At 37, Dato Khor Kok Seng has already transformed his family’s traditional customs brokerage firm, founded in 1998, into a multimillion-dollar technology-based total logistics company in only 10 years. With decades of experience in the logistics industry and currently specialising in temperature-controlled logistics, Khor’s family business, The EL Group, serves major retailers, fresh and frozen food and beverages wholesalers and importers in the country. Khor was born into a middle-income family in the suburban town of Klang. He is the youngest and has three older sisters, two of which are working in The EL Group. From an early age, he witnessed his mother taking on multiple part-time jobs to help support his family. This helped him to understand the value of money.
Khor studied hard and did well in school. He was always among the top students as he is a firm believer that education can change lives. He also wanted to help his family to improve their standard of living and live more comfortably. Khor eventually obtained a full scholarship to further his studies at Multimedia University and after five years, he graduated with a Bachelor of Electronical Engineering (First Class Honours). As a young adult, Khor worked for several big companies before venturing into entrepreneurship. He had a failed business venture in electronics but moved on to join his family business. Having no prior experience in logistics industry, Khor spent a few years learning the ropes of this complex and vital transportation service. He soon realised there was huge potential in this business although it is an ultra-competitive market with many traditional players. “For every business to thrive, there must be a stand-out unique selling point. I realised that the EL Group stands apart from competitors in our ability and efficiency in handling F&B products and temperature-sensitive food items” says Khor. He adds “To go the next level, and enhance our ability and increase efficiency, we moved to embrace technology.”
Moving past setbacks
One of Khor’s proudest projects is the growth of The EL Group’s haulage division known as EL Carriers Sdn Bhd. This company which started operations with only two trucks back in 2011, now has over 70 trucks and rapidly growing. This was one of Dato Khor’s initial project and it offered a steep learning curve. To kickstart the haulage business, Khor bought the two trucks with cash and thereafter, could only afford third-party insurance. Within two months of operations, both trucks were involved in accidents. Without proper insurance coverage, the fledgling company had to bear huge losses. However, with Khor’s perseverance and determination, EL Carriers managed to overcome these initial obstacles and difficulties. With more than a decade’s experience in handling huge fleets of trucks and drivers, the company is currently ranked as one of the top 30 haulage companies in Port Klang. Then, Dato Khor moved on to start an airfreight division, EL Cargo Handler Sdn Bhd, and a cold truck division, which is suitable for moving temperature-controlled cargo. “I learnt a thing or two with every obstacle that I have overcome. Over the years, I feel I have gotten tougher and can overcome just about anything with perseverance, hard work, proper planning, staying humble and continuous learning,” says Khor. “Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. Humility is essential.”
Cold chain logistics
In November 2019, The EL Group established EL Cold Chain Logistics, in line with the company’s target to become an integrated logistics company. EL Cold Chain Logistics provides cold storage space rental as well as cold-chain transport services. This is Khor’s biggest project to-date. It encompasses a multi-million-dollar 40,000 square foot facility that has the capacity to store more than 4,500 pallets, or over 200 containers of cold storage goods such as poultry, meats, seafoods, fruit and vegetables. This arm of the business employs heavy use of science and technology such as advanced pallet tracking shuttle system for high density storage via remote control as well as Ethylene gas removal, a hi-tech air filter that extends storage life, prolonging the life span of fruit and vegetables. This ensures that stored products are fresh and safe to consume.
Meanwhile, the company had also invested in integrated warehouse management systems which includes a storage location barcode system and cloud technology that enables customers to login remotely to place orders and check the status of their stock. A smart temperature monitoring system is in place that will alert and auto-trigger notifications via emails or phone calls if there is any abnormal change of temperature within the facility. A clean and safe storage facility is clearly a priority as EL Cold Chain Logistics follows the Good Practice Management (GMP). The company is also in the process of becoming HACCP certified. From providing logistical services ranging from air and sea cargo customs brokerage, freight forwarding, container haulage, project cargo handling, lorry workshop, and now cold chain logistics, the EL Group is well on its way to becoming a fully integrated logistics company and among the most technologically advanced service provider in the country.
