FOR more than 80 years things went well for the Eu family business, which specialises in making and distributing Chinese herbs and medicine in Hong Kong.
Last year it had a turnover of $146.39 million and a net profit of $13.5 million. Then last May, the family - which has the brand name of Eu Yang Sang (Hong Kong) producing more than 30 different kinds of nutritional pills and medicines - had some of its confidential legal documents leaked to the press which referred to sensitive litigation concerning two of its trademarks.
More bad publicity on the company followed at its annual general meeting on May 27, when it was confronted by angry minority shareholders who publicly challenged it over issues ranging from its product quality to the standard of its management.
The Eu family solidarity also showed signs of faltering when one of its family members, Charles Eu Keng-pang, 70, a Western-educated manager who was executive director, was removed from the board after the meeting.
Eu Yan Sang was established by Eu Kong, and started out as a humble provisions store in a small Malaysian mining town. His son Eu Tong Seng set up the Hong Kong branch in 1909.
The younger Eu's business skills were as well-known as his taste for fine antiques and a big family.
However, as the medicine business and family expanded, the Eu Yang Sang trademarks remained in the ownership of the company.