The brave brothers:
Lee Chang-seob and Lee Seung-seob
of Samgeon Incorporated in Daejeon
From their smiling faces and gentle tone of voice, to their favorite foods and love for sports, it is difficult not to think of Chang-seob and Seung-seob Lee, the two men running an official Samhwa distributorship known as Samgeon Incorporated in Daegu, as brothers.
Samgeon, located in Dong-gu, Daejeon, is a well-established Samhwa store that handles most major painting projects in the city. The young brothers in their 30s, well known and loved for their sociable personalities and hard work, rack up billions of won in annual sales by winning almost all the major contracts involving public institutions and large apartment development projects in the city, raising the Samhwa profile. Asked to explain why Samgeon is so successful today, the brothers readily pick the legacy of expertise that has been built since their parents’ time, their sensibility for trends and great teamwork.
Samhwa at the center of a family legacy
“Our parents got to know each other and became a couple while working at a Samhwa paint store in Daejeon. Having worked in paint retail, they knew the benefits of owning their own store and opened one shortly before they got married. They built today’s Samgeon through hard work and determination. And now we run this business. That’s why we believe Samhwa is in our blood.”
Samhwa is more than just a paint company to the Lee brothers. Their parents met and married while working at the Samhwa paint store they mention. The boys, too, grew up playing around Samhwa paint cans stacked up in their parents’ store. The brothers plunged headlong into the world of paint sales when their father succumbed to a long-term illness in 2007. Chang-seob, the older brother, had been effectively running the family business since his university days while his father struggled with his illness. After their father’s passing, he took the lead, and Seung-seob readily joined in. They were determined to protect their father’s life-long achievement that is now Samgeon and the family legacy behind it.
“Dad was not only a great father to us, but also an admirable man from whom I could learn so much. He was so frugal that he wore each pair of shoes until they fell apart, but he never shied away from giving anything to us when we wanted it. He was a model of hard work and persistence at work. He did his best to provide the best possible services and products to customers. He was also determined to give back and made sure he got to know every single one of his employees as a person. We are lucky to have had such a great role model that we can reference as we run the business now.”
The brothers could not give up the family company as it meant giving up their father’s life work. As young business owners, they were also eager to open up the second chapter of the company history.
“Running an official distributorship involves much more than simply selling product. We need to stay on top of the trends and be really smart in order to understand what customers truly need and provide them with the most appropriate solutions. We must not stay complacent with the current level of success. Instead, we must continue to rise to new challenges. Every time we submit a bid to win a major contract and start our contracted work, we make sure we are experts on the best products, techniques, and services that our clients need. We spend a lot of time studying the law nowadays, particularly as the environmental laws have changed in Korea reflecting the growing social interest in sustainability. We believe knowledge of this and other related subjects is crucial to providing professional and quality services to our clients.”
It wasn’t so easy to run such a large company at so young an age, but the brothers had each other to rely on in times of crisis. They were there to pick each other up. Their relationship has helped keep Samgeon growing.
“It’s difficult for the boss and the employee to be open with each other. Since we are brothers, we have no trouble communicating what we honestly think and feel. This transparency of communication has been essential in helping us find solutions for the difficulties we face. We are grateful to be working together. I am especially thankful to Seung-seob, who manages to find the perfect answer to every question I throw his way without ever complaining.”
“I depended so much on Chang-seob after our father passed away. Every time I ran into some roadblock, I consulted with him, knowing full well that he knew the answer. He’s amazing at handling unforeseen crises. I think we have the best partnership in this field of work.” The two brothers have led Samgeon to major success, with the company’s name and Samhwa now associated with all the major construction projects of recent years in Daejeon. The brothers’ hearts fill with pride and happiness every time they pass by a public building or an apartment complex they’ve painted with Samhwa products.
Pioneering a bright future with Samhwa
The relationship with Samhwa that began with their parents has grown all the stronger now that the Lee brothers are running the company. Chang-seob went to an overseas workshop Samhwa organized in Japan for official distributors last year. In 2019, Seung-seob attended a similar workshop in Vietnam.
“Just as Samhwa is essential to our livelihood, Samhwa has been doing all it can to maximize benefits for its official distributorships as well. Touring Samhwa’s plants in Vietnam and watching how the company’s products are made there broadened my perspective on the market and raised my anticipation for the future of Samhwa’s paints on the global paint market. Networking with other Samhwa distributors from across Korea also gave me great opportunities to learn and grow. I’d like to thank Samhwa once again for giving me the opportunity. I assure you that my brother and I will continue to work hard, persisting in our belief that the growth of Samgeon will mean the growth of Samhwa.”
The Lee brothers aim to raise their annual sales to KRW 8 billion this year. They also dream of building a new company building and opening up a café-like paint store anyone can visit and learn about the charms of colors and paints. Their dream is enough to inspire one to imagine a new Samgeon building, standing ever so brightly, as a new landmark in Daejeon.
Core items for the Lee brothers
Three core items
“My father wrote this company motto himself. We see it daily to renew our dedication to work. It says: ‘Work your job like it’s your job. Work others’ jobs like they’re your jobs. Become someone who makes discoveries on your own.”
“This is the official company seal that my father had made to sign contracts. Whenever we use this seal to sign our own contracts, we feel his presence and grow stronger in our commitment to do our best every moment.”
“This is a folder for business cards. It contains the business cards that our parents have collected since the beginning of this company. Just flipping through these pages is enough to remind us of the great work we are doing.”
