Transforming a dying trade: Brothers beat the odds to carry on their father's legacy

As the eldest of three sons whose father's dedication to providing for the family saw him set up his own furniture company, Mr Morgan Yeo knew he would one day be involved in the family business. He recalls that as children, he and his brothers, Lincoln and Ryan, would spend time with their father at his workshop and pick up woodworking skills from him.

Find out how Mr Morgan Yeo and his brothers carried on their father's legacy and transformed their family's traditional carpentry business.

"We saw first-hand how much the business meant to him," he says. Unfortunately, the responsibility of taking over the business fell on their shoulders sooner than expected when their father passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2014. The trio, then only in their early 20s and late teens, not only had to grapple with the loss, but also with what they should do with the declining business.

"We have always been motivated not only by the desire to continue the business, but also to help rejuvenate Singapore's carpentry industry," explains Mr Yeo, who is now the director of Roger&Sons. But to do so was no easy task. "We had to learn the craft of woodworking, and how to run a business - from production to delivery. It was a steep learning curve. Thankfully, we have a team of older colleagues who have been with the company since my father's time, and they generously imparted their knowledge and skill sets to us."

Sustainability is a core guiding pillar for Roger&Sons. That is why under The Local Tree Project, which the company embarked on in 2018, the furniture it makes is made from abandoned local logs instead of imported ones.

This gives a second lease of life to felled trees, many of which would have gone to waste otherwise.

A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU

Friday, 2 pm

Lifestyle

Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself.

Sign Up

The Yeos work with a local timber specialist to process the logs into usable wooden pieces and planks before the Roger&Sons team turns them into useful products, ranging from namecard holders to dining tables.

However, this decision complicates the production process - local felled trees are grown under natural conditions, which results in random areas of rot, interlocking grains and inconsistent height, unlike imported ones that are grown in a controlled environment, giving them a fairly consistent look, feel and texture. Local logs are also moist, which requires a thorough drying process before they can be cut.

Despite the challenges, Mr Yeo and his brothers have always persisted with their beliefs. What they are doing with Roger&Sons is admirable, even more so with the unfavourable economic climate now.

It is common to hear decades-old firms shutting for good because of lacklustre business and bad management.

Yet, the Yeos, with determination, resilience and creativity in equal parts have managed to carve a niche out for themselves and succeed in developing the business further.

Their story of drive and passion is often used as a case study to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and changemakers and is also one of the few featured in the new Asia-Pacific edition of the Dreamers. On. campaign by luxury car marque Porsche.

The campaign aims to cast a spotlight on those who have dared to chase their dreams, and is also an homage to the company's founder Ferry Porsche, who started the company as a way of realising his own dream of creating the ideal sports car.

"In the beginning, I looked around and could not find the car I dreamed of. So I decided to build it myself," he once famously said.

On the Dreamers. On. campaign, Mr Hannes Ruoff, chief executive officer of Porsche Asia Pacific, explains: "With this pioneering spirit, the possibilities for innovation and progress in any craft or passion are endless.

"This means daring to think in different and unconventional ways, staying true to our core values, and having the courage to blaze our own trail into the future."

Also featured in the campaign for carving out their own paths against all odds is Ms Aeron Choo, the first woman chef in Singapore to helm her own Japanese omakase restaurant.

She succeeded in achieving her childhood dream because of her perseverance. Her stubborn streak, she notes, helped her face countless rejections when she sought out apprenticeship opportunities in Japanese establishments in Singapore and Tokyo, from the tender age of 16.

"I was told that women are not suitable to become sushi chefs, but I was stubborn about not taking 'no' or 'it's not possible' for an answer," she explains.

Discover how sushi chef Aeron Choo overcame challenges to realise her personal dreams in this video.

She finally got her break when her mentor, Master Fujisaki Tadao from Yacco Sushi, decided to take her under his wing.

After completing her professional training with her mentor and obtaining a certificate from the Japan Sushi Instructors Association in Tokyo, Ms Choo returned to Singapore and set up her first venture, Ayakichi - a donburi stall at a Yishun coffee shop - in 2014. Later, she opened Kappou in 2016 at its first home at Fortune Centre in the Bugis area, bringing to fruition her dreams of opening an omakase restaurant of her own.

Having the courage to pursue their dreams has paid off for these Dreamers.

After three years of research and business development, Roger&Sons saw traction in the business, and was brought on projects for clients like Google, Mandai Wildlife Group and W Hotels. Today, its extensive portfolio includes furniture for private, corporate and government clients.

Kappou, mirroring Ms Choo's growth as a sushi chef, has evolved into a stylish omakase restaurant at an office building in the heart of the central business district.

Both Mr Yeo and Ms Choo want to remind fellow dreamers to keep their eye on the prize.

"Remember your passion, grit, mental strength and stamina," says Ms Choo. "Never give up and be prepared to work hard for your goals."

Mr Yeo echoes the sentiment, saying: "Ask yourself: If you do not love what you do, then why are you doing it? Just keep trying and never stop dreaming."

It is not just entrepreneurs who break boundaries and push their limits. Just ask Mr Krithin Paul Pereira, a Malaysian artist living with cerebral palsy.

As a child, he had a fascination with cars - in particular, Porsche cars - and often dreamed about being behind the wheel of a sports car.

Inspired by his sister who took art classes, he decided to try his hand at illustrating sports cars. Challenges with movement and mobility arising from his condition did little to deter his passion for bringing the cars to life on paper.

He quips: "When my hands won't do what my mind thinks, my passion for speed pushes me forward."

His mother, Dr Ashita Pereira, says: "Watching him grow over the years has also taught us a lot about how determination, perseverance and passion can make a dream come true."

Mr Pereira has since self-published a book, titled "Without Limits", filled with drawings of Porsche cars. Earlier this year, he was also invited by Porsche Club Malaysia and Sime Darby Auto Performance for a live painting of a rare Porsche model.

Currently enrolled in the Automotive course at Young Aces Technical College in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Pereira hopes to continue his automotive studies abroad one day and to design a luxury electric sports car for people with disabilities.

In the pursuit of one's passions, difficulties and challenges are inevitable. But Dr Ashita says that "Krithin has demonstrated that it is possible to dream without limits, and to not be fazed by challenges".

Visit the Porsche Dreamers Stories website for more inspiring stories and to find out more about the Dreamers. On. campaign. Also, follow Porsche's digital and social media channels - Instagram, Facebook and YouTube - for more updates on the Dreamer Stories.