people architect’s ride into the big...
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By WONG WEI HAN
TRAVEL products firm Samsonite plansfurther expansion in Singapore despitethe slower growth in sales compared withother regional markets.
The luggage maker and its associatebrands will set up at least five new storesthis year, group chief executive RameshTainwala said in an interview with TheStraits Times.
“In 2014, the group’s total sales in Sin-gapore grew 7 per cent year-on-year.That’s not as high as Indonesia’s 15.5 percent or Thailand’s 14.7 per cent, but 7 percent in a mature, developed market likeSingapore is still quite respectable,” headded.
“We have plans to set up at least fivemore retail stores in Singapore this year,to add on to our current 16. They will bea mixture of dedicated Samsonite storesand multi-brand platforms.”
Samsonite’s expansion comes amidchallenges for the retail sector, wherecompetition, labour shortages and highoperating costs are forcing internationalbrands to consolidate or simply withdrawfrom Singapore.
In the latest development, the Al-Fut-taim group this month announced that itwill be closing two John Little and aMarks & Spencer outlets this year.
But Mr Tainwala, who became Sam-sonite CEO last October, is not at all con-cerned, noting: “The market challengesin Singapore cannot be greater than in Eu-rope – but we still managed to see 10.4per cent sales growth there.
“I believe we’re in a sector that is notseverely affected by macroeconomic con-ditions. Instead, we are confident be-cause travelling has become an intrinsicpart of modern life, particularly in Asiawhere people are just starting to travel.”
Against that backdrop, Asia will re-main a major cog in Samsonite’s globalgrowth machine. Full-year results just an-nounced show the group’s sales in Asia
grew 18 per cent year-on-year toUS$892.3 million (S$1.2 billion) in 2014,the highest among its business regions,which include North America, Europeand Latin America.
This helped push global sales last yearto a record US$2.35 billion. Net profit forthe Hong Kong-listed company wasUS$186.3 million, up 5.8 per cent.
About 120 new retail points were add-ed in Asia alone last year, Mr Tainwalasaid. He also said the group can expect tosee the region’s revenue contribution risefrom the current 40 per cent level toaround 50 per cent in a couple of years.
Along with retail network expansion,the company is also in the midst of grow-ing its product range. Following a seriesof acquisitions, Samsonite – which iscommonly known for its luggage – nowhas a multibrand portfolio that includesHartmann in the luxury sector, female-oriented Lipault and digital-device pro-tective case maker Speck.
As part of this push, the group hasspent about US$200 million since lastyear to acquire three new brands and Roll-ing Luggage, a chain of airport-based re-tail stores.
Increasingly, the group will also rollout more multibrand stores globally, in-cluding in Singapore where its 16 storesare all outlets for its products.
The transformation of the firm bymoving into non-travel segments hasbeen under way for five years, said MrTainwala, who was Samsonite’s chief op-erating officer before his promotion lastyear.
“In 2014, our sales in the non-travelsegment – such as casual and accessories– was 34 per cent, with the rest comingfrom travel-related sales.
“Travel will remain the foundation ofour business, but we think we can buildthe non-travel segment to around 50 percent of total revenue in the next three tofive years.”
By CHIA YAN MIN
IT IS almost taken for granted thatarchitects should have lush offic-es, but home-grown firm Park +Associates’ award-winning spacein Kim Yam Road manages to sur-pass even those expectations.
Even more surprising, how-ever, is the company’s growthstory – instead of homes or officebuildings, it was the firm’s workon a theme park that catapulted itinto the big league.
Founder and principal archi-tect Lim Koon Park, 49, startedthe company in 1999 “out of disil-lusionment with the wayarchitecture was practised” at hisprevious firm. “There was a lot offocus on commercial success andbottom lines, and that wasn’t howI thought architecture should bepractised,” he said.
He left his previous company,where he had worked for about
eight years, “with no grand planof building a big firm”.
The company grew graduallyover the years, from a one-manoperation to employing about 20staff, but it got its big break in thedepths of the financial crisis in2008. Projects dried up and manywere put on hold, but Mr Limcame across a rare opportunity ina niche area.
The project involved co-ordi-nating and providing technicalsupport for the building of 18 ofthe 19 theme park rides at Univer-sal Studios Singapore.
