Wee Cho Yaw (b. 1930, Jincheng, Quemoy, Taiwan–) is the former chairman and chief executive officer of the United Overseas Bank (UOB). In 2011, Forbes Asia listed him as Singapore’s wealthiest individual with a net worth of US$4.2 billion. Besides UOB and its subsidiary ...

Charles & Keith is a Singapore brand known for its women’s footwear and accessories. Established in 1996 by brothers Charles and Keith Wong, Charles & Keith started out as a shoe store in Amara Shopping Centre. By 2013, the company had grown into an international ...

Singapore Technologies (ST) is a group of companies with interests in engineering, technology, infrastructure and lifestyle, property, and financial services. The corporation’s history began with the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS), which was established ...

Yeo Hiap Seng Limited (YHS) is known as a food and beverage manufacturer and distributor. Listed on the Singapore Exchange since 1969, it has grown from being a family-owned and -controlled business to one with an international reach. Its products are distributed ...

Bata Shoe (Singapore) Pte Ltd is a member of the worldwide organisation, Bata International. One of the earliest modern shoe sellers in Singapore, Bata opened its first store, Bata Shoe Store, at the Capitol Building in 1931. Today, Bata Shoe (Singapore) Pte Ltd ...

Ho Rih Hwa (b. 1917, Singapore–d. 28 August 1999, Singapore) was a prominent businessman and ambassador. He headed the Wah Chang group of companies, a business conglomerate engaged in agribusiness, hotel and resort management, as well as property development in ...

Wing Tai is a Hong Kong-originated company that is currently based in Singapore. It is one of the key players in the local garment industry, owning labels such as Fox, G2000, Miss Selfridge, and Topshop. It is also well-known in the real estate industry, and specializes ...

Prima Limited is a Singapore-based company that was founded in 1961, and has its beginnings in flour milling. The company is now involved in a variety of businesses, ranging from food manufacturing to agriculture and information technology. Prima is known as Bai ...

Fraser & Neave (F&N) is a group with businesses in food and beverage, brewing, property development and publishing. Formed in 1883, F&N is one of Singapore’s oldest companies and a well-known brand. Its traditional business was in the production and distribution ...

Sze Hai Tong Banking & Insurance Company Limited, one of Singapore’s earliest banks, was established on 7 January 1907. It was founded by members of the Teochew community, including Tan Teck Joon (managing director), Ng Song Teng (assistant manager), Na Kim Seng, ...

McDonald’s, the fast-food chain, launched a 40-day Wedding Design Hello Kitty toy promotion with its Extra Value Meals on 1 January 2000. This promotion was based on the popular Japanese feline icon Hello Kitty and its companion, Dear Daniel. The promotion is remembered ...

Lim Nee Soon (b. 12 November 1879, Singapore–d. 20 March 1936, Shanghai, China) was a planter and general merchant. Upon the completion of his studies in Singapore, Lim worked for various firms until 1911 when he founded his own company, Lim Nee Soon & Co. A rubber ...

Ya Kun is a chain of cafes that is best known for its coffee and kaya toast. It started as a coffee stall at Telok Ayer Basin before the World War II and was formally registered as a business under the proprietorship of Loi Ah Koon in 1944. Ya Kun now has franchise ...

The Straits Trading Company Limited (STC) was incorporated as a tin-smelting company on 8 November 1887. Its smelter on Pulau Brani was famed for its production of “Straits Tin”, which by the 1900s had become internationally recognised as the purest quality of ...

The Singapore Glass Manufacturers Co Ltd was a leading manufacturer of glassware, plastics and cardboard in Singapore. Its factory, popularly known as the Singapore Glass Factory, stood on Henderson Road, and was a famous landmark in Bukit Merah for many years. ...

Strikes and other forms of labour unrest were common in 1950s Singapore. The year 1955 saw 57 cases of labour unrest involving bus company workers, including the Hock Lee bus workers’ strike and riot. That same year, bus workers of the Singapore Traction Company ...

CYC is a clothing firm best known for its custom-made shirts and corporate wear. Founded as CYC Shanghai Shirt Company in 1935, it became a leader in Singapore’s shirt industry and attracted customers from Malaysia and Indonesia during its heyday. Now known as ...

Crystal Jade is one of the most prominent restaurant chains in Asia, with over 80 outlets across nine countries. It made its initial foray into the restaurant business as a fine-dining Cantonese restaurant in Singapore, and has since expanded its repertoire to ...

Khong Guan Biscuit Company is a local biscuit manufacturer that has grown into a multinational group of companies with diversified interests including property, food product distribution and commodities trading. Founded in 1947 by Chew Choo Keng, Khong Guan exports ...

Tee Yih Jia is a privately owned food manufacturing company and reportedly the world’s largest producer of spring roll skins. Tee Yih Jia Food Manufacturing also manufactures a diverse range of frozen food products and holds interests in property, water and energy ...