KWEK SUM CHUAN PTE LTD (KSC) is a well established importer & exporter of fresh produce in Singapore. Founded in 1968 by Mr. Kwek Sum Chuan, we were the first independently-owned wholesaler in Singapore to operate along the corridor (冷房旁) of the cold storage facility in Teck Guan Street.
During the 1970s, Mr. Kwek pioneered the concept of “buy/sell direct” to gain a comparative advantage over the rest. KSC bypassed the traditional foreign-based commission agents (洋行) and imported directly from overseas sources such as the USA and Australia. This revolutionary move enabled us to be the first to export to the overseas market in East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah) and Brunei, without having to go through the then powerful local exporting house (九八行).
With his sharp business acumen, Mr. Kwek was the first to introduce Vietnam Dragonfruit to Singapore. It is no coincidence that the fruit name “Dragonfruit” (龙珠果)was coined by Mr. Kwek and has since been widely recognized, both locally and globally.
In the 1990s, Mr. Kwek initiated a joint venture with 16 major fruit wholesalers and QAF Limited to build a cold storage with loading bays facilities at 230-A Pandan Loop to cope with the increasing demands of the business operation.
With his bold vision and sharp eye for opportunities, Mr. Kwek diversified his business portfolios to set up:
• a manufacturing factory for polypropylene filament products JIEYANG GUANGDONG CHEMICAL FIBRE CO., LTD., in China.
• a freight forwarding and logistic company AGI FREIGHT SINGAPORE PTE LTD
With his core business in perspective, he forward integrated to establish YES Supermarket Pte Ltd..
With these retail chain stores, Mr. Kwek has achieved his vision of the 3 in 1 business model (direct import – direct wholesaler/re-export – direct retail) for fresh produce in Singapore.
In line with his business motto of continuous improvement and moving ahead of time, KSC expanded into our existing premise, a land area of 60,000 sq ft at 265 Pandan Loop, which houses a 1,000 tons chiller room for cold storage, 4,000 sq ft ante room for food processing, four automated dock leveller to facilitate the loading and unloading of cargo, 10,000 sq ft warehouse for general purpose cargo and an office.
In Sept 2008, we were accorded the ISO and HACCP certifications, which rendered us the first in the industry to achieve ISO 22000:2005, an international food safety management system standard. The certification has reaffirmed our commitment in service delivery and has reinforced our company as one of the accredited fresh produce suppliers in Singapore.
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