We are proud to announce that Mr. Masaaki Ogino, who is the Founder and also Chairman of FENIX GROUP HOLDINGS LTD, has been awarded the Foreign Minister’s Commendation for Year 2017.

Official award announcement was made by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan on 29 June 2017, followed by The Foreign Minister’s Commendation Awarding Ceremony dedicated for Mr. OGINO which was held in Hong Kong on 13 September 2017.

As the partner of ANTEPRIMA's Creative Director, Mr. Masaaki Ogino has not only been contributing extensively to the brand’s establishment and growth, but also to the operational stability of Hong Kong Japanese Supplementary School (HKJSS). By ongoing supporting and providing assistance to Japanese overseas startups and entrepreneurship as a mentor, he has made great contribution to economic development of Japan.

The Foreign Minister’s Commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in international fields to acknowledge their contributions to the promotion of friendship between Japan and other countries and areas annually.

The Fenix Group provides some of life’s necessities, directly through its own retail activities and indirectly through its manufacturing and wholesale operations. Clothes. Food. Daily Needs. The key difference is that Fenix takes it a step further.

Recognizing and serving niche markets is basic to the identity of the Group, which places a high value on customer service. In each sphere of activity, companies are vertically integrated to make the Group, as much as possible, a full-service provider.

We aim to exceed the expectations of our customers and we record our appreciation of the people who make up the Fenix Group.

The Fenix Group has grown organically from the opportunities that have presented themselves since its beginnings in 1970.

At that time, through changing fortunes of business, the Group’s Chairman, Masaaki Ogino, found himself with a 408 sq ft office in Hong Kong, and a staff of four. He chose the name Fenix in the hope for a long life for the new company and invited Anthony Keung as his business partner.

From general trading, Fenix progressed to knitwear sales and from there to knitwear manufacturing, opening its own factories in the 1980s.

Exposure to high-end branding came through a 13-year association with Italian fashion house Prada and by 1993, the company’s own fashion brand, Anteprima, was launched. It was followed in 1996 by Citysuper, a mega lifestyle specialty store, which was considered a breakthrough concept in retailing.

Today Fenix has a network of more than 30 companies and 14 factories in 7 countries, employing over 6,300 staff and occupying 360,000 square feet of retail space.

Fenix Hong Kong Ltd is the focal point of the manufacturing activities of the Group. It was founded in 1972 as a yarn supplier and in the 1980’s moved into the manufacture of knitwear apparel. Today, it has 14 factories in the Chinese mainland and in Vietnam.

Throughout its history its principles have been constant: the pursuit of better, more innovative design; re-investment in product development; continuing performance appraisal.

In the 1980’s Fenix began bringing fashion labels from Japan and Italy into Asia. While certain brands were in the luxury goods category, the emphasis was on good quality, fashionable clothes and accessories. This knowledge of brand retailing contributed to the successful building of the company’s own brand.

Launched under the creative direction of Izumi Ogino, Anteprima was conceived as a label which allowed the expression of individuality, making a statement through collections of refined, timeless and elegant clothing and accessories, that is not only about fashion but about lifestyle.

It was a natural extension to broaden the Fenix interests to encompass fine foods and lifestyle wares. Citysuper mega lifestyle specialty stores stepped neatly into a growing market niche, providing products for trend-aware, quality-conscious consumers.

All the companies in the Fenix Group operate on the principle of enhancing the customer’s experience through inspired creativity and resourceful action.

The Fenix expansion strategy has been to be alert for niche markets in diversified fields and, bolstered by its experience in international brand retailing, source or to create brands to fill those niches. Anteprima has been its response to specific market demand in the fashion world. Citysuper megastores are food and lifestyle solutions custom-tailored for a quality-conscious consumer sector.

A key factor supporting these niche markets is decentralization. This is where the Fenix “Satellite Companies” philosophy comes into its own. These subsidiaries, by definition, share the same values as Fenix as they are launched in partnership with entrepreneurial employees.

The many business units of the Fenix Group operate independently but in a complementary way. Each looks after its niche market, working in conjunction with its peers. The result is a great degree of flexibility, as each unit in the group can respond rapidly and comprehensively to its own distinctive niche.

The strength of the Fenix Group underpins all the operations of its components.

In our manufacturing operations and our retailing activities, we will strive to:

-	Create unique concepts which fill important consumer needs
-	Identify profitable niche markets in the lifestyle sector
-	Enhance lifestyle through product excellence
-	Put strong emphasis on innovation and quality
-	Maintain a consistent customer-centered culture