company manufactures and retails its own set of international gradeproducts and services. “Everything from design to production, sales and post-sales services are handled solely by us. Our commitment to provide sustainable products, greater value and admirable customer services has also attributed our company as a provider of high-quality fitness equipment here in Malaysia,” says Chu.

Since its inception 10 years ago, Johnson Fitness Malaysia has built a strong, viable team of professionalswho are able to provide high-quality service to its customersefficiently and effectively.To Chu, the strength of the company lies in its novelty as well as the continuous determination to elevate its standards. The target-oriented managing director also believes in the significance of key performance indicators (KPI) and management by objectives (MBO) in outlining a vivid target for the team.

“Team work is substantial in creating a favourable and conducive work environment. My management approach is to always motivate my team and engage with them, so that everyone is on the same page. I ensure that regular reviews and evaluation based the team’s KPI are conducted,” adds Chu. When asked about challenges, he sees them as an opportune gateway for all to learn, improve and to become a stronger unit in the industry.

Chu has fostered anardent love for sports from a young age. During his stint in Chinese Culture University, the Taiwan-native was actively involved in athletics. Apart from that, he practices a variety of combat sports such as martial arts and boxing. With his strong passion for fitness and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in hand, Chu saw a bright opportunity awaitinghim at Johnson Fitness.

“To be honest, this is actually my first job,” he smiles. “I have been in the fitness equipment industry for 13 years now and I have grown to adopt a salubrious lifestyle.”And as health problems continues to amplify in Malaysia, Chu hopes to promote a healthier lifestyle among its citizens through Johnson Fitness Malaysia’s products.

In line with the company’s vision of being the mainprovider of health and wellbeing products, Johnson Fitness Malaysia is looking to expand to more than 20 retail outlets within the next two years and 50 outlets in the span of five years. According to Chu, consumers can expect a new and advanced series of equipments suited for all fitness levels – the ones that allow individuals to record their workout progresses through the usage of internet.

“10 ten years from now, we hope that Johnson Fitness Malaysia would have grown to be the primary supplier of fitness equipments in the country in addition tobeing the number one in Southeast Asia,” says Chu.

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