Dixon with his wife Datin Iris Tan after receiving the DSPN at Dewan Sri Pinang.
MANY Malaysians may recognise Pensonic electrical appliances as a homegrown brand.
Since its inception in 1982, Pensonic Holdings Bhd is still based in Penang and its exceptional growth under the helm of group chief executive officer Dixon Chew has led to it becoming a household brand.
Dixon’s contributions have been recognised by the state government.
He was bestowed with Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), which carries the title of Datuk, in conjunction with Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak’s 75th birthday celebration.
“This is great motivation and inspiration for us and other local brand builders to strive harder.
“It has been an extremely difficult journey but one that was worth it to see Pensonic steadfastly making its way into homes both locally and internationally.
“The recognition is a great honour for a local brand and a giant step towards boosting made in Malaysia products,” said Dixon.
He said it was vital for the government to have a clear vision and consistent support for local brand builders besides providing a conducive ecosystem with a good supply chain.
According to Dixon, the turning point for Pensonic to evolve into a national brand was in 2012 after 12 years of intensive rebranding initiatives.
“The public perception of local brands back then was very poor but we managed to change that with our core values of innovation, trustworthiness, caring and leadership.
“We are continuously acknowledging and adapting to the dynamics of market changes.
“We listen and respond to serve a new generation of consumers by interacting and building trust as well as providing excellent products and services.”
Pensonic was founded by visionary Datuk Seri Chew Weng Khak who took a huge risk in launching his own original brand manufacturing in a highly competitive market dotted with international companies.
The company started out as Keat Radio & Electrical Co in Balik Pulau.
To build a brand that is impactful to uplift the industry, Dixon said entrepreneurs needed to be very focused and think out of the box in a complicated and unforeseeable market environment.
His exemplary business insights on marketing trends has led the company to have a presence felt across 30 countries in Asia, Middle East and Europe, making Pensonic one of the most popular brands in the international market.
Brand strength and a customer-centric focus have helped Pensonic weather the economic crisis and emerge stronger.
The company adopted multiple branding strategies, which saw it garnering prestigious awards including the Brand Excellence Award, Putra Brand Award, Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) and Best Brand in Consumer Electrical Appliances.
Dixon has always been a staunch advocate of branding for Malaysian products.
Together with other entrepreneurs in the industry, they successfully convinced the government to launch a brand promotion grant in 2004.
Pensonic was also chosen to spearhead the initiative to establish a manufacturing hub and international distribution network of electrical home appliances (EHA) under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
The objective of the project was to position Pensonic as a major Malaysian EHA player with the ability to compete on par with other regional and international competitors.
Dixon has also been serving as president of the Hong Kong-Malaysia Business Association (HKMBA) since 2014.
HKMBA was set up to provide a networking platform for Malaysian and Hong Kong businesses to explore global opportunities together.
He is also the honorary treasurer of the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide, which spans 36 countries and regions, with over 11,000 associates from various industries.
