SPHERE
        
        
          11
        
        
          WHEN HUTCHISON WHAMPOA LIMITED (HWL)
        
        
          opened its first office in London back in 1985 it was
        
        
          virtually unknown in UK financial and political cir-
        
        
          cles. It spent six years making contacts and researching
        
        
          opportunities before making its first investment. To-
        
        
          day, the company controls businesses in the UK worth
        
        
          a staggering GBP14.5 billion (about HKD224 billion).
        
        
          HWL is now one of the largest Asian investors in Brit-
        
        
          ain and a significant force in the UK business world.
        
        
          Mirroring the five strands of its business in Hong
        
        
          Kong, the Group has now built a portfolio of busi-
        
        
          nesses in the UK in the ports, property, retail, utili-
        
        
          ties and telecommunications sectors. HWL oper-
        
        
          
        
        
          
            HWL mirrors its home-town’s
          
        
        
          
            success story in Britain
          
        
        
          
            By Clare Maclure
          
        
        
          HK
        
        
          from
        
        
          uK
        
        
          to