Thumbprints’s Founder Tam Wah Fiong recounts an incident, many years back, when he gave one of his staff a ride to the bus station. His employee said she gets home after 9pm and then, cooks for her family. Tam asked her about her salary and realised that she could barely support her family with her earnings. This made him think about what he can do to improve the lives of his employees and how a minimum wage would be beneficial. Since then, Thumbprints have implemented a minimum wage policy at the company. This is one of the company’s many various initiatives to establish a better working environment for their employees. Today, the company has several staff who have been working there for more than two decades. Managing director, Lim Chee Yoong is one of them and one of his key roles is to ensure that their vision of being a community enterprise continues.
As Tam emphasises, “Thumbprints is about shared prosperity, and the company is a community enterprise. It is run by employees, for the employees.” Since commencing operations in 1990, Thumbprints is well known in the printing industry for being a vocal advocate for corrupt-free business practices, as well as green initiatives. This printing company firmly believe in building partnerships with companies and people of a similar mindset. By harnessing the collective power of this mindset, everyone can grow from strength to strength.
A family affair from the start
Thumbprints operates from a 176,000 square foot factory near Kuala Lumpur. The company offers a total print and packaging solution to their local and global customers. Clientele includes multi-national companies, world-renowned book publishers, banking institutions, telecommunication and
FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) companies amongst many others. But it was tough in the beginning. Back in 1990, Tam founded the company with his wife Jackie’s entire life savings, an overdraft taken out on his parents’ land and meagre funds. Then, the 26-year-old entrepreneur ran the business (called Printechnic) from a shop lot in Selayang. Business was very much a family affair. His wife, brother, Eric, and brother-in-law, Teoh, were all involved in operations. Tam and Jackie lived frugally for several years on the top floor of the shop lot. To this day, Tam can remember how they jumped with joy when they snagged their first major deal, producing point-of-purchase materials for a multinational company.
The early days were filled with steep learning curves and insufficient funds to buy materials and machines. But as the saying goes “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” and the small company, with a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, managed to keep growing. In 1995, in need of bigger operational space, Thumbprints moved into their first factory building. Tam recalls how his mother wept when he eventually managed to return his parents’ land title. “All my parent’s friends had advised them against giving me an overdraft. They told my parents that they would lose their land and it is better for them to keep it for their old age. It was my mother’s belief in me that made her persuade my father to trust me,” says Tam.
Standing up against corruption
Corrupt business practises were rife in the printing industry in the early days, and Tam was adamant to stand against it. The initial transition to transparent business practises was not easy for the company and they faced many rejections and challenges internally and externally. Business was impacted as they lost several customers, but the company was determined to stick strong to their belief that “honesty is always the best policy.” Their firm stance against corruption is one of Thumbprints’ defining trademarks. Over the years, the company has managed to build partnerships with like-minded suppliers and customers who share the same vision. In 2011, in conjunction with Transparency International Malaysia, the company formalised their ‘No Lie, No Cheat, No Bribe’ practices through the inception of the Thumbprints’ Zero Corruption Committee. Their unwavering stance for transparent business practises has been recognised with the ISO 37001 Anti Bribery Management System in 2020. Thumbprints is the first printer in Malaysia to be awarded this certification.
Green printing
Believing that they must play their part in conserving the environment for future generations, Thumbprints are passionate about green initiatives. This is another defining characteristic of the company. The Thumbprints Go Green Committee was formed by a group of environmental enthusiasts seeking to promote the 5Rs: Recycle, Reuse, Reduce, Repair and Refuse. As part of their green efforts, a wastewater treatment system was built, manufacturing wastes are segregated, and solar panels were installed in the company. In 2007, Thumbprints became ISO 14001 certified – the internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems. This is recognition of their sustainable practises, which contribute towards protecting the planet. Thumbprints furthered their stance on green printing by becoming FSC certified in 2010. Here, e paper used in their printing operations are harvested and processed in an environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and sustainable manner.
For employees by employees
The underlying theme that Thumbprints continues to operate on is that it will always be a company that cares for people. In the economic recession in 2008, Tam witnessed first-hand the struggles his employees went through. He decided that Thumbprints should take better care of the people working there. Inspired by Waitrose’s partnership program, Thumbprints’ vision of becoming a community enterprise was formed. By raising the basic salary and introducing a profitsharing scheme, the company posted a loss during the first two years, but the actions taken sowed a sense of ownership amongst the employees.
Most of these employees have been with Thumbprints as they continue to flourish and prosper. They were part of the company’s expanding product lines, numerous ISO certifications and international awards and move to a bigger factory. In 2018, Thumbprints undertook a lean manufacturing program. Under the guidance of an on-site consultant, they completed a sixmonth course on waste reduction and efficiency improvements. The program brought new insights on methods to minimise wastage within manufacturing operations.
Since then, methodologies such as Kaizen, 5S and OEE are heard and seen in Thumbprints. The combination of their continued drive to improve whilst maintaining the highest ethical standards; alongside with their most important core value of looking after their people – whether it is their employees, customers, colleagues, suppliers, and the community – are driving factors that ensure the ongoing growth and success of this printing company.
