Kien, also known to his peers as No.1 (named for his attitude and dedication to Alspec and his Alspec customers) is a true inspiration to anyone he meets.

At the age of 19, Kien moved from North Vietnam to Australia and couldn't speak a word of English. After six months of language classes, Kien began his Alspec journey sweeping and replenishing racks and learning some Aussie slang'. He quickly earnt the respect of the Adelaide team for his hard work ethic and ability to remember where to find sections when picking or packing orders. If you couldn't find something, Kien would direct you to the right place.

His outstanding level of customer service and attention to detail when picking customer's orders led to many of our larger commercial customers requesting only Kien pack their orders. Kien's previous managers describe him as being both dedicated and committed while never being afraid to say how it is.

Then in mid-2019 Kien was diagnosed with a rare muscular disease called Myositis, a debilitating disorder that causes the body to lose control of its muscles. Kien was only the 6th person in South Australia to be diagnosed with this form of disease. Kien then spent two months in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, then another three months recovering in a rehabilitation Centre.

Throughout this traumatic experience with his wife, daughter and newborn son (born in Dec 2019) along with his extended family, Kien's determination to beat this disease became an inspiration to us all. It was then with great pleasure that during his recovery, a few team members could present Kien with his Alspec 20-year service award. It was a proud moment for everyone that's had the privilege of working with Kien.

On behalf of the entire Alspec team, we would like to congratulate Kien on his 20 years of passionate service and wish him a speedy recovery. We look forward to seeing Kien back with his Alspec family to reclaim the title as No.1.