Ming Chew mixes business with pleasure by creating a home that doubles as a showcase for her company. By Geoffrey Eu
WHEN the en bloc process finally caught up with her former residence last year and obliged her to move into a new home, Ming Chew decided it was also the perfect opportunity to bring her business into the mix. Ms Chew is the managing director of the APS Group, which distributes a variety of consumer products, so she created a home that doubled as a showcase for her company.
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Since she took over 15 years ago at the helm of the family company – started by her father 60 years ago as an agent for professional camera equipment – Chew has been responsible for diversifying the business, which now includes property management and consumer electronics. Brands represented include Smeg kitchen and GE home appliances, Vintec wine chillers and Nakamichi plasma televisions and sound systems.
‘My interests include cooking, and that’s why I’m into home appliances,’ says Ms Chew, a gregarious and generous, flamboyant and fun-loving individual who has made a career of turning her personal interests into business opportunities. Her company exports similar products to markets in Russia and Central Asia, while her love of travel has also spawned a travel agency. ‘The software must always go with the hardware,’ she says.
She also has a habit of making a point and expressing her views in the form of pithy sayings. To wit: ‘It’s important to travel – travelling a thousand miles is better than reading a million books.’ Her travel company Dorison specialises in adventure destinations like Bhutan. Continue reading
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