Ramon Lo (羅鴻興) and Everlight Manufacturing Co (永明製造廠)
York Lo: Ramon Lo (羅鴻興) and Everlight Manufacturing Co (永明製造廠)
Left: article about Ramon leading the CMA delegation to Japan in 1963 (WKYP, 1963-4-8); Right: Ramon Lo’s uncle Judge Lo Hin-shing
In the 1950s and 1960s, Everlight Manufacturing Co Ltd (not to be confused withEverlight Manufacturing Ltd which was incorporated in 2006 and has a different Chinese name) was one of the leading manufacturers of flashlights alongside firms such as Sonca (V.K. Song), Chiaphua and Tang Fan Kee and its proprietor Ramon Lo Hung-hing was active with the CMA and other groups.
A native of Toishan in Guangdong province, Ramon Lo was the son of a wealthy merchant and nephew of Lo Hin-shing (羅顯勝, 1890-1989) M.B.E. J.P., who was a legend in HK legal circles. A graduate of Queen’s College and HKU (1919) and studied law at Cambridge, Lo Hin-shing became the first Chinese magistrate in the HK Magistracy in 1948 and the first local lawyer to head up the HK Bar Association in 1960.Hin-shing’s daughter Helen Ann Lo (羅凱倫, 1933-1988) was the first female district court judge in 1986 and opened an equestrian school in Kwu Tung in Sheung Shui.
Ramon himself attended King’s College and HKU before starting in business after the War and founding Everlight Manufacturing. In 1951, he was part of the HK delegation led by preserved ginger king U Tat-cheeto the British Industries Fair in the UK during which he studied in. In November 1954, Ramon Lo visited West Germany and successful secured the license in HK to manufacture a special tricolor flashlight (which could switch from red to green and white) from a German manufacturer. In 1963, Ramon led a high profile 17 members CMA delegation to Japan. In addition to Everlight, other HK manufacturers were United (聯合製造廠), On Ah (安亞製造廠) and Tang Fun Kee.
Everlight’s factory was located at 1 Tai Ho Street in Shau Ki Wan in the 1950s but later moved to 14A Sai Wan Ho Street in Hong Kong. According to Trade Bulletin in 1967, Everlight also manufactured lanterns, mini-fans, mixers, vacuum brushes, bulbs, batteries, Christmas decoration lamp sets, fans, candle lights, mood lamps, hardware and plastic toys (battery operated and friction) etc in addition to flashlights by the late 1960s under the “Fountain”, “Motor Car”, “Chili” and “Aeroplane” brands.
Article in 1955 about HK manufacturers receiving license from German firm to manufacture tricolor flashlight with Ramon Lo’s picture (WKYP, 1955-2-10)
Ramon Lo at the wedding of his friend Li Shiu-chung’s daughter in 1958. Left to right: Ramon Lo, Cheung Yuk-lun, Cheung Chun-hon, Chung King-pui (government official), Li Shiu-chung, Li’s daughter Kwan-ting, Chan Ming-tak (the groom), Ernest Wong of Danemann (see article). Source: WKYP, 1958-10-24
Ramon Lo with fellow HK Jaycees delegates to Manila in 1960: Left to right: H.Y. Shih (施鴻儀), chairman Alex S.C. Wu (吳樹熾), Ramon Lo and H.C. Shih (施鴻藻). Source: WKYP, 1960-4-26
Left: Ramon Lo (right) and his wife (left) welcoming his daughter (centre) who returned from the UK to HK in 1964 (WKYP, 1964-7-3); Right: Ramon Lo (right) receiving a flag from CMA chairman Wong Toke-sau in 1963 ahead of the CMA’s Japan visit (Kung Sheung Evening News, 1963-4-5)
As a firm, Everlight Manufacturing Co Ltd was incorporated in 1967 and dissolved in 1996. Aside from Everlight, Ramon Lo partnered up with fellow industrialists such as Jack Eng from Island Paint and Yan Man-leung from United Weaving (民衆布廠) to form HK Industrial Exports Co (香港工業品出口公司) in the late 1950s to promote HK’s industrial exports. Lo also began diversifying outside of industries in the late 1950s. In 1958, he incorporatedEverlight Development Co Ltd (永明建業, dissolved in 1979) to engage in property development and was a founding member of the HK Real Estate Developers Association in 1965. He also formed the travel agencyEverlight Travel Ltd (永明旅行社, dissolved in 1997) and stock brokerageEverlight Shares.
Ramon’s daughter graduated from University of Manchester in the UK in 1964. His son Ramon Lo Jr (羅威文) is a chartered accountant who had worked at KPMG and Sun Hung Kai Securities before co-founding the pioneering Asian private equity firm Arral& Partners with Anil Thadani, Ron Arculli, Alfredo Lobo and Louis Bowenin 1981 which was involved in HK furniture manufacturer Universal. He served as chairman of the historic HK Chinese Club from 1996-99 and president of Rotary Club of HK Northwest in 1982-83.
This article was first posted on 26th October 2018.
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