Food for Thought

Sukha House Pte Ltd

"A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."  - Lao Zi

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an important factor in the running of most major organisations today. However for Sukha House Pte Ltd, it is its reason for being. Sukha House, a distributor of organic brown rice and complementary organic products, was founded in 2005 by two Directors, Mr Heng Guan Hou (above) and Mr Cheang Shen Kai, in a bid to provide Singaporeans with healthier food choices.

One idea can change the world
Mr Heng strongly believes that organic food is the key to being healthier. Inspired by a quote from Mahatma Ghandi, "Be the change you want to see in this world," Mr Heng embarked on importing organic and natural health products from Thailand with the help of partners who had the necessary Thai contacts. He already had exposure to the industry, having worked for health food store, Brown Rice Paradise, following graduation.

"I started from a home office and grew organically (pun intended). We concentrated on supplying to smaller minimarts, vegetarian food stalls, organic restaurants and medical halls - outlets that were already open to the organic concept," says Mr Heng. Sukha House now provides to 800 retailers and food outlets, and services around 500 loyal home consumers who order regularly through their web portal. "While our web presence allows us to generate recurring sales from the converts, most of our new sales come from our salesmen out in the field," Mr Heng explains of Sukha House's marketing efforts.

Educating for a healthier lifestyle
Sales were a challenge back in 2005 as the organic movement was only just taking root in Singapore. Changing mindsets in a country where white rice is a cheap dietary staple, has taken time. "We spent a lot of time in supermarkets and other outlets doing cooking and tasting demonstrations in an effort to educate the public on the types of rice available and the health benefits of organic brown or wholegrain rice," recalls Mr Heng.

Sukha House is starting to harvest the seeds they have sown. Over the last four years, consumers have been making more 13 informed purchasing decisions and switching to healthier food options, including organic rice. "The various health campaigns are on an increasing trend in Singapore's affluent society and the dangers of cancers, heart attacks and stroke have also helped to drive the change," explains Mr Heng.

"Of course organic brown rice is more expensive than white rice, but we believe that consumers seeking better health and reduced medical bills are willing to invest in their long-term health," Mr Heng comments. Most of the products distributed by Sukha House are certified organic, GAP (good agriculture practice), non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) and/or have achieved the OTOP premium 5-Star award.

A roadmap for growth
Sukha House was built upon Mr Heng's passion to do good rather than as a business set up purely for profit, and he admits that he has had to pick up business skills in the process. The SME Management Action for Results (SMART) Initiative has been an instrumental part of that learning curve. The SMART Initiative is based on the globally-benchmarked Business Excellence framework. It provides SMEs with consultancy advice and funding support to develop their management systems and processes.

Under the Initiative, SMEs like Sukha House can develop a roadmap to build their business capabilities in key business areas. SMART allowed Sukha House to analyse and plan for business growth, improve leadership capabilities and its supply and quality control systems, enhance its branding and initiate effective training programmes. As a result, it now has a robust roadmap for growth with improved systems and processes in place. One positive result has been the awarding of the Singapore Prestige Brand Award to Sukha House, in recognition of its branding efforts.

Moving forward, Sukha House is planning to secure HACCP certification in 2010 and intends to apply for the Ministry of Manpower's WOW! Fund to ensure employee work-life balance. ISO certification is also on the cards. The SME is also planning to increase its distribution channels, by supplying to larger supermarket chains and overseas markets through strategic partnership. As Sukha House continues on its journey, guided by its SMART roadmap, its growth will have a correspondingly positive impact on the community and, of course, the increasing numbers of consumers in Singapore seeking healthier food choices and a healthier lifestyle.