Singapore, 30 August 2013 – Oriental Tanks Pte Ltd crowned winner of the Emerging Enterprise Awards 2013 (EE2013).
They received their awards from the Guest-of-Honour, Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Mayor of North East District, at the EE2013 Gala dinner and awards ceremony held at The Ritz Carlton, Singapore, this evening.
Into its sixth year, EE2013 remains an attractive award for emerging businesses, with the number of applications received growing by more than seven-fold as compared to its inception in 2008. This year’s awards feature submissions from a myriad of industries, including education, food and beverages (F&B), electronics and engineering, information technology, the environment sciences and green and recycling industries. The finalists were short-listed based on the sustainability of their business models and growth plans, as well as the viability of their business strategies in taking on the challenges and opportunities in their respective industries.
EE2013 is Singapore’s only annual entrepreneurial award that reaches out to younger and smaller businesses which are up to 10 years old and have annual sales turnover of not more than S$15 million. It is jointly organised by The Business Times and OCBC Bank, and supported by SPRING Singapore, NUS Extension and Acorn Marketing and Research Consultants.
Quotes from co-organisers and partners:
Mr Alvin Tay, Editor of The Business Times, said: "Each and every winner this year is deserving of the award and has earned the right to be immortalised in the EE 'hall of fame'. It's no surprise that they share similar traits of past award winners - innovativeness, foresight and possessing a sharp business acumen. As these companies continue to mature and thrive under the support of the EE partners, their future success will play a critical role in building the pool of entrepreneurial talent in Singapore. Congratulations to this year’s winners! ”
Mr Eric Ong, Head of Emerging Business, Global Enterprise Banking, OCBC Bank, said: “This year's winners have set themselves up for success as they understand the importance of having a clear game plan and business mission which help them to identify their market niche, while being aware of their business environment. What they lack in size, they more than make up with their passion, tenacity and courage to dream big. They are able to think out of the box, push boundaries and come up with innovative products that are able to compete in the international market.
"Success is deservedly theirs, and we look forward to seeing them leverage this platform to achieve even greater success in growing and globalizing their business, and put Singapore on the world stage."
Mr Than Su Ee, Head of Mezzanine Capital Unit, OCBC Bank, said: “Creating a successful enterprise takes gumption, acumen and perseverance. The winners of this award, present and past, all display these hallmark traits which put them in good stead to further expand their businesses, both domestically and beyond our shores. We applaud them for the success they have attained to date and welcome every opportunity to partner them as they work towards realising the full potential of their businesses.”
Ms Chew Mok Lee, Group Director, Enterprise & Innovation, SPRING Singapore, said: “The Emerging Enterprise Award continues to see many promising enterprises from diverse sectors like engineering, green solutions and F&B participating annually. This award gives recognition to the next generation of enterprises that will contribute to the renewal of the SME landscape. As the enterprise development agency, SPRING Singapore will support the growth of these promising enterprises by helping them to improve their capabilities or access new markets, and hence allow them to step up to greater challenges. In turn, their success stories will inspire other Singaporean enterprises to think big and grow.”
Mr Kaka Singh, Chairman, RSM Chio Lim LLP, said: "It was a very difficult decision to choose only three winners. The industries we covered this year were diverse and each had interesting aspects of business development. Every finalist showed tenacity to succeed and innovativeness in their business approach. We thank all the finalists for their efforts and encourage them to keep going. Still, a decision had to be made and the winning companies were selected for their total approach to business development and sustainability in their projects. It is with their passion that the entrepreneurial spirit in Singapore will keep growing. On this note, we congratulate the winners!"
Ms Julienne Loh, General Manager, Singapore, MasterCard, said: "Although the Emerging Enterprise Awards are meant to recognise fledgling businesses in Singapore, the plans and aspirations presented by the various winning SMEs were in no way small! Their ability to stay ahead of industry trends and establish new frontiers through innovation stood out among the many outstanding entries we received. For me personally, it was also very inspiring to witness their tenacity and sheer passion to succeed. My heartiest congratulations to all on the well-deserved win!"
Mr Titus Yong, Vice President, Business Sales, SingTel Group Enterprise, said: “The competition for this year’s award has been very keen but we have seen an emerging group of SMEs who dared to dream big, ventured outside their comfort zones and persevered in overcoming all odds in their paths. Their aspirations to change the game and innovate their businesses have given them an upper hand in shaping their competitive edge. We congratulate this year’s deserving winners and look forward to partnering them in attaining greater triumphs.”