Matthew Loh is CEO of Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie, Texas. Asia Times Square is owned by Loh’s family and is one of the largest Asian Markets in Texas.

Tell us about yourself.
I am Chinese, born in Vietnam, and my wife, Erin Kim ('95 BBA, Finance and Real Estate) is Korean. We have two children. Nathan ('21 BBA, Accounting) is currently pursuing a master's degree at UTA, and Audrey, an economics major, is entering her second year at UT Austin. I am the youngest with five older siblings.

Why did you choose to attend UTA?
Initially, I attended UT Austin but had a car accident during freshman year. I was okay, but the car was quite damaged. Before the accident, I would drive back to Arlington on the weekends. Since I couldn't after the accident, I transferred to UT Arlington with the intention of saving enough money for another car and transferring back to UT Austin. While attending UTA, I fell in love with the school and the co-operative program that landed me an internship with Peerless Manufacturing Co. I decided to stay and graduated from UTA because I had a good co-op job and was getting a great education. 

What did you study at UTA? What attracted you to that field?
At first, I was thinking about electrical engineering, but I heard several people switched from mechanical engineering (ME) to electrical engineering. I asked them why and they said it was because ME was difficult and not what they expected. Out of curiosity, I took some ME classes, liked it, and stuck with it. 

Describe your UTA experience. How did UTA help prepare you for your career?
UTA has changed and improved so much since I graduated. Having said that, I had a great experience there. First and foremost, I met my wife, Erin Kim, at UTA and so this is a very, very special place for me. Secondly, I felt a sense of belonging to a great university and benefitted greatly with the education and opportunity to gain valuable experience in the field of my study as an intern. Because of this opportunity, I was hired as a full-time engineer at Peerless Manufacturing Co. before my graduation. 

Describe your path to your current position. What have you learned along the way?
With my degree in ME, I was blessed to work as an engineer for five years. Each year, I was able to advance and was promoted to lead project engineer, handling the biggest project for the company at the time. My family's grocery store was growing, and my father wanted me to join the family business. After being able to experience life as a professional engineer, I finally resigned to help with the grocery store. I realized the sacrifices from my family and more importantly, the potential for growth. They allowed me the opportunity to get a great education at UTA, and so it was time to contribute to the family business. We had an agreement to make me the highest paid cashier in the history of America! It was extremely important to me to start from the ground up and I am certain that my studies at UTA are the reason why. As engineers, we must know every little detail of the problem so that we can come up with the best solution. 

"Start with Desire, followed by Dedication, Determination, Devotion, and finally, Discipline!"

What inspires your community involvement in Arlington and Grand Prairie? 
I am a very proud Asian American who benefitted greatly from the opportunities that were given to me. Our growth is because of our community and so we wanted to give back to the community. We started our first grocery store, Hong Kong Market Place, in Arlington, also known as the Dream City, which is so fitting. When we had the opportunity to acquire the old Walmart and Sam's Club at the corner of Great Southwest and Pioneer, the City of Grand Prairie welcomed us with open arms. We have such a great partnership with the leadership in Grand Prairie. In fact, Asia Times Square crosses both cities' lines, Arlington and Grand Prairie. We are so extremely blessed to work with both great cities and their councils and staff. I have tremendous respect and admiration for both Mayor Ron Jensen of the City of Grand Prairie and Mayor Jim Ross of Arlington. I am so fortunate to be able to work with both cities, their Chambers of Commerce, great non-profit and for-profit organizations, and so many good friends and leaders in our community. I am grateful because alone I can only do so much, but together we can, we have, and we will do much more!

Can you share any defining moments in your career that inspired you to continue your work?
When I became the first Asian American to be the Chairman for the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce. I would follow that with being Man of the Year in 2015 and 2017, and for Asia Times Square to be recognized as Minority-Owned Business of the Year in 2021 by the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

What's one lesson you learned at UTA that has stayed with you still today?
Knowledge is golden and what you learned will help you succeed in your career, even if it is not in the industry of the degree you earned. I am proof that having a degree in Mechanical Engineering can help you greatly in becoming a successful businessman. 

What message do you have for the next generation of UTA graduates?
Education is extremely important and is the foundation you need to make things a bit easier. However, you will need to execute these 5 D's to be successful professionally and personally. Start with Desire, followed by Dedication, Determination, Devotion, and finally, Discipline! 

Anything else you would like to share?
Don't forget where you came from, be proud of who you are, and give back when you can.