KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Asia, the organizer of the 13th Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2022 Malaysia, is pleased to recognize 47 exceptional business leaders and enterprises that have played a vital role in shaping Malaysia's entrepreneurial landscape.

Organized annually across 16 countries and markets, the APEA is the most reputable award recognition program recognizing entrepreneurial excellence across Asia. The Awards aim to congregate outstanding business leaders and enterprises across Asia into one unparalleled platform for fostering the continuity of sustainable entrepreneurial growth in Asian economies.

Tan Sri Dato' Lim Kuang Sia, the Group Managing Director/CEO of Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd. (KOSSAN), was honored with the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the APEA. 

Tan Sri Dato' Lim's entrepreneurial journey started over 40 years ago when he founded KOSSAN, a venture with only five people, and manufactured Malaysia's very first rubber cutlass bearings for fishing boat propellers. The foray into rubber glove manufacturing started during the AIDS pandemic in 1987. Tan Sri Dato' Lim saw this as an open door that called upon both his expertise as a chemist and his experience in rubber products to solve a global problem, leading KOSSAN to start manufacturing rubber gloves in 1988. Since then, KOSSAN has multiplied its range of products and is now globally recognized as a key manufacturer of gloves and highly technical rubber products with more than 7,000 employees and presence in more than 90 countries.

A chemical engineer by training, Tan Sri Dato' Lim has been instrumental in KOSSAN's glove innovations and successful patents. Tan Sri Dato' Lim himself developed the first Low Dermatitis Potential formulation, resulting in the production of a hypoallergenic latex glove and an industry first synthetic glove that is free from allergic chemicals. Other notable innovations which are world firsts are the Anti-Fentanyl permeation gloves and Halal-Certified gloves. Today, KOSSAN is recognized for its precision in glove formulation, regulatory compliance and reliable partnership.

Tan Sri Dato' Lim is meticulous and drives high standards of operational excellence. This has led to continuous efficiencies on the factory floor through the application of lean methodologies, innovations in automation and robotics, and digitization of data.

As Tan Sri Dato' Lim and the KOSSAN leadership team navigates the company through uncertain times post-pandemic, he places emphasis on talent alignment, simplicity and innovation, while maintaining a focus on workplace safety and environmental care.

The testament to Tan Sri Dato' Lim's entrepreneurial success is the trust accorded to KOSSAN by its business partners and the company's 43 years of unbroken profitability.

Media Contact

Ms Wong Poh Ern

Enterprise Asia

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About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development. Please visit www.enterpriseasia.org for more information.

About Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards

With a presence across 16 countries and markets, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards is the region's most prestigious awards for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation and sustainable leadership. For further information, visit www.apea.asia.

SOURCE Enterprise Asia