The brave brothers:
Lee Chang-seob and Lee Seung-seob
of Samgeon Incorporated in Daejeon
From their smiling faces and gentle tone of voice, to their favorite foods and love for sports, it is difficult not to think of Chang-seob and Seung-seob Lee, the two men running an official Samhwa distributorship known as Samgeon Incorporated in Daegu, as brothers.
Samgeon, located in Dong-gu, Daejeon, is a well-established Samhwa store that handles most major painting projects in the city. The young brothers in their 30s, well known and loved for their sociable personalities and hard work, rack up billions of won in annual sales by winning almost all the major contracts involving public institutions and large apartment development projects in the city, raising the Samhwa profile. Asked to explain why Samgeon is so successful today, the brothers readily pick the legacy of expertise that has been built since their parents’ time, their sensibility for trends and great teamwork.
Samhwa at the center of a family legacy
“Our parents got to know each other and became a couple while working at a Samhwa paint store in Daejeon. Having worked in paint retail, they knew the benefits of owning their own store and opened one shortly before they got married. They built today’s Samgeon through hard work and determination. And now we run this business. That’s why we believe Samhwa is in our blood.”
Samhwa is more than just a paint company to the Lee brothers. Their parents met and married while working at the Samhwa paint store they mention. The boys, too, grew up playing around Samhwa paint cans stacked up in their parents’ store. The brothers plunged headlong into the world of paint sales when their father succumbed to a long-term illness in 2007. Chang-seob, the older brother, had been effectively running the family business since his university days while his father struggled with his illness. After their father’s passing, he took the lead, and Seung-seob readily joined in. They were determined to protect their father’s life-long achievement that is now Samgeon and the family legacy behind it.
“Dad was not only a great father to us, but also an admirable man from whom I could learn so much. He was so frugal that he wore each pair of shoes until they fell apart, but he never shied away from giving anything to us when we wanted it. He was a model of hard work and persistence at work. He did his best to provide the best possible services and products to customers. He was also determined to give back and made sure he got to know every single one of his employees as a person. We are lucky to have had such a great role model that we can reference as we run the business now.”
The brothers could not give up the family company as it meant giving up their father’s life work. As young business owners, they were also eager to open up the second chapter of the company history.
“Running an official distributorship involves much more than simply selling product. We need to stay on top of the trends and be really smart in order to understand what customers truly need and provide them with the most appropriate solutions. We must not stay complacent with the current level of success. Instead, we must continue to rise to new challenges. Every time we submit a bid to win a major contract and start our contracted work, we make sure we are experts on the best products, techniques, and services that our clients need. We spend a lot of time studying the law nowadays, particularly as the environmental laws have changed in Korea reflecting the growing social interest in sustainability. We believe knowledge of this and other related subjects is crucial to providing professional and quality services to our clients.”
It wasn’t so easy to run such a large company at so young an age, but the brothers had each other to rely on in times of crisis. They were there to pick each other up. Their relationship has helped keep Samgeon growing.
“It’s difficult for the boss and the employee to be open with each other. Since we are brothers, we have no trouble communicating what we honestly think and feel. This transparency of communication has been essential in helping us find solutions for the difficulties we face. We are grateful to be working together. I am especially thankful to Seung-seob, who manages to find the perfect answer to every question I throw his way without ever complaining.”
“I depended so much on Chang-seob after our father passed away. Every time I ran into some roadblock, I consulted with him, knowing full well that he knew the answer. He’s amazing at handling unforeseen crises. I think we have the best partnership in this field of work.” The two brothers have led Samgeon to major success, with the company’s name and Samhwa now associated with all the major construction projects of recent years in Daejeon. The brothers’ hearts fill with pride and happiness every time they pass by a public building or an apartment complex they’ve painted with Samhwa products.
Pioneering a bright future with Samhwa
The relationship with Samhwa that began with their parents has grown all the stronger now that the Lee brothers are running the company. Chang-seob went to an overseas workshop Samhwa organized in Japan for official distributors last year. In 2019, Seung-seob attended a similar workshop in Vietnam.
“Just as Samhwa is essential to our livelihood, Samhwa has been doing all it can to maximize benefits for its official distributorships as well. Touring Samhwa’s plants in Vietnam and watching how the company’s products are made there broadened my perspective on the market and raised my anticipation for the future of Samhwa’s paints on the global paint market. Networking with other Samhwa distributors from across Korea also gave me great opportunities to learn and grow. I’d like to thank Samhwa once again for giving me the opportunity. I assure you that my brother and I will continue to work hard, persisting in our belief that the growth of Samgeon will mean the growth of Samhwa.”
The Lee brothers aim to raise their annual sales to KRW 8 billion this year. They also dream of building a new company building and opening up a café-like paint store anyone can visit and learn about the charms of colors and paints. Their dream is enough to inspire one to imagine a new Samgeon building, standing ever so brightly, as a new landmark in Daejeon.
Core items for the Lee brothers
Three core items
“My father wrote this company motto himself. We see it daily to renew our dedication to work. It says: ‘Work your job like it’s your job. Work others’ jobs like they’re your jobs. Become someone who makes discoveries on your own.”
“This is the official company seal that my father had made to sign contracts. Whenever we use this seal to sign our own contracts, we feel his presence and grow stronger in our commitment to do our best every moment.”
“This is a folder for business cards. It contains the business cards that our parents have collected since the beginning of this company. Just flipping through these pages is enough to remind us of the great work we are doing.”
Wall paint
친환경 벽지 페인트
