In the heart of Seri Kembangan, just a short drive from Malaysia's bustling capital city of Kuala Lumpur, lies the success story of Zack Th Than, the visionary founder of Botak Digital Sdn Bhd.
I'm Amy Yu, Dscoop's Community Success Manager for Asia Pacific and Japan, and I recently had the privilege of visiting Zack. I discovered a trailblazing entrepreneur who's shaping the future of the industry!
Before delving into the intricacies of Zack's journey, it's worth noting the unique origin of his company's name. Botak, in Bahasa Melayu, means bald — a playful nod to Zack's own lack of hair. With that hint of humor in his choice of company name, Zack embodies the spirit of resilience that defines his entrepreneurial journey.
Zack graciously took me on a tour of his impressive facility. From a humble beginning as a printing operator, he has come a long way, strategically expanding his operations to four different sites in Seri Kembangan through a partnership with a fellow businessman. Zack also owns other businesses, including UMP Book Printing.
His journey reflects a courageous departure as a machine operator, fueled by a relentless pursuit of knowledge. He shared with me his frequent travels to China and Japan, where he learned the intricacies of the trade and gained insights into cutting-edge technologies. Leveraging Malaysia's multilingual landscape to his advantage, Zack often conducts printing business in Mandarin, fostering collaborations with printing and publishing partners from China.
His open-minded approach led him to collaborate with printers in China, capitalizing on opportunities presented by the current economic landscape, especially with the Malaysian Ringgit at historically low levels.
In light of the Red Sea trade disruption and other challenges, Zack tapped into the printing industry's potential in South East Asian countries. With shipping routes more accessible from this region, Botak has become a hub for printing various publications, including Malaysia Airlines magazines and books from Singapore, the U.S. and China. Those printed books find their way to different corners of the world, with a significant portion heading to the U.S.
When it comes to printing the Malaysia Airlines magazine, Botak goes the extra mile. Zack proudly shared that the paper used for the magazine undergoes a hygiene finish that incorporates anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-malodour technologies. This finish ensures 99.99% control of germs.
What stands out about Zack is not just his business acumen, but his commitment to knowledge sharing. As a first-generation owner, his journey required extensive research, groundwork and a mindset framed to navigate challenges.
Despite starting small, Zack has always welcomed visitors to his site. In February 2024, more than 300 local printing owners visited Botak for an event hosted by Zack himself, complete with lunch. Zack's believes that collaboration leads to mutual success, and post-visit, other printing owners reached out to Zack to do just that.
Zack extends an open invitation to printers from all regions. He is more than happy to foster relationships and knowledge-exchange with printing experts in other regions, contributing to Dscoop's global network of collaboration and innovation. Connect with me, and I'll put you in touch.
