Hard Learning, Four Years Apprentice to be Rooted Technology Studious Mr. Chen whose family was poor at childhood, his father was farmer focus on his work and didn’t care about his study, but such condition developed his independent character. “I had learnt to cook with firing wood at age five, and also carried the cattle to graze. If there was no grass, I had to cut the grass. Since I was too tire and often fell asleep while writing assignment, it can be said there is no childhood.” ATMA new headquarters has a bronze statue of a child lying on the desk, it is the portrayal of his childhood. After graduating from junior high school, Mr. Chen left his home as an apprentice for four years and three months, he has excellent technical foundation for machining and manufacturing. Therefore, when he joined military service to enter the arsenal of the military and agricultural weapons base with his technical profession. “ The arsenal was the most advanced management of the US military. I learnt the concept of drawing production from the weapons and spare parts and so on which was left by US army.” The standardized production mode and concepts crucially has become the product quality much better than competitors. After military service, Mr. Chen joined into Japanese Suzuki enterprise to work on the production, manufacturing and maintenance of motor bicycle. Although, it was to fit into the right place. Because of his poor academic qualification, performance appraisal and promotion were limited, “The squad leader said to me privately, because I am good at technology. So the difficult job is handed over to me, the performance appraisal will definitely give to me first place.” But the final result achieved fifth place only.

Mr. Chen didn’t care at that time, but the squad leader said the same thing to him at other year, he still didn’t get the first place at the end. “Later, I found out that my personality silence and not good at social intercourse, education is also big reason.” At that time, the most important engineering degree was Taipei College of Engineering, but those who had good academic qualification and didn’t understand actual operation, they still got a promotion opportunity. At this moment, he felt that Suzuki was “not suitable for long time to stay”, decided to use the deposits during the work period plus loans to embark on the road to entrepreneurship.

Deeply aware of the importance of academe qualification. After ATMA was founded, Mr. Chen still went to Youth Service Association at Taipei’s Guangian Road to take class and learnt a lot about material science, mechanical drawing, cost accounting and business management. His mentality also had changed, “This field is more focused on practical capability instead of academic qualification.” Because of he learnt drawing and design capability, "the machineries are commercially available which are not easy to use, I can improve them."

At that time, there was an instructor at Youth Service Association to teach screen printing, simple manual screen printing table was used, but Mr. Chen helped modification, not only lowered the cost and improved printing effect, deeply appreciated by lector. Since “good stuff is notified to each other”, Mr. Chen was gained popularity in screen printing machinery, “At that time, it earned more than 50 thousand NTD per month, it was not small amount for 40 years ago.”

WON BY QUALITY INTERNATIONAL BIG MANUFACTURER TO KNOCK THE DOOR

Because of Mr. Chen has design capability, many manufacturers can not find a good ready-made printing machine on market, they are directly looking for him to develop, and also let him to grasp the opportunity, and then created public reputation to open export market. Thus, there was opportunity to connect with international renowned smart phone manufacturer.

Back to year 2007, two months before the world’s leading international smart phone manufacturer to launch product, just to know original supplier for screen printing machine unable to satisfy requirement for printing quality, causing the procurement department was anxiously, getting through various network global searching to look for ATMA with word-of-mouth.

“At that time, they asked for test-print, we immediately made molds and successfully tested in three days, and quite accuracy, they were all very happy. Mr. Chen said, the procurement director of smart phone company immediately flew to Taiwan to discuss specification and delivery. The smart phone manufacturer asked ATMA to design the special glass panel printing machine for his products. Mr. Chen estimated that it would take three months to design and production, “but they immediately slapped table and said that it was too long for three months to get listed.”

Later, Mr. Chen gave in and promised to complete 11 sets of brand-new CCD vision registering screen printer within 25 days. In order to complete this “impossible mission”, Mr. Chen design team can be said to be the initiator of burning, designing new machine day and night around the clock, and finally fulfilling the task within the contract period. So that the international smart phone manufacturer could be shipped out on schedule. Because of this cooperation, ATMA became “global unique” to be certified directly by them, the manufacturer of touch-screen panel for the related products must purchase ATMA machinery.

Not only that, in the era of substantial growth of smart phone, all brands of smart phone also purchased machines from ATMA. ATMA also was at this time to step across the printed circuits board from touch-screen panel. The strength of Mr. Chen is able to fulfill custom-made to meet customer demand. “All order can be accepted”, this also led to explosive growth in ATMA operation.

THINKING OF DANGER IN TIMES OF COMFORTABLE INNOVATIVE R&D WITH STABLE GROWTH

The prospect seemed brilliant, but Mr. Chen personality is “thinking danger in times of comfortable”, and had alerted him to the risk of “the eggs are placed in the same basket”.

In order to avoid the strong bargaining power of the cooperative company, supplier was required to cut the price. Supplier rushing out shipment can only accept unequal treaties or cut orders by the cooperative company, such made the supply chain facing substantial declination, even loss revenue. Mr. Chen’s response strategy is to expand product line and strengthens R&D capability. “R&D employees occupies one-fourth of total employees.”. Mr. Chen aggressively works on innovation, and develops screen printing machine for various industrial application. Among including current vigorous development of the automotive electronics industry, such reduces ATMA reliance on a single customer.

This year, Mr, Chen was granted Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award for “Entrepreneurship Creation Entrepreneur Award”. He expressed, ATMA has entered into 40th year since its founding, watching the company growth from nothing, from small to large scale, and gradually become the renowned international brand name, he is deeply gratified. Moreover, he also appreciated the jury of Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award for his affirmation, also he recalled fondly the nobility who had promoted him during his entrepreneurial process.

Currently, ATMA cooperates with German screen printing machine manufacturer SPS to develop dual brands and deepen the European market. Mr. Chen said, the original intention of counterpart had always wanted to sell the company to ATMA, but he believes rather than acquisition, it is better to let SPS become the estuary of ATMA in Europe, and the brand of SPS can still survive. It can be said double win strategy and benefited to both parties. This also highlights Mr. Chen character, and is unwilling to take advantage, he expects “there will be money for everyone to earn”. His statecraft thinking of benefit sharing is also correspond with ATMA business philosophy “integrity, trust, diligence and harmony”.

When talking about whether there is a plan for the listed company. Mr. Chen expressed, the environment is changing rapidly, the company should successfully win upon stability, but not break forward. “small and beautiful happy enterprise are the goals to be pursued by the company at current stage”. He also pointed out, the trend of automotive electronics and industry 4.0 is difficult to stop. ATMA will study intensively the main stream of future market, invest resources to find cooperative partner, anticipated to create another wave of growth.