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CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
The Business Times | Wednesday, July 15, 2015
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Surpassing expectations
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Supplement editor: Lilian Ang Sub-editor: Lee Kim Siang Cover design: Gareth Chung Graphics: Airyn, Jennifer Chua Photographer: Joseph Nair
Advertising sales: Lam Wy-ning 9368 5685; Jaclyn Sim 8333 5665
CEO
CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
The art of
work
N SOME corporate offices in Singapore are framed paintings of Singapore watercolour portraits of the
old Fullerton Hotel in an asset
management firm, and oil paintings of orchids in an accounting
firm. Unusually, the pictures are
painted by the boss of the interior
design firm that renovated the offices. Eddy
Lim, CEO of Chez Design, draws out the links
between his work as an office interior designer and his hobby as an artist.
I believe in taking time to create masterpieces. This is what I like to do for my clients,
going beyond what is expected of us, Mr Lim
says. In art, in painting, you have to do it
properly to get a good result rather than rush
everything. Similarly a design firm should go
for quality, rather than volume. Every client is
unique, and we want to serve each one well.
Chez Design was founded by Mr Lim and
several friends in 1986, and has been providing interior design services for corporates
since day one. Over the last 29 years, the firm
has built up its client base from a broad range
of industries. It has established relationships
with landlords, property agents, developers
and vendors.
Key to the companys success was its ability to provide not just quality design and timely delivery, but quality after-sales service.
Challenges come when clients ask you to fix
small things, or ask you to reconfigure their
space when they expand or restructure,
Mr Lim says.
To do a good design, he studies a clients
history, customers and website to understand
how it would like to project itself, as well as its
future plans. What also helped was a healthy
business environment in Singapore, he says.
Singapores style of good governance has also
influenced him to run his company in a transparent way. Everything is upfront, transparent, clean. You get jobs based on merit. Companies respect your intellectual property, he
says.
Today, Chez Design has around 50 employees in Singapore and Malaysia, out of which
there are 15 designers and 10 project managers. It has two factories providing carpentry
services, one in Woodlands and another in the
Iskandar region.
Clients include a range of big and small corporates, like banks, petrochemical firms, insurers, IT firms and shipping companies. We
are not picky. Small jobs today might be big
jobs tomorrow. We have designed offices all
over Singapore from the Central Business District to even Jurong and Woodlands, Mr Lim
says. Chez Design has also designed and built
offices in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia,
Indonesia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates
and Vietnam.
Satisfied clients continue to engage Chez
Design to design their offices not just in Singapore, but also in the region. Our clients want
a consistent corporate image and an environment where their well-travelled staff can be
comfortable. We design their interiors here
and our very committed team of associates
and vendors in the region always ensure good
quality and timely delivery of all our
projects, Mr Lim says.
He says he tries to make stakeholders,
staff, and vendors feel like one big family. Every year, the company pays for a week-long
overseas trip. The company has gone to places like Nepal, Chinas Lijiang region, Japan,
and Taiwan. It also organises social activities
like karaoke sessions, movie outings, and
Christmas and New Year parties.
We believe making staff happy is important, as well as for them to have a balance between work and life, Mr Lim says. The
companys success and future does not just
depend on key personnel. Everyone contributes. In return, it is the companys obligation
to take care of its staff, he says. I try to emulate for my company what Singapore tries to
achieve, for its society to be happy and hardworking.
As Singapore progresses, Chez Design is also in a process of self-transformation. It is rebranding itself to become CD+A. The more
modern-sounding name stands for Chez Design and Associates. We are rebranding to
In art, in painting,
you have to do it
properly to get a
good result rather
than rush everything.
Similarly a design
firm should go for
quality, rather than
volume. Every client
is unique, and we
want to serve each
one well.
Eddy Lim, CEO of Chez Design
CEO CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
|3
ERA has kept itself busy training staff and reading the market for the next big shift
CEO
CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
Surpassing
expectations
The Hatten Group of Companies has big plans which
include a potential listing within the next few years
unique themed Phases which will feature retail, luxury residences, international hotels, office towers, resorts and shoplex.
Phase 1 will comprise 800 retail units, 700
residential units, and two hotel towers that
are referred to as the Elements Mall, SilverScape (a 45-storey luxury residence with 360
degree views of the vibrant coastal city), DoubleTree by Hilton, and the Teddie
Bear-themed Hotel.
The skyline transforming development
will inject massive capital into Melaka and provide more investment opportunities in the
state where Hatten is already a well-known
brand having established its credentials in the
hugely successful Dataran Pahlawan Melaka
Megamall.
