Alumni Kaleidoscope: Samson Chu - BEng(IEEM)

Determined to own his own business since childhood, Samson turned his dream into reality when he established Imperial Bird's Nest (IBNI) a few years after graduation. 

Dedicated to his ideal of “staying on top of the best,” Samson’s creative vision and farsighted planning has grown the company over the past few years from a small upstairs shop into a retail empire of over 30 stores across Hong Kong, Macau and Greater China. IBNI’s sales network reaches another thousand-plus locations in both Greater China and North America, including chain drug-stores, supermarkets, Chinese herbal medicine pharmacies, convenience stores and health centers, as well as famous hotels all over Hong Kong, Macau and The Philippines. 

IBNI’s self-owned HACCP-accredited production plant ensures the strictest food quality and food safety control, while dispensing with third-party costs. IBNI products are accordingly most welcomed by restaurants, food groups, hotels and food manufacturers.

Samson endured an arduous journey full of challenges to reach where he is today. In an era where information was hard to come by, Samson spent a year observing the business activities of Sheung Wan dried seafood shops to learn more about the market. Within the first month of opening his first shop, he was burglarized, losing large amounts of both supplies and money. A year later, he was similarly held at knifepoint by thieves demanding he hand over all of his bird's nests and cash. Business also suffered when SARS hit—Samson recalls one day when there was only a total of 10 orders among his 10 retail shops.

Thanks to his perseverance and faith, IBNI has weathered its hardships and is stronger than ever. The product line has expanded beyond its core product—bird’s nest—to include cordyceps, ginseng, traditional Chinese herbs, dried seafood and other popular health foods. 

IBNI is widely recognized as a market leader in the Chinese traditional health food sector and has developed businesses throughout mainland China, the United States and Canada. The company aims to be the most trustworthy leader of health care products in Chinese communities worldwide, offering rejuvenation through health care. IBNI’s many innovations—including instant bottled bird’s nest—have revolutionized the standards of the bird’s nest industry and upgraded its standards. IBNI has adopted stringent sanitary and safety measures at its own production and research center. Their factory has ISO22000, GMP and HACCP accreditations from the International Food Safety Association. As a healthcare specialist, IBNI is also a one-stop service offering purchasing, production, designing, packaging, market research and sales, logistics and after-sales service. IBNI’s extensive industry experience is a valuable asset to customers, providing professional concepts and constructive advice to develop new products. Comprehensive after-sales service ensures client satisfaction with product quality. Over the years, IBNI has carefully cultivated its sales network into multiple e-marketing channels, such as HKTV mall, Tmall, Facebook, YouTube, and the IBNI Apps store.