Alspec recently honoured an Adelaide team member on completion of 20 years of service with the company. What makes Kien Chi Ma’s achievement truly unique is his journey through many challenges, his perseverance, and his ability to come out stronger, thereby becoming an inspiration to family, friends and colleagues.
Known to his peers as No. 1 for his attitude and dedication to Alspec and his Alspec customers, Kien’s Australian journey began at the age of 19 when he came over from North Vietnam. Though he couldn’t speak a word of English, he picked it up soon enough with six months of language classes.
Kien began his Alspec journey sweeping and replenishing racks, quickly earning the respect of the Adelaide team for his hard work ethic and ability to remember where to find sections when picking or packing orders.
Thanks to his outstanding level of customer service and attention to detail when picking customers’ orders, many of Alspec’s larger commercial customers began requesting that only Kien should pack their orders.
In mid-2019, Kien was diagnosed with a rare muscular autoimmune disease, Myositis; it is a debilitating disorder that causes the body to lose control of its muscles. Kien was only the 6th person in South Australia to be diagnosed with this form of the disease.
After two months in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, followed by three months in a rehabilitation centre, Kien is slowly recovering, and determined to beat the disease.
Kien, who has a wife, daughter and new-born son, was presented with his Alspec 20-year service award by team members.
On behalf of the entire team, Alspec would like to congratulate Kien on his 20 years of passionate service and wish him a speedy recovery.
We look forward to seeing Kien back with his Alspec family to reclaim the No. 1 title.
