KENGFU DEVELOPMENT PTE LTD

From humble beginnings in the spice trade to a regional real estate development and investment enterprise, Lian Huat Group is a success story that spans more than half a century. Lian Huat & Co started as a nutmeg and mace trader in 1957 and later developed to an international trader of spice capitalizing on Singapore’s prominent geographical position and infrastructure with its sophisticated port facilities. By the early-1960’s, its founder, the late Mr. Kho Beng Kang was acknowledged as the “Nutmeg King”. In 1965, the Group ventured into real estate investments, successfully taking advantage of Singapore’s rapid urban development and with visionary foresight and policies, capitalised on real estate development programmes and investments. In 1987 alone, it invested in around 650,000 square feet of prime residential, industrial and commercial properties in Singapore including some heritage-listed conservation shophouses. The Group’s growth strategy later extended to the international property market with the acquisition of The Southern Cross Hotel, a 4 star hotel in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia in late 1991. Currently, Lian Huat Group has business interests in Singapore, Australia and China and its business activities cover the whole spectrum of property development, property investments as well as managing hotels and serviced apartments in these regions. The Group is now spreading its wings to China, an important growth region in the 21st century. It is developing The Centro, a 25 storey upscale commercial cum luxurious residential apartment complex in Tianjin. To capitalize on the dynamism and expansion of this important market, it is actively exploring other investment opportunities available in China.