Hsu Hsin-hung (徐新宏)
Hsu Hsin-hung (徐新宏, born 1947) is a Taiwanese American scientist and entrepreneur who serves as Chairman and CEO of the Chia Ho Enterprise Group (佳和企業集團) in California. He holds a Ph.D. and founded J.H. Biotech, Inc. in 1987, building a multinational enterprise focused on organic agriculture, biotechnology, and health products.
Identity Snapshot
- English: Hsu Hsin-hung
- Chinese: 徐新宏
- Born: 1947, Tongxiao (通宵鎮), Miaoli County, Taiwan (February 28 — the day of the 228 Incident)
- Spouse: 陳麗華 (Chen Li-hua)
- Education: B.S. Agricultural Chemistry, National Chung Hsing University (中興大學), 1967; M.S. and Ph.D. (U.S.)
- Key role: Chairman and CEO, Chia Ho Enterprise Group
- Founded: J.H. Biotech, Inc. (1987), Ventura County, California
- Organizations: Chia Ho Enterprise Group; J.H. Biotech; 佳和生物科技公司
Early Life
Hsu Hsin-hung was born in 1947 in Tongxiao Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan — the same year the 228 Incident occurred, an event that profoundly shaped Taiwanese history. His family lived in rural areas for generations and worked as farmers. His father had limited formal education, and his mother was illiterate, yet they placed enormous value on education and did everything within their means to raise their children.
Because of his farming background, Hsu helped his parents with farm work from a young age — herding cattle, raising pigs, plowing, transplanting rice, and harvesting. He was skilled at all farm labor. He later described himself as carrying the “Taiwanese water buffalo” spirit: honest, simple, hardworking, and resilient. This close connection to the land instilled in him a deep sense of gratitude and love for his homeland (“吃果子拜樹頭、愛鄉愛土” — when you eat fruit, you honor the tree that bore it).
Education and Mentorship
In high school, Hsu’s favorite subjects were chemistry and biology, which led him to choose the Agricultural Chemistry Department at National Chung Hsing University (中興大學) in 1967.
At Chung Hsing University, Hsu encountered Professor Sun Chi-ning (孫志寧), who profoundly influenced his approach to both work and scholarship. Hsu recounts an incident that became a guiding principle for his entire life:
During a lab experiment, Hsu accidentally knocked over an entire rack of dozens of test tubes from the oven. Test tubes of good quality had to be imported, and he was terrified. Professor Sun said nothing at first — she simply picked up a broom and silently swept up the glass shards. When she was done, she said: “Making mistakes is inevitable. The only way to never make a mistake is to never do anything. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes — be proactive and do it.”
This simple sentence shaped Hsu’s entire philosophy. He later called it his “practical philosophy” (力行哲學): plan carefully, then act. Many people stop at the planning stage because they fear failure or loss. True progress comes from execution, learning from errors, and moving forward.
This became the cornerstone of his later entrepreneurial success.
Career
J.H. Biotech
In 1987, Hsu resigned from his position in Utah and founded J.H. Biotech, Inc. (佳和生物科技公司) in his home state. In 1988, he relocated to Ventura County, California, where, with the help of his wife, he built the company over many years into a multinational enterprise with branches and subsidiaries spread across several countries.
The enterprise’s business lines include:
- Organic (microbial) pesticides
- Organic (microbial) fertilizers
- Biological (animal) feed additives
- Human health food ingredients (R&D, production, and sales)
These all connected directly to his university studies and research. Hsu described his founding motivation as: “Considering the health and safety of users and consumers, and focusing on reducing pollution. We aimed to establish a different model in the agricultural production sector and work toward the goal of a ‘green planet.‘”
Chia Ho Enterprise Group
Over years of dedicated work, Hsu built a diversified enterprise group with operations spanning multiple countries. He serves as both Chairman and CEO, overseeing the group’s strategic direction across all business lines.
From the record
- 2025-06-26 — 美洲台灣日報於天普市舉行高層人事交接：接任董事長（原社長李木通轉任董事），編採團隊維持不變；與接任社長賴英慧皆曾任大洛杉磯台灣會館董事長。表示希望賴社長及編採團隊讓台僑意見被台灣看見，使美洲台灣日報成為對台灣有影響力的媒體（美洲台灣日報，報導 2025-06-27）
- 2025-09-08 (reported) — 美洲台灣日報 published his op-ed 〈檢舉文化下的交通安全：進步還是緊張？〉 on traffic-violation reporting culture (dashcams as 「行動監視器」; reporting as an aid, not the sole tool; road safety should rest on 自願守法 and 友善環境), bylined with the self-identification 「作者為前大洛杉磯台灣會館董事長」 — hub: 美洲台灣日報 ingest hub · 美洲台灣日報
Taiwan Identity and Community Engagement
Hsu Hsin-hung distinguishes himself from many other Taiwanese American entrepreneurs through his strong Taiwan identity and advocacy. He has been vocal about his views on cross-strait relations, even before President |Chen Shui-bian’s “one side, one state” (一邊一國) statement.
In 2002–2003, at his first Overseas Community Affairs Council (僑務委員會) meeting, Hsu noticed that even Chairman Chang Fu-mei (張富美) and others constantly used the terms “兩岸” (cross-strait) and “大陸” (mainland). He publicly raised concerns about this terminology and privately advised the Chairman to use “兩國” (two countries) instead, noting that “China” should be called “China,” not “mainland.”
Hsu was particularly concerned that even green-leaning media and commentators sometimes casually used terms like “大陸” and “兩岸” without realizing, in his view, that they had been “poisoned” by unificationist discourse. He emphasized that he had been attentive to this issue long before it became a mainstream debate.
Honors and Recognition
- 2010: Elected as the 14th Distinguished Alumnus of National Chung Hsing University (中興大學第14屆傑出校友)
- In his acceptance speech, Hsu recalled his graduate experience with Professor Sun and described his commitment to green product development and environmental protection
Personal Philosophy
Hsu’s life philosophy can be summarized by the “water buffalo spirit” (台灣水牛精神): hard work, perseverance, and humility. His approach to business and life is encapsulated in Professor Sun’s teaching: plan well, act decisively, learn from mistakes, and keep going.
He is known for his strong Taiwan identity, his commitment to giving back to both his adopted country (America) and his homeland (Taiwan), and his belief that success should benefit farmers, consumers, and the environment.
Network
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People (3)
Organizations (2)
Sources (2)
Source Notes and Confidence
- Content priority A: 2017 TAHS Publication 加州佳和企業集團董事長兼總裁|徐新宏博士, Part 1, L1405–1584 (~179 lines), written by 周威霖
- Content priority A: Contains detailed biographical narrative including education, mentorship, founding of J.H. Biotech, business philosophy, and Taiwan identity advocacy
- Hub: |2017 TAHS Publication
- Note: Full text includes extensive biographical detail including family background, the 228 birth year significance, Professor Sun’s mentorship, and his public advocacy positions.