The cross-border collaboration has drawn much attention given the two sides' leadership in their respective fields--Farglory is a leading construction conglomerate in Taiwan and Matsushita's Panasonic is a leading global brand of high-end home appliances.

"We cooperate not only because of our business complements, but far more because of our similar corporate culture and faith," comments Farglory Chairman Chao Teng-Hsiung.

Among the world's top home electronic appliance brands, Matsushita Group impresses consumers not only with its well-recognized Panasonic brand, but also its iconic founder, Matsushita Konosuke, who is respected as the "God of Management" for his far-reaching vision and discreet wisdom as a successful businessman.

Behind the success story of Panasonic is the wisdom of Mr. Matsushita, whose thinking and words are still often quoted as the philosophy for modern business management. Among the most notable is Mr. Matsushita's "daughter-marrying" theory:

"Selling products is like seeing your daughter marry and move to her husband's home. You will always be concerned if your daughter fits well in the new family.

"You keep thinking whether the customer likes your product just as parents hope their daughter will be well received by her husband's family members.

"When your daughter gets married, you will have several new relatives from her husband's family. Likewise, when we sell products we have customers as our relatives and will be concerned if our products help them pursue a better life."

The "daughter-marrying" theory illustrates how highly Mr. Matsushita values each customer relationship, treating customers as relatives and sincerely concerned if his products fit with his customers' needs.Sincere service

Chao, who respects Mr. Matsushita as his role-model, is proud that Farglory should share the same corporate culture and spirit with its Japanese partner. "Matsushita's forward-looking design vision has created products that are not only suitable for today's consumers, but also fulfill the needs of future generations," he observes.

Similarly, "Farglory's decision making process is based on the standpoint of consumers and every building is designed to fit current and future lifestyles."

Since establishment 90 years ago, Matsushita Group has developed nearly 130,000 models of home appliances. "Each is created to meet the certain demands of consumers, and the wide range of product lines is be able to satisfy the needs of all different groups of consumers," Chao comments.

"The purpose of every business is to provide a service arising from an opportunity, derived from the needs of the people. If the service does not meet the needs of customers, there won't be a chance to do business," said Mr. Matsushita.

In reflection of his words, Chao believes, "Sincerity in helping customers meet their needs is the key to successful business."

"If you are compelled to provide a service, doing business will become very tiring," Mr. Matsushita is quoted as saying. "If you feel tired, consumers will feel tired, too. Only when you feel pleased to provide a service can you really please your customers, and doing business is simply making everybody pleased -- both the customer and yourself."

Chao enjoys thinking and what he's thinking about is often centered around how to please customers, even if it's only a little matter such as how to place a tree in the garden. He believes, "Little things matter."

Everlasting value

A leading land developer in Taiwan, Farglory Group recently launched several large-scale construction projects that have drawn consumer acclaim for innovative features. The upscale residential communities, launched amid a stagnant economy, are regarded as a significant driving force in revitalizing the slow domestic real estate market and boosting the national economy.

Farglory Chairman Chao Teng-Hsiung, however, contends that his construction projects go beyond just the economic value and aims at raising our expectations of what's considered quality living.

"Farglory will persistently provide superior living quality to the people of Taiwan with each new project regardless of market changes," Chao stressed.

For Farglory's cross-border cooperation, Chao paid a visit to Matsushita Electric Works Co. in June. During the trip, he was especially impressed by the "spatiotemporal capsule" placed in the garden around the headquarters office of Matsushita Electric Works Co. The capsule, which contains Matsushita's vision of human life 250 years from now, is slated to be opened at that time in the future, revealing how accurately Matsushita and the Japanese people have predicted and created future societies.

"The capsule also contains the spirit of the Matsushita Group--to design products suitable for current and future generations," Chao comments, "and that's also the missions of Farglory Group."