The flagship project was followed by the
launch of Hatten Square Suites and Shoppes,
its first mixed development project which
was also well received.
Colin said the success of those developments provided Hatten the motivation to expand to other states.
In addition to Vedro by the River in Melaka,
and the Imperio Mall and Residence which
forms Phase 2 of Hatten City, the company is
now undertaking projects in Iskandar Johor
and Negeri Sembilan.
In Iskandar, it has begun work on Capital
City a 14-acre mall-hotel-SOHO development that is located on prime land in Flagship
A of the economic zone, while in Negeri Sembilan it is building a unique campus-based development called Unicity Lifestyle Campus
Mall.
By 2020, Colin aspires for Hatten to be the
largest retailer in south Malaysia, having con-
structed over 5,000 retail units and five million square feet of nett lettable space which it
intends to manage.
Not one to sit on his laurels, Colin, a recipient of the Most Outstanding Entrepreneur
Award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship
Awards 2014, is already looking to expand into the state of Pahang, and into new ventures
including medical infrastructure, educational
facilities, arts & cultural arenas and brand franchising.
We are adaptive to the market environment and continue to challenge the status
quo by reinventing new concepts and catering to changing trends.
Our projects surpass expectations by
breaking new ground in high-potential areas,
producing outstanding architectural designs,
futuristic concepts and top quality functionality for one-of-a-kind developments.
Having amassed 44 prestigious international property awards thus far including
World Finance Real Estate Awards' Best Regional Developer Asia 2014, Colin does not intend to take his foot off the pedal.
Over the years, Hatten's employees - now
totalling 1,350 and comprising of 250 management executives, 400 construction crew
and 700 service staff have become familiar
with his bold, driven and uncompromising vision that has seen the group building up considerable assets over the past decade; it now
boasts an impressive 300-acre land bank in
Malaysia and a portfolio of property projects
with a total gross development value of RM5
billion.
Colin reveals another aspiration is to get
the company listed within the next few years
We are adaptive to
the market
environment and
continue to
challenge the status
quo by reinventing
new concepts and
catering to
changing trends.
Colin Tan June Teng,
group managing director of the
Hatten Group of Companies
CEO CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
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South-east Asia in the next few years, the company will remain very much an enterprise with a Singapore soul. We
are confident that with the continual support of our people and our unique business proposition, we can make OrangeTee a well-known brand in the region, says Mr Tan.
But OrangeTee is ultimately a Singapore born company, and we are privileged to be part of the success story of
Singapore. We aim to grow shoulder to shoulder with Singapore in another 50 years.
CEO
CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
CEO CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
Marco Romahn,
Singapore managing director for PERI Asia
Saulo Spaolanse,
Schneider Electric Singapore president
June Rusdon,
chief executive of Busy Bees Asia
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MyRepublic is a low-cost,
lightweight but innovative local
company. We do a lot of things
in-house, whether its
developing IT solutions or
producing creative
marketing campaigns.
CEO
CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
In Singapore, where the company has had a presence since the early 1970s
(as Telemecanique Far East Co and subsequently renamed to Schneider Electric in the 1990s), one of its biggest achievements was establishing its global
logistics hub, Hub Asia, in 2010, shared Mr Spaolanse. Hub Asia boasts a warehouse of 230,000 square feet with more than 7,000 references in stock. With a
customer base spread over 30 countries around the world, it shipped over
64,000 tons of products in the past year.
Some of its key projects in Singapore include the new Singapore Sports
Hub, which recently hosted the South-east Asian Games. Schneider Electric designed and delivered a customised power distribution system for the National
Stadium and the surrounding areas, including the OCBC Aquatic Centre and
OCBC Arena. The company also provided the modernisation retrofit solution
for the Esplanade. With this ECOFITTM solution, the Esplanade was able to reduce the downtime and increase cost savings.
Looking ahead, Mr Spaolanse reveals that Schneider Electric has more exciting projects in the pipeline. Last year, for instance, it partnered with the Nanyang Technological University to set up South-east Asias first micro-grid that
can tap and distribute power from multiple energy sources, including fossil fuels and renewable energy. This project will provide a full-scale test-bed for
Singapores ongoing energy research and could possibly pave the way for micro grid technologies to meet critical energy needs in Asia. It could potentially
tap new technologies that can stabilise power grids in urban communities, he
says.
