Founded in 1886, The Wharf (Holdings) Limited (Stock code: 4) is a premier company with HK$281.8 billion of consolidated assets and a strategic focus on property and infrastructure in Hong Kong and the Mainland. It is a subsidiary of the Wheelock and Company Limited (Stock code: 20).

For 125 years, "Building for Tomorrow" has been the mission for Wharf. A distinguished track record culminated in a record financial performance in 2010.

While proud of its past achievements with Hong Kong as base, its strategic initiative of "Building for Tomorrow" in Mainland China pre-occupies the Group's asset expansion programme. That new base includes a land bank of 12.4 million square metres accumulated at a cost of over RMB65 billion, an emerging hotel business and valuable port assets. 39% of the Group's business assets are already based in the Mainland, with the medium term target being 50%, including a land bank target of at least 15 million square metres.

With prime real estate as the Group's primary strategic focus, site acquisition, financing, development planning, design, construction and marketing are its core competencies. Mall management remains its strategic differentiation.

Landmarks Harbour City and Times Square form the backbone of Wharf's prime real estate in Hong Kong. They represent 47% of total business assets and 64% of the operating profit. They command a combined valuation of about HK$120 billion, underpinned by compound annual growth rates in rental income of 12% and 9% respectively since 2003. With unique critical mass and shopper stickiness, they account for an exceptional 8.3% share of total retail sales throughout Hong Kong in the first half of 2011.

Real estate in the Mainland is the new growth initiative. The Group remains enthusiastic about the fundamentals for the Mainland property market. Continuation of urbanisation at a breakneck pace will stimulate demand not only quantitatively but also qualitatively. The current land bank of 12.4 million square metres comprises more than two million square metres of outstanding investment properties and more than 10 million square metres of prime development properties across 13 cities.

A new tomorrow being built for investment properties in the Mainland will be comparable in scale and significance to Harbour City and Times Square in Hong Kong. The portfolio in Shanghai is already as big as Times Square in Hong Kong. In Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Suzhou and Wuxi, five International Finance Centres are being built based on the Harbour City model.

In development properties, sales and pre-sales totalled nearly RMB9 billion in 2010. The Group opened 2011 with a net order book of over RMB8 billion and increased to RMB14.9 billion for 945,000 square metres in the mid of 2011. Recognition totalled a little over RMB3 billion (at a gross margin of over 34%) in 2010.

The Group owns or manages 10 Marco Polo Hotels in Asia Pacific, principally in China. From 2012 onwards, a host of new Marco Polo Hotels will come on stream. In March 2011, Marco Polo Hotels was awarded the "Best International Hotel Management Group of China" by China Hotel Starlight Awards in recognition of its commitment and quality of hotel services in China.

Also contributing to Wharf's presence in the Mainland are key port assets along the China coast, the most dynamic coast line in the world for cargo movement in the coming decades.

Building for Tomorrow also extends to Wharf's corporate social responsibility. Under the "Business-in-Community" banner, the Group is committed to making a difference by promoting staff volunteerism, building a better Hong Kong and the sustainability of the community.

For its stellar business performance, Wharf was presented by Yazhou Zhoukan the "Global Chinese Business 1000 — Best Performance Awards" in 2010. Wharf has also been awarded "Caring Company" status by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service in recognition of its good corporate citizenship.