Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad

Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad is a Malaysian public company whose roots reach back to 1918, when Harrisons and Crosfield (Borneo) Ltd acquired the trading firm Darby & Company, founded in 1893. The modern corporate entity was incorporated on 9 March 1990 as Jantoco Trading Sdn Bhd, a private limited company formed to acquire the Malaysian trading operations of Harrisons and Crosfield PLC, a London-listed company. The acquisition was completed in September 1990 with backing from senior management and shareholders including Noah Foundation and Bumi Raya. The company changed its name to Harrisons Holdings Sdn Bhd on 3 September 1991, assumed its present name on 1 October 1991, and was converted into a public company on 28 April 1992. It listed on Bursa Malaysia on 25 October 1999. The group describes itself as one of the oldest, largest and most established sales, marketing, warehousing, distribution and services organisations in Malaysia, with a particularly strong presence in East Malaysia, where it has operated for over a century and built a distribution network ranked among the best in the country. Its operations are divided into nine business segments: Wine, Spirits and Beer; Retail; Technical Products; Travel; Shipping & Logistics; Agricultural Fertiliser Chemicals; Industrial Chemicals; Building Materials; and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Harrisons also has a major presence in the East Malaysian shipping agency industry, representing numerous international and domestic shipping lines, and operates a network of fully computerised travel ticketing and sales offices in the region. Its Technical Products division distributes engineering and technical goods including decorative paint, industrial coatings, ceiling boards, aerosol spray paint, automotive bearings, batteries, lubricants and filters, representing brands such as NTN Bearings, GP Autobat, Federal Paints, Dulux (AkzoNobel), Colorland, Krystal Spray Paint, Durobond Adhesives and Hume Cemboard. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary on 25 March 2018 and its 102nd anniversary on 1 May 2020. In 2024 it received The Edge Centurion Club award for highest returns to shareholders over three years, reflecting its standing as a long-established Malaysian distribution and services group.

The history of Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad spans more than a century, although the present corporate entity dates from 1990. The oldest company in the group, Harrisons Sabah Sdn Bhd, traces its origin to Darby & Company, a trading firm founded in 1893. On 25 March 1918, that business was acquired by Harrisons & Crosfield of London and became Harrisons and Crosfield (Borneo) Ltd, later renamed Harrisons and Crosfield (Sabah) Sdn Bhd and eventually Harrisons Sabah Sdn Bhd. This makes the group one of the oldest continuously operating trading and distribution organisations in Malaysia, particularly in East Malaysia. For much of the 20th century, the Malaysian operations formed part of Harrisons and Crosfield PLC, a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange known for its plantations, including Harrisons Malaysia Plantations Berhad and Golden Hope Plantations Berhad. In 1990, a management-led consortium moved to acquire the Malaysian trading operations. On 9 March 1990, Jantoco Trading Sdn Bhd was incorporated in Malaysia under the Companies Act 1965 as a private limited company for that purpose. The acquisition was completed in September 1990, with senior management and shareholders including Noah Foundation and Bumi Raya as main backers. The company changed its name to Harrisons Holdings Sdn Bhd on 3 September 1991 and assumed its present name, Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad, on 1 October 1991. It was converted into a public company on 28 April 1992. On 25 October 1999, the group listed on Bursa Malaysia, giving it access to public capital markets while retaining its focus on distribution and services. Over the following decades, Harrisons expanded and diversified into nine business segments: Wine, Spirits and Beer; Retail; Technical Products; Travel; Shipping & Logistics; Agricultural Fertiliser Chemicals; Industrial Chemicals; Building Materials; and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). Its East Malaysian distribution network became one of the best in the country, and it built a significant shipping agency business representing major international and domestic shipping lines. It also maintained fully computerised travel ticketing and sales offices in East Malaysia. The group marked its 100th anniversary on 25 March 2018 and its 102nd anniversary on 1 May 2020. In recent years it has continued to receive recognition for shareholder returns, including The Edge Malaysia Centurion Club Corporate Award in 2023 and the 2024 Centurion Club award for highest returns to shareholders over three years. Its retail and FMCG activities have included the Famous Amos cookie brand in Singapore, which in 2023 collaborated with "Milk and Cookies". Today, Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad remains a publicly listed Malaysian company with a diversified portfolio of distribution, retail, travel, shipping, logistics and chemical businesses, positioned as a one-stop business solution provider.

• Darby & Company, a trading company and the oldest predecessor of the group, is founded.

• Harrisons & Crosfield of London acquires Darby & Company, forming Harrisons and Crosfield (Borneo) Ltd.

• Jantoco Trading Sdn Bhd is incorporated in Malaysia to acquire the Malaysian trading operations of Harrisons & Crosfield PLC.

• Jantoco Trading Sdn Bhd completes the acquisition of the Malaysian trading operations from Harrisons & Crosfield PLC.

• Jantoco Trading Sdn Bhd changes its name to Harrisons Holdings Sdn Bhd.

• The company assumes its present name, Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad.

• Converted to a public company.

• Listed on Bursa Malaysia.

• Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhad celebrates its 100th anniversary.

• The group celebrates its 102nd anniversary.

• Receives The Edge Malaysia Centurion Club Corporate Award.

• Receives The Edge Centurion Club 2024 award for highest returns to shareholders over three years.

One of Malaysia's oldest, largest and most established sales, marketing, warehousing, distribution and services organisations, with a leading position in East Malaysia.

• Wine, Spirits and Beer

  Distribution of alcoholic beverages.

• Retail

  Retail operations including Famous Amos cookies in Singapore.

• Technical Products

  Engineering and technical products including decorative paint, industrial coatings, ceiling boards, aerosol spray paint, automotive bearings, batteries, lubricants and filters.

• Travel

  Travel ticketing and sales services through fully computerised offices in East Malaysia.

• Shipping & Logistics

  Shipping agency services representing international and domestic shipping lines.

• Agricultural Fertiliser Chemicals

  Distribution of agricultural fertiliser chemicals.

• Industrial Chemicals

  Distribution of industrial chemicals.

• Building Materials

  Distribution of building materials.

• Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

  Distribution of fast moving consumer goods.

1. 1Harrisons Holding (Malaysia) Berhad – Official Websiteharrisons.com.my
2. 2Our Company – History & Milestonesharrisons.com.my
3. 3Our Company – Overviewharrisons.com.my
4. 4Technical Productsharrisons.com.my
5. 5Wikidata – Harrisons Holdings (Malaysia) Berhadwikidata.org