singapore furniture industry awards 2013

into its 4th edition, the triennial singapore furniture industry awards (SFIA) 2013 honours outstanding industry individuals and enterprises that have made significant contributions to the furniture industry in singapore. organised by the the singapore furniture industries council (SFIC) and supported by the designsingapore council (DSG), international enterprise (IE) singapore and spring singapore, the awards seek to raise the standards, profile and image of the furniture industry by promoting innovation, creativity and excellence. the SFIA highlights SFIC’s continuous efforts in raising the profile of local enterprise competencies in the areas of international business development, furniture retail business and contract furniture manufacturing.

2010 singapore furniture industry award winners

the SFIA 2013 panel of judges will comprise of industry experts from the government, financial, branding and human resource sector. entries will be judged based on their written submissions and interviews with shortlisted entrants. award winners for each category will receive an award trophy (gold, silver and bronze) as well as a certificate of honour from SFIC on top of industry-wide recognition. the categories for SFIA 2013 are:

the furniture manufacturer award
this award will confer the highest recognition to companies which have become household names internationally through their consistent production of high quality and leading-edge furniture designs.

the furniture retailer award
this award honours retail companies which have thrived despite the competitive retail scene in singapore, by consistently providing excellent service to their customers and constantly creating innovative ways to market their products.

the interior builder award
this award pays tribute to the ‘specialists’ in customised furniture and interior designs. the award will highlight companies which have created stunning interior designs for homes, offices and other commercial buildings by focusing on quality, design and delivery.

at the back (from left: mr thierry do, designsingapore council; mr aamer taher, singapore institute of architects; mrs kee ai nah, spring singapore)
in front (from left: mr andrew ng, lorenzo international ltd; mr simon ong, kingsmen creatives ltd)

the new entrant award
this award is presented to companies in recognition of their abilities to penetrate and gain a significant share of the furniture market within a short span of time. these companies should have been established or have had a major change in leadership in the last four years.

the outstanding individual award
this award was developed to motivate and inspire industry individuals to scale new heights, and encourage good and consistent performance, exemplary conduct and attitude. an additional s$1,000 will be awarded to the winner of the gold award from this category.

this year, on top of the five categories presented in the previous years, there will also be a hall of fame award to commend companies that have been conferred the gold award thrice in any of the five categories. kingsmen creatives ltd will be inducted into the hall of fame for winning the gold award thrice in the interior builder category.

from left: mr. toh teng sing, star furniture pte ltd; mr kenny koh, star furniture; mr xu hong jie, mondi lifestyle pte ltd
image © SFIC

for the 2010 edition of the awards, the gold winners include star furniture pte ltd that clinched the furniture manufacturer award while air division pte ltd took home the furniture retailer award. kingsmen creatives ltd won the interior builder award and admira pte ltd impressed the judges with its significant establishments to bag the new entrant award. last but not least, mr. toh teng sing from star furniture pte ltd was honoured with the outstanding individual award.

mr. ernie koh, president of SFIC (singapore furniture industries council)
image © designboom

mr. ernie koh, president of SFIC, said, ‘the SFIA has been well regarded within the furniture industry and has seen many impressive entrants over the years. through the prestigious SFIA, SFIC hopes to set the benchmark for all enterprises and individuals as well as promote the growth and viability of the furniture industry in singapore. SFIA 2013 will be an excellent platform for gaining recognition both in the local and international contexts and we look forward to honouring the best in class across the various award categories this year.’

nominations for SFIA 2013 will close at 5pm on wednesday, 31 July 2013 (singapore time). see how to apply here.

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singapore furniture industries council (SFIC)
singapore furniture industries council was established in 1981 as the official representative body of singapore’s furniture industry. it currently represents 95% of established furniture manufacturers in singapore, of whom 65% have subsidiary manufacturing plants in the region including china, indonesia, malaysia, myanmar, thailand and vietnam. its primary role is to promote the interests of its members and the singapore furniture industry. many of its initiatives aim to facilitate members’ exposure to the world market, develop local talent and encourage entrepreneurship.

through SFIC institute, its training and education arm, the SFIC offers development courses to ensure its graduates remain competitive and relevant to the latest industry developments. it also manages the international furniture centre and organises singaplural, the annual design week, held in conjunction with international furniture fair singapore/asean furniture show, the décor show and the hospitality 360°.
to ensure the industry’s growth and viability, SFIC continues to forge close partnerships with the government and trade-related agencies to harness technology, knowledge and information for effective strategic planning.

designsingapore council
the mission of the designsingapore council is to develop singapore into a global city for design where design innovation drives economic growth and enhances the quality of life. the designsingapore council promotes and develops the design industries as a creative cluster, encourages the adoption of design by enterprises, and nurtures a climate of co-creation and innovation through design. the designsingapore council is the national agency for design and is a part of the ministry of communications and information.

international enterprise singapore (IE singapore)
international enterprise (IE) singapore is the government agency driving singapore’s external economy. for the past 30 years, it has been spearheading the overseas growth of singapore-based companies and promoting international trade. IE singapore attracts global commodities traders to establish their global or asian home base in singapore. today, singapore is a thriving trading hub with a complete ecosystem for the energy, agri-commodities and metals & minerals trading clusters.

renowned worldwide for their dedication to quality and innovation, singapore-based companies make ideal business partners. with its global network in over 35 locations spanning many developed and emerging markets, ie singapore connects businesses with relevant singapore-based companies for their business expansion.

spring singapore
spring singapore is an agency under the ministry of trade and industry responsible for helping singapore enterprises grow and building trust in singapore products and services. as the enterprise development agency, spring works with partners to help enterprises in financing, capability and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. as the national standards and accreditation body, spring develops and promotes an internationally-recognised standards and quality assurance infrastructure. spring also oversees the safety of general consumer goods in singapore.