創辦人介紹

創辦人簡介

蘇天財先生白手起家創立福益實業，除以紡織為核心，亦多角化經營金融、營建、遠洋漁業、冷凍等近十項產業領域。畢生樂善好施，熱心公益，善盡企業社會責任。

蘇天財先生於1933年生於台南灣裡，周歲隨父母遷居台南市區，家中經營布行。年少遭逢戰亂，全家避居三鯤鯓，不畏烽火，主動賣糖果及蚵仔膎補貼家計，嶄露商業才華，在艱困環境中，不屈不撓，勇往直前。戰後，於市區擺攤賣布，18歲創業開設布行，私淑台南幫第一代領導人侯雨利先生和吳修齊、吳尊賢先生昆仲，及第二代領導人高清愿先生等紡織界前輩的經商之道；自修研讀《三國志》、《史記》等國學巨著，從中汲取知識，得著做人處世的智慧，扎穩事業根基。

1960年北上發展事業，在迪化街開設福一布行，短期內售罄國營毛紡企業存貨，創造迪化街傳奇。期間與新光集團創辦人吳火獅、吳金龍、吳金虎先生昆仲商業往來，締結友誼，人脈日廣。

1960年代政府推動進口替代政策，獎勵設廠，專程赴日考察，1964年於中和創立福一纖維，為台灣首家毛絨廠，1967年獲時任經濟部部長李國鼎先生大加讚賞。 1971年獲忘年之交的台南仕紳蔡全丁先生投資，於楊梅成立福益實業，引進尖端設備及先進技術，以自動化紡紗及織布，品質備受好評。1974年代表662家企業，獲經濟部頒發「外銷績優廠商」獎；1980年躋身全國五百大企業；1988年股票上市，營運規模擴增；1990年經濟部表彰對紡織產業的貢獻。唯因1999年921大地震嚴重受損，因而中止紡織業生產營運。

蘇天財先生關心國家社會，曾發揮金融專業向政府建言成立票券市場，促進經濟活動資金融通；也曾參訪巴拉圭，協助政府建立國民外交。他樂善好施，捐獻學校圖書館、活動中心等建設，為莘莘學子提供良好學習環境；擔任扶輪社社長、中華文化復興運動總會委員、多所學校、基金會、慈善機構董事等服務工作。

蘇天財先生於2008年創辦「蘇天財文教基金會」，以辦理社會教育、科技興國等社會公益活動為宗旨，設置清寒獎學金；推動藝術人文與公民法治教育，培養民眾美感及思辨能力，開設媒體素養等講座課程；舉辦健康自我管理工作坊，提倡健康概念，提供終身學習機會，打造友善失智與高齡人口環境等，以實際行動回饋社會，讓社會充滿愛與希望。

Founder Profile

Mr. Su Tien-Chai, founder and former chairman of Fui Industrial Co., established this company from scratch. In addition to its core business of textiles, the enterprise diversifies its operations into nearly ten fields of industry including finance, construction, deep sea fisheries, refrigeration, and so on. Throughout his life, Mr. Su is always ready to help with philanthropic activities and enthusiastic about public welfare, and fulfills his corporate social responsibilities.

Mr. Su was born in Tainan's Wanli district in 1933. Around one year later, his family moved to urban Tainan where his parents ran a fabric shop. During his childhood, Mr. Su lived through an age of war and turmoil and his whole family took refuge in the sankunshen Fortress. Unafraid of the flames of war, he took the initiative to sell candies and salted oysters to subsidize the family budget, thereby bringing to light his outstanding business talent . In this difficult environment, he remained unyielding, determined, and pressing ever forward courageously.

After the war, he set up a stall in the urban area to sell fabrics, and then opened a fabric store on his own at the age of 18. Once being a disciple learning from the first-generation leader of Tainan textile industry Ho Yu-li and the Wu Brothers ( Wu Hsiou-Chi and Wu Chun-Hsien), as well as the second-generation leader Kao Chin-yuan and other leading figures for their business skills, Mr. Su was at the same time engaged on self-study of masterpieces of Chinese literature such as the Legend of Three Kingdoms and the Chronicles of China History, acquiring knowledge and insight from ancient sages, gaining the wisdom of how to conduct oneself in society, thus laying a solid foundation for his career.

In 1960, Mr. Su went north to further develop his career, opening the Fui Cloth Shop on Dihua Street where this shop once made a legend as it completely sold out all the stock of state-owned wool textile enterprises just in a short period of time. At that time, Mr. Su had business dealings with Shin Kong Group Founder Wu Ho-su and his two brothers Wu King-Long and Wu King-Hu, forging friendships with them and expanding the network of his textile business.

During the 1960s when the government encouraged establishment of factories under the import-substitution policy, Mr. Su traveled to Japan specifically to observe and study, and then founded Fui Fibers in Chungho of Taipei County in 1964. As the first woolen factory in Taiwan, Fui Fibers was once generously lauded by then Minister of Economic Affairs Li Kwoh-ting in 1967.

In 1971, Mr. Su gained investments of a good friend Tsai Chuan-ting, one of the gentry in Tainan, and thus established Fui Industrial in Yangmei district of Taoyuan, introducing cutting-edge equipment and advanced technology. Manufactured through automated spinning and weaving, Fui’s textile earned high reputation on the market. In 1974, it represented 662 enterprises to receive the “Excellent Export Manufacturer” award granted from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The company became one of the top 500 in the country in 1980, and was listed on the stock market in 1988 as its operations continued expanding. In 1990, the Ministry of Economic Affairs commended the company's contribution to the textile industry. However, due to severe damage caused by the 921 earthquake in 1999, the company’s textile production has thus been suspended.

Mr. Su cares about the country and the society. Based on his financial expertise, he advised the government to establish a money market to stimulate financing of economic activities. He has also visited Paraguay to assist the government in promoting citizen diplomacy. He is always willing to help a worthy cause and has donated to the construction of school libraries, activity centers, and so on, providing countless students with fine learning environments. He has also served as president of the Rotary Club, as a member of The General Association of Chinese Culture, and in such service work as the chairmanship of many schools, foundations, and charities.

In 2008, the Tien-Chai Su Cultural and Educational Foundation was founded under the goals of carrying out social education, invigorating the country with technology, and promoting public welfare activities. It works to set up a scholarship fund for the underprivileged, promote art, cultural , and civic education, and cultivate people's aesthetic appreciation and critical thinking abilities. The Tien-Chai Su Cultural and Educational Foundation offers lectures of media literacy. The foundation also organizes workshops on self-management of chronic health conditions to carry out health concepts, provides opportunities for lifelong learning, advocates for a friendly environment to the elderly and dementia patients and families, and takes practical actions to give back to the society and make it filled with love and hope.