SUNRAY GROUP: 35 YEARS OF SUCCESS & INNOVATION

Tony Leong, Director, Sunray Malaysia, speaks to Christina Thomas about the company’s progress and growth over the years, becoming one of the most established and recognized Interior Fit-Out Contractors in Southeast Asia Region.

VISION, MISSION AND CORE VALUES ARE KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

Tony Leong attributes Sunray’s success to its vision – he said, “Our vision is to be an integral part of iconic structures across every city in the world. We aim to undertake every project, especially iconic projects, that are within our capability both regionally and globally.”

“Sunray’s mission is to be the industry’s shining beacon in how we build our people, execute our projects, and grow with our partners. We are not undertaking projects, instead it is a full cycle whereby we help our clients to expand and upgrade their businesses as well as create a revenue stream for them by constructing the assets and facilities to drive their businesses,” explains Tony.

Another contributing factor to Sunray’s success and one of the key building blocks for every Sunrayian is the company’s core values – Teamwork, Innovation, Pride, Perseverance, Safety and Care.

Founded in 1987 by Mr. Tan Teng Huat, as a family-run carpentry business, Sunray has grown in leaps and bounds to capture international markets across Asia.

As Chairman of the company, Tan grew the business from just less than 20 employees undertaking carpentry works, to become one of the largest full-fledged interior fit-out as well as addition and alteration (A&A) specialist today.

Elaborating on Sunray’s progress over the years, Tony says, “Along the years, with the leadership of our Chairman Mr. Tan and continuous guidance from Group CEO Ms. Connie Wu, the group has grown and expanded until today, into a fullfledged main contractor in the region covering building works, structural, architectural, and interior fit-out works, as well as major alteration and addition (A&A) works.”

Solid Brand Image

Sunray’s unique selling proposition is its high brand recognition in the market, attributed to successfully completing more than 1,400 projects over a span of 35 years across several countries, making it a sterling brand in the market.

“One of our advantages is that we started as an experienced 40-year-old carpentry manufacturer, We also have our steel manufacturing factory. For every project, we are committed to deliver different designs. With our expertise and our vast knowledge and experience, we delivered every project successfully – and that creates a strong portfolio,” he elaborates.

“As quality of life improves with technological advancement, the quality of the construction services also has to follow suit. With that, our brand and expertise as well as our strong capacity has given us the opportunity to fulfil our clients’ demands and needs across the region,” he adds.

Expansion

Over the last 35 years, Sunray has expanded its footprint from its headquarters in Singapore into Malaysia, Shanghai, Myanmar & Indonesia, offering integrated services including commercial interior design fit-out, property rejuvenation, design and build services, addition and alteration, value and cost engineering, customised manufacturing, feasibility studies and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing services.

The company is credited for delivering spectacular fit-out works for hotels, restaurants, banks, offices, retail stores and museums. Sunray’s iconic clients include Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, as well as Alila Hotel, Renaissance Hotel and Parkroyal Hotel in Malaysia, among others.

Having been in Malaysia for the last 10 years, Sunray has three offices located in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang.

Malaysian Market

Talking about the Malaysian market, Tony reflects, “Malaysia is a wide country, we have east and west Malaysia, the east coast, central, southern and northern regions, so geographically as a contractor we have to localise our business offerings to cover every region in Malaysia. The country is still a very hot and emerging market where the interior design and construction industry is concerned, with really high needs.”

Looking at the bright prospects presented by the Malaysian market, he adds, “After the pandemic and as business recovers, the market is going to be really busy.”

SUNRAY’S UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION

Sharing about Sunray’s unique proposition, Tony explains that one of the company’s offerings include adding and enhancing the value of existing un-utilized buildings.

“We propose to our clients on how to enhance the building to regain back the value to the asset. So far, this is a very niche market and not many provide this one-stop redevelopment service,” he highlights.

Sunray has carried out several redevelopment projects for hotels such as

Hilton Garden Inn in Kuala Lumpur, which was an abandoned and incomplete building.

“We put up a planning proposal, rebranded and reconstructed it, and obtained the necessary approvals from the authorities to complete the building. Currently, we are also working on the redevelopment from an existing office building to a five-star luxury hotel at Jalan Sultan Ismail.” Tony reveals.

Tony highlights that the Malaysian market holds excellent prospects where asset enhancement is concerned. With Sunray’s expertise in asset redevelopment, the company is ready to help asset owners and investors add and enhance the value of existing assets.

Giving Customers The Best

“We have been in Malaysia for 10 years and we are building our clientele. We have many recurring customers who believe in us after we have delivered their projects in the past. By having our customers’ trust to continue, we are committed to provide the best quality and best value in products to them,” says Tony.

“As for potential customers, we have delivered several iconic projects that gives us good brand recognition. Therefore, there are more enquiries from potential clients, and our doors are always open to explore prospects with potential clients. We want to understand every need that our clients have and their expectations,” he adds.

“Our track record is proven and the awards we have won are testament to our achievements. We aim to maintain the win-win situation with our clients whereby our goal is to complete the project and maximise their investments,” Tony continues.

Strong Fundamentals

To-date, the group records a revenue of RM1.2billion or SGD350 million. According to Tony, Sunray’s ability to employ 800 employees is one of its biggest achievements as it is able to provide an income and livelihood to 800 families and individuals.

“Every Sunrayian is an asset to our company. So, every employee is equally important. In 2021, we ranked among the top 10 best employers in Singapore,” he shares. We have a young and passionate team, and they love what they are doing,” beams Tony.

Awards

In recognition of its outstanding contributions, Sunray has won numerous awards and accolades, namely;

• Top 10 recipient of the SME100 Malaysia Fast Moving Companies Awards 2019.

• Malaysian Interior Design Awards

2021 Gold Award for Parkroyal

Hotel Kuala Lumpur

• Malaysian Interior Design Awards

2020 Gold Award for Renaissance

Hotel Kuala Lumpur

• BCA Awards 2021: International Partnership Award – for President

Hotel Kuala Lumpur

SUNRAY’S FUTURE DIRECTION

Talking about the future, Tony shares that Sunray aims to leverage on tech and big data to improve construction efficiency and to create greater value for its clients. The company hopes to reduce labour-intensive factors and drive higher efficiency in its projects. Sunray has invested significantly into augmented reality and virtual reality.