Lee Kum Kee facts for kids
Logo since 1988 Se
|
|||||||||||
| Private | |||||||||||
| Industry | Food | ||||||||||
| Founded | 1888 | ||||||||||
| Founder | Lee Kum Sheung | ||||||||||
| Headquarters |
Tai Po, New Territories
,
|
||||||||||
|
Key people
|
Sammy Lee (chairman) | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 李錦記有限公司 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 李锦记有限公司 | ||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Lee Kum Kee Company Limited (Chinese: 李錦記有限公司) is a food company from Hong Kong. They are famous for making many kinds of Chinese and Asian sauces. The company was started by Lee Kum Sheung in 1888 in Nanshui, Guangdong, China.
Today, Lee Kum Kee makes over 300 different Chinese-style sauces. These include popular ones like oyster sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and XO sauce. They also make chili sauces, cooking ingredients, and dipping sauces. The Lee Kum Kee Group also bought a famous building in London, England, in 2017.
Contents
The Story of Lee Kum Kee
Lee Kum Kee is based in Hong Kong. However, their products are sold in more than 100 countries around the world. This includes places like China, North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Their main brand, Lee Kum Kee (simplified Chinese: 李锦记; traditional Chinese: 李錦記; Jyutping: Lua error in Module:Unihan_pronunciation at line 35: attempt to call field 'lookup_kCantonese' (a nil value).; literally "the Lee Kum brand"), is very popular. It is well-known in China and among Chinese communities living in other countries. In 2004, Lee Kum Kee was named the Most Popular Brand On-line at the Hong Kong Top Brand Awards.
How the Company Started
The company was founded by Lee Kum Sheung (simplified Chinese: 李锦裳; traditional Chinese: 李錦裳; Jyutping: Lua error in Module:Unihan_pronunciation at line 35: attempt to call field 'lookup_kCantonese' (a nil value).). He owned a small restaurant in Nanshui, Zhuhai, China. His restaurant sold cooked oysters. In 1888, he created his own special oyster sauce. This sauce became very popular.
He then started the Lee Kum Kee company to sell his oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is a key ingredient and seasoning in Cantonese cuisine and other southern Chinese dishes. The Lee family still owns and runs the company today. It continues to be a family business.
Growing Around the World
From 1902 to 1932, the company's main office was in Macau. In 1932, they moved their headquarters to Hong Kong. Lee Kum Kee opened a production factory in City of Industry, California, near Los Angeles, in 1991.
Today, their main production sites are in Xinhui, Huangpu, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Los Angeles. The factory in Xinhui is the largest one. It covers a huge area of 1.33 million square meters.
Giving Back to the Community
In April 2016, the Lee Kum Kee family made a big donation. They gave $21 million to start the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. This center helps researchers at Harvard University study how positive feelings can lead to better health. They want to understand how being happy can help people live longer and healthier lives.
In 2019, the Lee family's wealth was estimated to be around $15 billion.
Ensuring Food Safety
Around 2000 and 2001, some food safety groups found certain ingredients in Chinese and Southeast Asian sauces. These ingredients were found in very small amounts. Lee Kum Kee was one of many companies whose products were checked.
Lee Kum Kee quickly responded to these findings. They explained that the products in question were made before 1999. At that time, they updated their manufacturing methods. Since 1999, their products have met all safety standards. Food safety authorities in Hong Kong also confirmed that all Lee Kum Kee products sold there were safe. Lee Kum Kee also provided proof that their soy sauce imported into Europe met all safety limits.
The Lee Kum Kee Group
The Lee Kum Kee Group, or LKK Group, is the larger organization. It includes all the different businesses related to Lee Kum Kee. This means more than just the sauce business. It also includes LKK Health Products, Happiness Capital, and a charity foundation.
Leaders of the Group
The company has been led by members of the Lee family since it began:
- Lee Kum-sheung (1888–1920)
- Lee Shiu-nan (1920–1972)
- Lee Man-tat (1972–2021)
- Sammy Lee (Since 2022)
See also
In Spanish: Lee Kum Kee para niños
