Chang Yung-fa, Taiwanese businessman, Died at 88

  Business

Chang Yung-fa/張榮發 was born on October 6, 1927, in Suao and died on January 20, 2016.

He was a Taiwanese businessman.

Chang founded and chaired the Evergreen Group.

Following graduating from Taipei Commercial High School at the age of 18, he went to work in the Taipei office of a Japanese shipping line.

Yung-fa further his education by taking night classes at a vocational school in Taipei.

After World War II, Yung-fa joined the seagoing staff of a local shipping company as the 3rd officer.

His subsequent career was spent with various local companies and he progressed through the ranks to captain.

In 1961, Yung-fa and some friends mutually established a shipping company and, having helped this company to develop, he choose to branch out on his own, establishing Evergreen Marine Corporation on September 1, 1968, with only one secondhand 15,000 ton vessel, Central Trust.

Following the next four years, he built his fleet up to twelve, running them empty when necessary to convince his customers his services were regular and reliable.

During the first one year, he had expanded to the Middle East.

And over the following three years, Yung-fa was dispatching Evergreen ships to the Caribbean.

Yung-fa eventually realized that containerisation was the way forward, in 1975,

He created four advanced S-type container ships and launched his U.S. East Coast service.

After the first Fifteen months, he added the West coast of the United States to his network.

After that, it was Europe, in 1979.

Following the year 1984, Yung-fa started his most ambitious service yet- two 80-day round-the-world services, one circling the globe in an easterly direction, the other westward.

Departing every 10 days, the 20 G-type container ships he employed had a capacity of 2,728 containers each and could travel at a speed of 20.5 knots.

His company, the Evergreen Group has expanded beyond the shipping industry to encompass operations in heavy industrial development, air transport, hotels and resorts services.

The Evergreen Group having over 27,000 employees and more than 220 offices/agents worldwide now comprises around about 30 major corporations worldwide, 3 of which are listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

In the 2012 Republic of China presidential election, Yung-fa stated his disapproval of the so-called Taiwan Consensus.

Reportedly The China Post had said that he said the ““Taiwan Consensus” smacks of Taiwan independence” which the paper said was “not his cup of tea”.

In February 2012, it was reported that Chang Yung-fa had ‘vowed’ “to give away all his wealth” (approximately US$1.69 billion), primarily via the Chang Yung-fa Foundation.

Chang Yung-fa passed away at 88 yrs old.