Hong Kong: One of the last of Hong Kong's greatest generation of shipowners passed away on the weekend. Koo Kou-ming, the boss of bulker and tanker operator Valles Steamship, died aged 85. He was one of the very last of the famous shipowners who moved from Shanghai and Ningbo in 1949 as the Communists swept to power.
K M Koo restarted the Valles name in Hong Kong in 1950, following on the shipping line founded by his father CS Koo in Shanghai in 1910.
'K M Koo was part of the fabric of Hong Kong shipping, running fantastic ships and stood at the head of a powerful shipping dynasty,' commented one Hong Kong shipping veteran.
Mr Koo was related to the Tungs and the Pengs, linking his company to the likes of OOCL and Tai Chong Cheang Steamship.
Though he was a close ally of Japanese shipbuilders for most of his life, later on Valles made a historic return to Chinese shipyards ordering a number of vessels in Shanghai bringing Mr Koo's life full circle.
Mr Koo's son, David, took over the reins of the day-to-day running of Valles eight years ago. [15/03/10]
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