Over Hong Kong

iii SUN HUNG KAI PROPERTIES Introduction On the 45th anniversary of our public listing, Sun Hung Kai Properties is pleased to offer this special edition of Over Hong Kong that surveys the changes to the city since the first volume was published 35 years ago. The following pages tell the story in pictures of the development not only of our Group but also of Hong Kong. Since 1972, Sun Hung Kai Properties has grown its portfolio of assets–residential, office, shopping mall, industrial and hotel–that have mirrored the way in which Hong Kong has changed and developed. The Group has grown from a HK$400 million company in 1972 to today’s market capitalisation of over HK$350 billion, making us one of the leading property developers in the world. Throughout the early years, the driving principle of our Founder, Mr Kwok Tak Seng, was to grow the company together with Hong Kong. In the 1970s we developed industrial buildings to support the thriving manufacturing and trade economy. From the 1980s we began to build projects integrated with residences and shopping malls to match the city’s growing affluence. More recently, landmark commercial high-rises like the IFC and ICC have helped reinforce Hong Kong’s position in the global financial community. From the beginning the senior Mr Kwok led the Group to be a pioneer. He was the first to realise the commercial potential of Wanchai as an extension of the Central Business District; he spearheaded the New Town Plaza development in Shatin as the first large-scale integrated project in the new towns and, above all, he emphasised the importance of quality in all our products. Our two major iconic buildings, ICC and Two IFC, the tallest buildings in the city, create a visual gateway, framing the glory of Victoria Harbour. On a more everyday level, we have tried to build on our Founder’s aspirations through what we call integrated developments that seek to serve the needs of a local community, not just our residents and tenants. By combining residential towers with office and commercial facilities, shopping malls, hotels and, above all, a transport hub and other community facilities, we hope to foster an all-important sense of togetherness in the community. The dream of many people is to own their own home. The fulfilment of that dream is one of the most important decisions in life. With that in mind, we have committed ourselves as a Group to Building Homes with Heart, a core value we uphold, by ensuring that what we offer is the very best value for money in terms of quality of design, of construction and of materials. We have adopted a distinctive approach in the property industry, a vertically integrated system that ensures that every step in the process, from land acquisition to design to construction and, eventually, estate management is seamlessly managed to achieve the standards of quality and service we have set for ourselves. Such is our confidence in this process that, in the 1990s, we pioneered a one-year after-sales warranty that we have since led the industry in extending to three years. The Group has today become a household brand that people have come to trust for quality products and services. Hong Kong SAR is celebrating its first 20 years, Over Hong Kong , 35 years, and Sun Hun Kai Properties our 45 years as a listed company. Please enjoy the picture story told in the following pages how Sun Hung Kai Properties has grown in parallel with the development of the city and the changes over those years.