When Chen took over control of Namchow, the soapmaking company his father started, he diversified into baking ingredients, dairy products, cooking oil, and detergent supplies. The family business is now a publicly listed company with factories and offices in Taiwan, China, and Thailand.

In 2003, Namchow entered the restaurant industry, opening a chain of Dian Shui Lou restaurants which serves a type of xiao long bao made from indigenous black pigs. The company also began production of snack food products, making rice crackers and instant noodles that became leaders in the ASEAN market after being repackaged as Thai brands. In keeping with the times, Chen is directing Namchow to begin developing environmentally sustainable cleaning products and low-fat, low-sugar, low-sodium baking products.