The company also consistently improves its business, using a measurement called the Planet & Society Barometer as its sustainable development
dashboard since 2005. We believe that a performance measure is required to
have a significant impact and initiate lasting change, which is why we have defined specific objectives and measure our results each quarter. The aim of our
Planet & Society Barometer is to mobilise the corporate community around sustainable development objectives and share our progress plans with stakeholders, says Mr Spaolanse.
Schneider Electric also regularly works with local and international organisations and associations on economic, social and environmental issues to foster sustainable development in cooperation with various players from society.
For instance, the company participates in various discussions on challenges related to climate change.
It also has the Go Green in the City initiative, an international challenge for
undergraduates to find clever solutions for energy management; and supports
the Solar Decathlon one of the largest global university competitions which
challenges students to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that
are cost-effective and energy efficient. Schneider Electric supplies the design
and engineering services, as well as the electrical distribution equipment required to connect the solar village to the utility service for the duration of the
event. Some of the organisations it works with on a global scale include the
United Nations Global Compact, European Innovation Partnership for Smart
Cities and Communities, Transparency International, and the Clinton Climate
Initiative.
While the business environment is uncertain, Mr Spaolanse remains optimistic. We see opportunities for growth as we focus on providing more to our
customers, bringing them the most value from our collective strength. More
competencies, better intimacy, more tailored solutions and deliveries, more
digitisation, more innovation and more simplicity, he says. We also work actively on a better return on the capital we employ, as we focus on our collective
efficiency and further integrate the capabilities we have assembled.
CEO CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
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Transforming dentistry
through branding
VISIT to the dentist is often synonymous with pain and tients to significantly whiten their teeth in just one visit is today commonplace
avoided at all costs by most. But this is an experience that in the country, but Smile Inc remains the only practice in Singapore to employ
Smile Inc has been keen to avoid, carefully calibrating the this Laser Teeth Whitening technology that is still touted as the gold standard
dental experience for its customers. And this achieve- in teeth whitening, says Mrs Tan. Smile Inc was also the earliest to fully compument helping to change the public perception of dentist- terise its operations, from the front office to the back room, she adds.
ry in Singapore is one that the firm is proud to highlight.
The group has grown its cosmetic dental practice as well, using a unique
The success of Smile Inc and its lifestyle focus has combination of artistry with cosmetic dental techniques to address the aesthetchanged the Singapore publics perception of the dental ic concerns of patients through its The Smile Inc Makeover trademark suite of
industry from one associated with pain and fear of visiting the dentist to one services. The procedures, which help to enhance the smile of its patients, can
associated with enhancing ones self esteem and confidence through an im- have a significant impact on their self image, confidence and quality of life,
proved smile, says its CEO and co-founder Grace Chong-Tan. Dentistry is no says Mrs Tan. This has led to the growth and popularity of cosmetic dental
longer about fillings, drilling and extractions, but providing the consumer procedures among the public and fellow colleagues in the dental industry over
with a myriad of choices: with procedures from maintaining and sustaining the past decades.
ones oral health to techniques on improving ones smile, in addition to restorSingapore has been a solid base for Smile Inc, she added, particularly with
ing dental function and aesthetics.
its stellar reputation for the healthcare
Established in 1997 by Mrs Tan and
industry, a highly trained workforce and
Ernest Rex Tan, the firm had set out to
excellent infrastructure, providing a
These steadfast qualities of
revolutionise the dental experience
strong foundation for Smile Inc to
from the beginning. It aimed to provide Singapore Inc are also well aligned
grow its business. These steadfast qualihigh quality specialist and general den- with that of Smile Incs, and Smile Incs ties of Singapore Inc are also well
tal care and services through the use of
aligned with that of Smile Incs, and
success today is a validation of the
the latest technologies and
Smile Incs success today is a validation
state-of-the-art facilities. These are set achievements of the former.
of the achievements of the former.
amid a patient-friendly setting with a
Given the limited domestic market,
strong emphasis on architecture and de Smile Inc CEO and co-founder Grace Chong-Tan however, Smile Inc plans to expand oversign like its current duplex-fronted denseas. With its strong brand and multiple
tal practice at The Sail at Marina Bay
awards and achievements, the company
which would help to allay patients fear of visiting the dentist, says Mrs Tan.
has received numerous expressions of interest and proposals from private
Architecture and design has always been an integral part of Smile Incs and institutional investors to advance its footprint overseas. It is in this rebrand. The firm set up its first reconstructive and aesthetic boutique practice spect that Smile Incs strategy for growth and expansion will take flight, and
at Mandarin Gallery in 2010, and then its duplex fronted dental practices at where opportunities abound, says Mrs Tan.
