Page 34 - From Zero To Hero

34 | fromzerotohero
employees, taking into consideration all the key
elements required to run a pharmaceutical busi-
ness, ie. research and development, laboratories,
marketing and business development and other
divisions.
Using limited resources of capital and exclusive
recruitment, Hovid steadily grew with a few
product offerings in the state. After almost five
years of struggling, Hovid finally started to make
its mark in the country with a humble 15 – 20
products being distributed nationwide.
Today, Hovid has over 350 products marketed
worldwide and sold throughout ASEAN countries
and Africa, with staff strength of close to 1,000
committed individuals.
Combining knowledge in pharmacy and en-
trepreneurship, Hovid was a dream built on
the foundations of perseverance, patience and
extensive learning throughout the years the
company has been in existence.
As Hovid’s direction to dive headfirst into the
pharmaceutical industry in the early 1980s took
flight, it seemed to be a daunting task. Malaysia
was still considered a developing country then.
Even sourcing basic laboratory equipment was a
huge challenge to overcome in these initial stages
of the company’s growth.
Through commitment to a shared vision, the
company took all challenges as opportunities to
grow further, and tirelessly found innovativeways
to capture the new market effectively. Besides
diversifying the business, Hovid also retained the
herbal tea business in place, catering to their loyal
long standing customers.
Keeping Abreast OF
International Competition
In Malaysia, almost all of the pharmaceutical
industry is dominated by imported products.
However, this did not serve as a deterrent to
Hovid to strive in placing its name at the top
of the list.
Massive investmentsweremadetoensureHovid
stayedwell aheadof competition. Todate, there are
close to20-30 local factories thatproduce theirown
pharmaceutical products.
In the early stages, Hovid participated inmany
trade missions and trade fairs arranged by the
Malaysian Investment Development Authority
(MIDA). The early 2000s saw a boost in business,
as Hovid began to participate in MATRADE’s
various trademissions andkey exhibitions around
the globe, specifically focused in promoting the
pharmaceutical industry.
Hovid’s largest export component lies inAfrica,
where it has a firm foothold in the antibiotics,
diabetic and analgesic market. Besides Africa,
Hovid also exports to more than 50 countries
worldwide, including ASEAN countries such
as Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia and
Myanmar. Almost 70%of Hovid Berhad’smarket
share lies in its export business.
Hovid now has operations in the Philippines,
Hong Kong and India. Hovid also incorporated
several wholly own subsidiaries to support their
extensive growth and research in the industry.
Excellent processes ... Using only
the finest in available technology