Yuan Fong Lai

In Loving Memory – Mr. Yuan Fong Lai Mr. Yuan Fong (Y.F.) Lai was born October 29, 1921 in Ningbo, China. He resided in Shanghai and received his degree in Physics from the University of Shanghai. He fled from Communist China, first to Taiwan and then to Hong Kong, to further his career in the textile business. He married Ms. Pao Lin Lee in 1958 and was blessed with two daughters, Ingrid and Janet. Mr. Lai and Ms. Lee saw the opportunity for Hong Kong (a British colony at that time) as an industrial hub due to the advantage of preferential duties for exports to Great Britain and other British territories. So in 1960, they established Union Cotton Mills, Ltd. Mr. Lai was a dedicated entrepreneur and was invited by his uncle, Honorable C.C. Lee, to become a member of the Hong Kong Trade and Industry Advisory Board, responsible for traveling to Great Britain, Europe, and West Africa to promote the Hong Kong textile industry. In the 60s, Mr. Lai utilized his technical background and developed a duvet cover for down comforters where the down feathers were trapped inside. The secret was combining superior American raw cotton and special looms to produce extra fine threads for weaving ultra-high density cotton cloth. Business poured in from many overseas down manufacturers and established Union Cotton Mills as a forerunner in using advanced technology in the textile business in Hong Kong. Upon such success, Mr. Lai expanded the factory and was the first in Hong Kong to bring in state of the art Picanol spindles and air jet looms produced in Germany. Mr. Lai was also the first to advertise his textile products using slogans. The “Start warm, Stay warm� advertising campaign for cotton flannelette was a huge success, resulting in significant sales in America and European countries so families could indeed “start warm, stay warm� through the cold winter. Since Mr. Lai offered reasonable prices, he received a large volume of orders, thus attracting other weaving companies in Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and China to purchase Picanol air jet looms and compete with him. Mr. Lai welcomed competition and in fact established a committee with representatives from China to share learnings and techniques in the manufacturing process. The labor rate and cost of doing business in Hong Kong continued to rise in the 80s forcing many cotton mills in Hong Kong to shut down. Mr. Lai used his ingenuity to stay in business and expanded into dyeing knitting cloth for T-shirts and dress shirts. However with the establishment of Special Economic Zones in China, many weaving and dyeing companies moved to take advantage of the low cost labor, so Mr. Lai ultimately closed down Union Cotton Mills and retired. Upon retirement in the 90s, Mr. Lai became an investor. He also continued to support charitable causes and in 2007, together with Ms. Lee, established the Jean Wei Center in Hong Kong to provide dementia care services. In 2008, Mr. Lai’s health declined and was diagnosed with kidney disease. He was admitted to St. Teresa’s Hospital requiring kidney dialysis, which eventually took its toll on him. He passed away peacefully on July 15 and will be buried in the San Francisco Bay Area on July 27. He was a filial son, beloved husband, father, and grandfather to Anthony, Sarah, and Andrew. May he rest in peace in the Kingdom of God. 追憶勵元芳先生 勵元芳先生(��承�)，1921年出生於寧波。先祖原姓「厲�，因曾替滿清皇�出力，故賜�力部改為姓「勵�。早年到上海，於滬江大學修讀物�學。後在中國歸共產黨�，先到��，後轉香港發展事業。在1958年與��玲女士完婚，育有兩�女兒。 在1960年，因為當時香港是英國殖民地，出�到英國�英國屬地的紡織��享有特惠稅。所以勵先生與�女士覺得香港紡織業大有�途，故開辦�和紡織廠。 勵先生開廠後�事親力親為，並被邀加入先��震之大人創立的 Hong Kong Trade and Industry Advisory Board �為會員，負責�往英國，�洲，�西�等地推廣業務�發展。 在60年代，英國廠家�求�和生產全棉羽絨被套，但羽絨�能從被套穿出。經勵先生無數測試�改良，終於�功。秘訣在於必須使用高級特長的美國原棉花，在最精密的紡紗機上紡出幼細的棉紗，�能織出高密度之布匹，防止羽絨外�。 羽絨被套研究�功後，�接�英�多間大羽絨廠的訂單，推使�和營業�大增，處於�業中之優勢。經�業�輩上海�通紡織大學畢業生���先生�乃徵姻兄之指導��助下，勵先生引入德國首屈一指的Picanol紗綻�無梳布機，開創了在香港紡織業轉用德國機械之先河。 �一創新之處，是�用�號宣�產�之優點。��玲女士因見其�在寒冬下用36寸�的毛布縫制�70或80寸闊的被 套，覺察到有生產90�108寸闊毛布之需�。她並策劃了棉織法蘭絨的宣傳�號“Start warm，stay warm�。經推擴 後，�和闊�法蘭絨行銷�美等氣候寒冷的地居，使主婦�益無窮。 因為�和的毛布訂價��，訂購單應接�暇，造�德國布機進�香港，��亞，�中國西安之�大改變。勵先生致力增進闊�Picanol無梳布機之市場，並由香港紡織�業公會�助下，與西安當局組��作社，��往後之競爭。 然80年代間，香港工資�水電費等�斷上漲，自設廠房的�紗廠亦難於支�，相繼光榮歇業。�和在勵先生的導領�新下，轉為漂染新��織衣料，供出�日益廣泛之T�，�織布等市場。 中國開放外資後，�少紗廠紛紛轉移到內地水�充足之地�設廠。勵先生故鄉上海屬大城市，缺�設廠件�，故從1997年起，轉為從事投資事業。退休後勵先生�熱心慈善公�，在2007年與��玲女士在港開辦芹慧中心，�供��年人「以人為本，家庭為��的照顧。 經 Lehman Brothers 証券行倒閉事件一害，勵先生於 2008年體弱，而經�醫何繼良診斷患慢性腎病，需入���法國醫院。然長期洗腎者難�最終體力衰竭，勵先生於七月�五日與世長辭，在七月二�七日葬於美國三藩市，歸主懷抱。 哲人西去，典範長存，特此銘記，以表追�。