Household name

Hoe Kian Choon, CEO and founder of Cuckoo International, says the company remains intent on providing solutions that cater to the needs of all customers, regardless of lifestyle, background or spending power. — Photo: ART CHEN

THE first time Hoe Kian Choon came across the brand Cuckoo was at a South Korean airport about a decade ago. “There were all these travellers walking around carrying Cuckoo branded rice cookers and it really grabbed our attention,” the founder and CEO of Malaysia-based Cuckoo International recalls.

“We learned that Cuckoo’s rice cookers were very famous there, and it was common for people from neighbouring countries like Japan and China to fly over and buy them to bring back home as gifts or for their own use.”