Hur Young-in


Hur Young-in is a South Korean entrepreneur and chairman of SPC Group, which owns brands such as SPC Samlip, Paris Croissant, Paris Baguette, Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts operations in South Korea.

Early life and education

Hur is the second son of Hur Chang-sung, who founded the bakery called Sangmidang in Hwanghae Province in the 1940s. Under the influence of his father, Hur enrolled in the American Institute of Baking in Kansas, United States in 1981 to learn breadmaking.
Upon his return, he took over operations of Shany, a subsidiary of his father's parent company, Samlip Food Corporation. In 1986, Hur launched a French-style bakery called Paris Croissant. In 1988, his company launched a franchise brand called Paris Baguette, which facilitated parbaking, or 'bake-off system', to allow franchisees to bake products in-store.

Career

Upon successfully growing his franchise business in South Korea and abroad, Hur founded the parent company, SPC Group in 2004, and relocated his subsidiaries, Paris Croissant, Samlip Food Corporation , and BR Korea. BR Korea is a joint venture for Baskin Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts operations in Korea.
For his contribution of spreading bread as a staple in South Korea, he received the Ordre National du Merite l'Officier and the Merite Agricole Chevalier from the French government in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

In popular culture

The 2010 Korea Broadcasting System television drama King of Baking, Kim Takgu is based on Hur's experience as a child overcoming hardships to make quality bread and grow his business.