Supporting businesses over the years

Here’s what prominent leaders have to say on Singapore Business Federation’s initiatives

The wide range of activities organised by SBF are very useful to many businesses in Singapore.

“Setting up a representative office in Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge, but with the support of SBF and its Singapore Enterprise Centre in Thailand, we were connected to different service providers in the market which greatly facilitated this process. We also participated in SBF’s inaugural Singapore Apex Business Summit, which allowed us to increase awareness of our ALMARC brand and PTFE lined product. We look forward to working closely with SBF to navigate future challenges and to expand our business into new markets like Indonesia and Australia.” – Roy Poon, regional sales manager, ALMARC Engineering

Roy Poon, regional sales manager, Almarc Engineering. PHOTO: ROY POON AND ALMARC ENGINEERING

“SBF organises a wide range of activities which have been very useful for our business needs. For example, the trade missions and business networking sessions have enabled us to link up with the right contacts in Indonesia for our business expansion into the region. We also attend the training courses and seminars such as the MAP initiative, which has helped us build valuable capabilities to tackle new challenges like digitalisation and business transformation.” – Lawrence Low, managing director, Allied eParts

Lawrence Low, managing director, Allied eParts. PHOTO: ALLIED EPARTS

“The key challenge for businesses ahead will be managing growth with a limited talent base. With the support of SBF’s Industry 4.0 Human Capital Initiative (IHCI), we were able to adopt Industry 4.0 solutions early on which has positioned our company well to embrace future challenges. The federation’s programmes have a strong foundation in digitalisation and the development of human capital and offer good guidance for companies to be more progressive and transformative, to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and establish a strong global presence.” – Graeme Dowsett, managing director, Completion Products

Graeme Dowsett, managing director, Completion Products. PHOTO: MITCH CHAPMAN

“We have participated in various workshops and briefings organised by SBF over the years and found them very useful. In particular, SBF’s Career Conversation Programme for Internationalisation (CCP-I) and SGUnited Jobs programmes have helped us in our manpower needs and the reskilling of our staff for expansion into the region and internationally. Likewise, the sustainability programmes have helped us understand the importance of incorporating Environment, Social Impact and Governance (ESG) in our businesses, thus preparing us for future risks and to stay competitive.” – Thomas Ng, founder and CEO, Genashtim Innovative

Thomas Ng, founder and CEO, Genashtim Innovative. PHOTO: B CORP TAIWAN

“Operational efficiency and digital transformation are pertinent challenges that we have been grappling with even before Covid-19 struck. The Industry 4.0 Human Capital Initiative (IHCI) was particularly useful as it not only provided a cost-effective way for us to leverage the expertise of McKinsey and EY to address some of these challenges, but also helped optimise our warehouse efficiency by more than 50 per cent. Most importantly, it provided a platform for our management to communicate their goals and aspirations to staff in an effective yet engaging manner.” – Lee Tong Yi, managing director, Lam Hong Group

Lee Tong Yi, managing director, Lam Hong Group. PHOTO: YIO-PIETRO

“SBF served as a navigator and mentor as we were growing our business. As the newly minted regional distributor for Mushie and FRIGG, we reached out to GlobalConnect@SBF for their advice and expertise on overseas market expansion in Indonesia and Malaysia. SBF studied our business model carefully and proposed useful avenues to grow our distribution networks efficiently. Tapping into SBF’s networks has helped us to navigate the foreign business landscape while overcoming complex permit and logistics challenges with relative ease and assurance.” – Hazel Ye, director, Sustainable Familie Trading

Hazel Ye, director, Sustainable Familie Trading. PHOTO: HAFIZ ZAN

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Source: [The Business Times] © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.