The LG brand brings to mind strong association of its company tagline, “Life’s Good”. Driving home further this message on how much it cares about bringing growth and changes for enhanced lifestyle, on the top right of the call cards of LG Electronics (M) Sdn Bhd are printed, “Creating a better life with our customers”.

In fact, LG Group of companies worldwide has been doing so, bringing the latest technology and innovation into our lives. In Malaysia, the presence of South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc or LG as it is popularly known can be traced back to the 1983 when it first partnered with Zitron, its sole distributor in Malaysia.

By the time LG established its Malaysian presence on 1 January 2005, it was already listed among the top 100 global brands, with many milestones achieved. This fourth-generation business, which turned 61 this year, currently has five units under its belt, namely Home Entertainment (HE), Home Appliances and Air Solutions (H&A), Mobile Communications (MC), Business Solutions (BS) and Vehicle Component Solutions (VCS).

A pioneer in incorporating ground-breaking technologies in its futuristic products, LG has long established itself among the consumers for its innovation and design, where they are known to pick up a host of accolades at the CES Innovation Awards for its revolutionary products.

LG Electronics Malaysia managing director Kim Kyutae, 51, in an exclusive interview with Entrepreneur Insight, affirmed, “We constantly look to introduce innovative products that will complement our customers’ lifestyle and bring positive impact to their daily lives.

Globally, 2019 has been a good year for LG, evident from its third quarter financial results where sales rose 1.8% and operating income was 4.4% higher compared to the same period last year, thanks to strong performance from its Home Appliances, Home Entertainment and Business Solution units. “We plan to continue this momentum into 2020,” said Kim.

“We will be bringing more future-proof products that will set a long-term brand trust among our valued customers. In July, we brought in LG PuriCareTM to enable Malaysians to have a better life through LG innovations with the debut of its revolutionary tankless water purifiers, which can be installed vertically or horizontally to fit perfectly in their kitchen.” added Kim.

Besides the water purifiers, LG also introduced the PuriCareTM air purifier product range into the Malaysian market. Kim remarked, “We [at LG] acknowledge that clean air and water are ubiquitous necessities everyone should be able to enjoy. With LG PuriCareTM, we are enabling consumers to breathe in the purest form of air and drink the most hygienic and cleanest water possible.”

Since PuriCareTM launched in South Korea back in 2009, product sales have grown over 40% year-on-year with one unit sold every 30 minutes. Since its launch in 2009, LG recorded accumulated sales of 1.3 million units of water purifiers.

“In Malaysia, we have seen triple-digit sales growth since our launch in July. This has become our benchmark to work harder to become bigger and better next year.” Extolling the unique selling points of its tankless water purifier, Kim said it is the first-of-its kind to provide clean drinking water without a water tank by using direct water filtration, eliminating the concerns of microorganism formation.

This energy-saving water purifier also minimises standby power and through the LG instantaneous cooling and heating technology, users can avail themselves to instant cold and hot water with just a simple one-touch.

Backing up the technological advances of its tankless water purifier is LG Total Service Care 1.2.3, provided by qualified service professionals who make regular house visits for product sanitation every 3 months and change filter periodically.

Elaborating on how it works, Kim said internal pipes are replaced annually to ensure the product’s hygiene under LG’s one-year replacement care while its two-layer ultra-violet (UV) sterilising care allows users to automatically activate the UV sterilisation on an hourly basis or they can manually sterilised it for five minutes.

Thanks to their well-monitored hygiene and top-notch sanitation procedures, LG Malaysia has successfully obtained a halal certification from Malaysia’s Islamic Development Department (JAKIM), further assuring not only the Muslim community but all Malaysians that the PuriCareTM tankless water purifier is clean and hygienic.

“LG’s philosophy revolves around people, sincerity and sticking to the fundamentals. Our team comprised highly skilled individuals from all walks of life. While many see this as a challenge, I see it as an opportunity to fully understand each and every one of my team members.”

Taking charge of some 3,000 PuriCareTM Sales Professional under LG Malaysia operations, which is spread out over central Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Penang and Kuantan and to be able to manage the team, Kim said among the traits one should have are “Be decisive and action oriented,” adding that the ability to think, make decisions quickly, adapt to new challenges are also essential.

Reviewing his career path, Kim said, “I have faced many obstacles and challenges. With each challenge and obstacle, I have grown to become a better employee and individual. I am grateful my past obstacles have shaped me the way I am today.”

In order to succeed in life, he believes that persistence is vital and one should never give up during difficult times. As for new start-ups, his advice is, “Keep working hard and stay humble” and reminded them to not give up when the going gets tough.