The DNA of success

WHAT is the DNA of success? Is it a drive to be bigger and better? Or the relentless need to go further afield, whether in terms of geography or innovation?

Interesting fact: A total of 125 Enterprise 50 firms have listed on stock exchanges - including the Singapore main board and exchanges in Hong Kong and Taiwan - a sure testament to the quality and calibre of Enterprise 50 winners.

It might hence come as a surprise, but when the Enterprise 50 Award was first conceived, there were concerns about whether enough companies would respond to the call for nominations. A quiet, soft launch was planned - just in case.

It was, of course, a huge success. The rest, as they say, is history. In the 20 years of Enterprise 50's existence, winners who have gone on to achieve bigger things include Tee Yih Jia Food Manufacturing - which was recognised at the inaugural Enterprise 50 Awards in 1995 - and other companies such as OSIM International, Tat Hong Holdings and Petra Foods.

This year, 50 companies are honoured. Borden Company, perhaps better known by its flagship emerald green Eagle Brand medicated oil, tops the list. In second place is Sunray Woodcraft Construction, followed by Vigcon Construction.

In addition, two special awards have been given out. Seiko Architectural Wall Systems and Aik Moh Paints & Chemicals have been recognised with a 5 Year Award, and physical commodities trading company Wee Tiong was awarded the 10 Year Award. This is the first time that a company has received the 10 Year Award in the history of the E50 Awards.

Another interesting fact: Hard industry forms the bulk of the E50 winners, with over a third (36 per cent) coming from the manufacturing, real estate/construction and engineering services sectors.

This is also reflected in this year's winners. In the top 10 winners alone, real estate/construction players form more than a third of the winners. With the many headwinds faced by the construction sector today, we ask these companies what makes them tick.

The other common thread that binds Enterprise 50 winners is a sense of adventure, and looking outside of Singapore for expansion opportunities. Indeed, E50 firms have a presence in 123 countries!

Their favourite countries? China, Malaysia, and Thailand. These countries share the distinction of being able to meet local needs in different markets and customer segments while tapping on the synergy of a global network.

In the next few pages, we also tackle the question of Myanmar - what do companies need to be aware of to take advantage of the market which has only recently reopened her doors to tourists and foreign investments? What are the challenges that come with being a first mover and what is the key to sustaining your competitive advantage?

This year's Enterprise 50 Awards celebrate visionary leadership and entrepreneurial success. In these pages, we bring you some of their stories.

The Enterprise 50 Awards is jointly organised by The Business Times and KPMG, and supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore), Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Spring Singapore. The Enterprise 50 Awards are sponsored by OCBC Bank.