An insight into Ocean King

Last week, we were taken on an incredible journey, one that showed how gratitude can lead to so much good.

A massive thank you to Steven Thai for sharing his personal, impactful story with the Derbyshire Business Networking group yesterday.

Steven shared that he is a Vietnamese refugee and founded Ocean King Ltd in 1997 with his father, transforming it from a modest seafood delivery service into one of the UK's premier food wholesalers.

His journey, from fleeing persecution to building a thriving business, exemplifies resilience and vision. We gained honest insight into his family, his upbringing, and the experiences that shaped him, as well as his desire to give back. He also brought to life the history and turmoil of Vietnam.

For Ocean King, their focus on “enriching lives by creating opportunities” means supporting local communities through job creation and career development. And also what really sets them apart, is their dedication to customer satisfaction and building lasting relationships with clients, a number whom we met yesterday and who have become friends.

Under Steven’s leadership, the company has invested £5 million into a new 32,000-square-foot facility, which we had the privilege of touring (it was a bit chilly!). We also heard about the exciting plans for Ocean King. What an asset to Derby the business is.

And thanks to Damien Rodgers for explaining how the business works.

And Robert Lyon and David Hewitt were tireless in capturing the evening on video.

And thanks to everyone who attended yesterday. We had a great mix of people, including Steven’s contacts from across the industry, and personally, I had so many good conversations.

There’s something special about the people who make up Derbyshire Business Networking. It’s all about building genuine connections with local people who truly care about supporting each other. It’s always a fantastic place to share ideas, learn from one another, and find opportunities that help your business grow in a real, meaningful way. And yesterday’s meet-up reflected this.

Once again, thank you to Steven, John Thai, and Norman Thai for making it such a great event.

Our next networking event is on the 13th of April at BEAR in Irongate, Derby thanks to Craig Bunting ☕️✌️ for hosting. The speaker will be announced next week. Make sure you grab a ticket, as spaces are limited https://lnkd.in/ezpZ9jXQ