The Sail, Marina Bay Downtown in 2013 and at One Raffles Place last year.
As Singapore reflects on its 50 years of independence and looks back on its
The company was among the first in the medical and dental field to practise many achievements, Mrs Tan hopes for Singapore to continue having a strong,
advertising, now a commonplace practice for the sector. Advertising, previ- stable economy while continually making a positive impact on the global
ously not practised by the professional sectors, was important in assisting the stage, in politics, economic policies, environmental issues and in social initiapublic to be informed and be able to make educated decisions on their treat- tives.
ment choices, says Mrs Tan.
At the same time, there is an urgent need to tweak Singapores healthcare
The many accolades that Smile Inc has clinched are testament to its success- regulations in order for the city-state to remain competitive against its neighful branding. The group was recognised as the overall winner of the Estab- bours, she adds. We need to have our regulatory bodies in the medical and
lished Brands category at the Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA) last year, dental fields be more open and not microscopic in their outlook.
the Oscars of local small and medium enterprises, and inducted into the
Singapore needs to liberalise outdated and conservative regulations that
Awards Hall of Fame. Before that, it had won the winner of Established hinder progress, and stifle Singapores passage to stay ahead in the healthcare
Brands for five consecutive years, from 2010.
game in the global arena, says Mrs Tan.
Along the way, Smile Inc has also notched up many firsts in the field. The
The ministry needs to continually work on building a regulatory framegroup was the pioneer in Singapore to introduce chair-side teeth whitening work that encourages progress whilst maintaining high standards in patient
procedures in Singapore when it first set up in 1997. The procedure to help pa- care in Singapore. . . One way forward is for the ministry to have open dia-
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CEO
CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
Riding on a wave
of urbanisation
Even as it spreads its wings abroad, Tat Hong Holdings continues to
contribute to the development of Singapores infrastructure
CEO CONVERSATIONS
2015 golden jubilee edition
| 11
end of 2013. Vibrant provides transport and storage services, and drivers are specially trained to drive vehicles
containing hazardous chemicals, Mr Khua says. Singapore is the third-largest oil refining centre in the world.
Most of the chemical companies on Jurong Island are already our customers.
In 2014, Vibrants Catalist-listed associate Figtree Holdings, a developer, partnered with Vibrant to build a public
housing project in Jiangyin city in Chinas Jiangsu province. We were able to finance it, we could do project management, we did it at a better price and did things on time.
After we finish building the project, we sell it to the government, so were not taking market risk, Mr Khua says.
We know our costs, we use a Chinese contractor and
monitor them very closely. We built the project ahead of
schedule and have been invited to undertake a second
project which is five times bigger, he says.
Vibrant is also working with Figtree to build a high-tech
industrial park in Jiangsus Changshu city in the Yangtze
River Delta. Other ongoing real estate development
projects include a S$60 million warehouse in Gul Circle to
be completed next year.
A notable investment was in June 2014, when Vibrant
Group was part of a consortium to buy Raffles Places Equity Plaza from Keppel Land and its fund management arm.
Meanwhile, on the financial services front, Vibrant
Group is the manager and sponsor of Sabana Reit, which
was listed in 2010. It was the first and only Syariah compliant Reit listed on SGX, and the largest Syariah compliant
listed Reit in the world.
The group has a fund management associate, Sentosa
Capital, whose assets under management has grown close
to US$60 million. It manages a fixed income fund that invests in a broad range of sovereign and corporate bonds.
And in May 2015, Sentosa Capital won both the Best Asian
Hedge Fund ex-Japan and Best Asian Fixed Income Hedge
Fund in Eurekahedge Asian Hedge Fund Awards 2015.
Ultimately, Vibrant Group stays competitive by identifying suitable people for the task, be it freight and logistics, property development or financial services, Mr Khua
says. Our strength in freight forwarding and logistics is also in our international network. We work with 120 agents
and connect our customers to over 600 destinations
worldwide, he says. The company now hires 730 people.
In its last financial year, it hit record revenues of S$191.4
million and net profit of S$42.7 million.
Looking ahead, Mr Khua says the company constantly
needs to monitor and understand the market, while adapting to changing circumstances. Even like myself, having
started from where I was, I have been changing all the
time. Each time, people questioned: What do you know
about this? After weve done it, people ask me: How did
you do it!
OUR VISION
Vibrant Group Limited 51 Penjuru Road, #04-00 Freight Links Express Logisticentre, Singapore 609143 Tel (65) 6262 6988 Fax (65) 6262 6929 Web: www.vibrant.com.sg
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