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CONSTRUCTION
Since 2008, brothers Alex and Allan Chua have been
responsible for running their family’s businesses. Now, both
are pondering whether to pass those businesses down the
bloodline to their children.WORDS ADRIAN FLORES • IMAGES RAY AND MAY PHOTOGRAPHYA
llan Chua has three children: two sons and a daughter. Being the
good family members they are, they regularly drop by the office
of LH Construction and Machinery, a Singaporean crane and
heavy machinery supplier. Often it’s to help out with the
paperwork. As CEO, Allan is grateful. “We do this because they’re
going to take over the business in the future,” he remarks.
But Allan is of two minds. Should he encourage his children to work
full-time in the family business, growing its fortunes, or should he let them
pursue their own career paths in life? His brother Alex, CEO of Lian Hup
Brothers – another one of the family’s businesses – is of the same mind. “Of
course, it depends on their passion and what kind of profession they are looking
for,” Allan says. “If they tell me ‘Daddy, I don’t want to work in this environment
or this industry’, I will not force them. I believe sooner or later, they will come
back to us. I just don’t want to rule my children out of working for the
company. Alex feels the same with his children. These are our family »INNOVATE | Interview