“The timeline was very tightand the workload intense, so wehad to double our staff strengthwithin two to three weeks to deliv-er,” said Mr Lim. “But it gave us aplatform to grow when everyoneelse was downsizing. As a result,we could get good talent whowere willing to knuckle down andwork hard. That was a turning
point for the firm.”The company now has 70 staff
working on 30 to 40 projects.Its work with Universal Studi-
os Singapore also opened doorsfor the company to be involved inother theme park projects hereand elsewhere in the world.
It is working on Shanghai Dis-neyland, with other themepark-related works in the pipe-line, including projects in GentingHighlands, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
It was also the architect, leadconsultant and facility manager
for the Puss In Boots attraction atUniversal Studios Singapore.
“It is a very specialised fieldand we are now one of the fewfirms in the region that have expe-rience and expertise in this nichemarket,” Mr Lim said.
The company also has a rangeof other notable projects under itsbelt, including the upscale devel-opment of Mount Sophia 1919,which comprises 75 black-and-white apartments, and the Al-Ma-waddah Mosque in Sengkang.
The firm has designed more
than 200 projects since it wasestablished. It is not activelydeveloping its overseas presence,but will take up interestingprojects when they come along,Mr Lim said.
Park + Associates’ own 8,000sq ft offices at the former Nan Chi-au High School have also garnereda fair amount of attention since itmoved into the premises about ayear ago.
Located in the former school’slibrary on the upper floors of ablock of classrooms, the spaceboasts high vaulted ceilings and asleek aesthetic that evokes sump-tuousness and austerity.
The firm has won three awardsfor its office design, including aprestigious accolade at InteriorDesign magazine’s Best of Year2014 awards handed out in NewYork City last December. Thecompany, selected from a pool ofinternational submissions in the
Designer’s Own Office category,was the only Singaporean winnerat the ceremony.
“We want to create inspiringenvironments where the architec-ture not only defines the space,but also shapes the users’ experi-ences by positively influencingtheir emotions, thoughts and evenbehaviours,” Mr Lim said.
“The research and develop-ment aspect is very important toour practice. We always try tothink about new and alternativesolutions, instead of recycling oldideas. It increases our cost, but itmakes my team stronger and ouroutput better.”
The father of four childrenaged 10 to 20 said that they have“shown interest” in his work.
“But it’s important to do whatyou like, and you shouldn’t be in ajob just because it pays well orbecause your dad is doing it.”
PEOPLE
Architect’s ride into the big league
AMBER Skye, a freehold residen-tial project near Katong ShoppingCentre, has been relaunched fol-lowing tepid sales during its firstlaunch last September.
The 109-unit project in AmberRoad is being developed by CSAmber Development, a joint ven-ture between China SonangolLand and OKP Land.
As at late October, the projecthad sold only six units, accordingto a Business Times report.
Indicative pricing at the re-launch ranges from $1,680 per sqft (psf) to $2,500 psf, the develop-er said. In September last year,some units sold for $1,800 and$1,900 psf.
The developers said one of theattractions of the project is thenumber of larger units on offer, ata time when many condo develop-ers are tending to downsize.
It offers two six-bedroomunits, 11 four-bedders and 30
three-bedders, with the rest madeup of smaller units.
“Amber Skye was conceptual-ised with the intention of provid-ing home owners with the spa-cious homes they have always as-pired to in land-scarce Singa-pore,” a spokesman for the devel-oper said.
“Most of these buyers thinklong term when they seek out big-ger units. A larger home wouldmean sufficient space to live incomfortably when they start or ex-pand their family.”
The developer said the projectwas “perfect for multi-generation-al living”.
The project is close to anumber of schools, namely CHIJKatong Convent, Tao Nan, Victo-ria Junior College and ChatsworthInternational.
Amber Skye is expected to re-ceive its temporary occupationpermit in the middle of 2017.
His firm’s work with Universal Studios Singapore led to its big break and more theme park projects here and abroad
Principal architect Lim Koon Park’s firm, Park + Associates, won the Designer’s Own Office category and was the only Singaporean winner at Interior Design magazine’s Best of Year 2014 awards. ST PHOTO: TIFFANY GOH
The 109-unit Amber Skye is being developed by CS Amber Development, a jointventure between China Sonangol Land and OKP Land. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Amber Skye inKatong relaunched
Samsonite seescase for expansion
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We always try to think about new and alternative solutions, insteadof recycling old ideas. It increases our cost, but it makes my teamstronger and our output better.
– Park + Associates founder Lim Koon Park
B10 MMOONNEEYY M O N D A Y , M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 1 5