From Bicycle Rims to Three Industries: Low-profile Leader FEMCO Moves Steadily Toward Its Centenary

▲ FEMCO President Liu Yu-chen (center) with core managers Lin Yen-ting (machine tools, far left), Lin Che-wei (machine tools, second left), Lin Cheng-yu (pipes and tubes, second right) and Su Po-cheng (machine tools, far right) during an interview with ESG Times. (Photo: ESG Times)

Far East Machinery Co., Ltd. was founded in Chiayi, Taiwan in 1949, starting with bicycle rims. As Taiwan industrialized, FEMCO moved into steel and over the decades took part in many major public works, from the ports of Su-Ao and Taichung to the steel structures of the Wugu–Yangmei elevated freeway and the early Formosa Plastics plants. Its products and technology can be found all over Taiwan, making it a key force behind the island’s infrastructure.

Along the way FEMCO witnessed Taiwan’s industrial change while steadily upgrading its own capabilities, expanding from steel manufacturing into engineering and machine tools. Today it is a diversified group with three divisions and a place in the global market.

A low-profile leader behind major projects at home and abroad

FEMCO’s three main businesses are the Pipes & Tubes division, the Engineering & Construction division and the Machine Tools division (run by subsidiary FATEK). Another subsidiary, FST, is well known in the industry for its golf shafts.

The Pipes & Tubes division supplies high-quality pipe for subsea construction, petrochemicals, building structures and pressure vessels. The Engineering division focuses on large equipment manufacturing and project supervision, covering petrochemical equipment, nuclear power plant piping, hydro and wind power equipment. The Machine Tools division develops high-precision machine tools for the automotive, aerospace and petrochemical industries and keeps advancing smart manufacturing.

“Pipe in every size and spherical tank construction are technologies we are known for, and they have given us the chance to take part in major projects in Taiwan and overseas,” says Assistant Vice President Lin Cheng-yu. The group’s competitiveness comes from its commitment to quality and technical breakthroughs, now strengthened by digital transformation and smart manufacturing.

▲ President Liu Yu-chen shows founder C. M. Chuang’s notebooks, full of precious manuscripts and memories of the company’s early days. (Photo: ESG Times)

A wall of the founder’s notebooks tells the story

“A company with 76 years of history can’t be summed up in a few words,” says President Liu. Since founder C. M. Chuang set out, history has been rewritten again and again: every stage drew attention and the awards are too many to count. Just as important, a commitment to charity and giving back has carried on to this day. A visit to the FEMCO Machinery Memorial Museum reveals just how many remarkable stories this low-profile steel leader has.

In 2022 the iF Design Award, often called the Oscars of design, went to “Smart Manufacturing in Motion – FEMCO Machinery Memorial Museum”. Created with Feng Chia University, it was the first Taiwanese project to win an iF award for architecture and interior design. The museum is packed with exhibits and even uses AR so visitors can explore FEMCO’s innovations on their phones and tablets.

The highlight is a whole wall of the founder’s notebooks. “Many valuable development processes were recorded, even sketches of machine designs.” President Liu’s introduction gives visitors a deeper understanding of FEMCO’s development and a new admiration for its founder.

▲ Every corner of the FEMCO Machinery Memorial Museum tells a story. (Photo: ESG Times)

Keeping pace with AI and ESG on the way to a hundred years

As global industry shifts toward sustainability, FEMCO is actively pursuing ESG transformation. On the environmental side it is moving to low-carbon processes and green energy to cut emissions; on the social side it works with local communities through its corporate museum to promote industrial education and heritage; and in governance it emphasizes transparency and long-term management to stay competitive worldwide.

Looking ahead, FEMCO will keep introducing AI, AR and IoT while deepening industry–academia cooperation with vocational schools and universities, both to develop talent for the industry and to retain it. FEMCO has long been a top employer in the greater Chiayi area, and many staff have stayed 20 or 30 years, proof of strong management as well as strong business and R&D. The company is well placed to reach its centenary and keep contributing to steel and engineering in Taiwan and abroad.

Source: ESG TIMES

2025-05-23 · ESG TIMES / Lee Chiao-chih

FEMCO: +886-5-276-6171 · www.femco.com.tw

FATEK: +886-5-213-3166 · www.fatek.com.tw