OWL International: A taste of prize-winning coffee

OWL International Pte Ltd is one of Singapore’s most illustrious companies, with over 50 years’ experience in the instant coffee business. Known for years as Sin Hup Huat Co., it decided to change names in 1994 as it opened up to the global market. Its products are currently shipped to 20 countries, with the Maldives and China as amongst its top destinations. A multi-awarded business, OWL counts the Singapore Packaging Star Award as the latest feather in its cap. In 2012, it opened a local café where it serves up new coffee drinks, dishes and desserts.Richmond Te, regional business development manager, tells FoodPacific Manufacturing Journal how the company continues to break new ground.

The company was established as Sin Hup Huat Co. in 1956. What was the thinking behind the change in name?

OWL is one of the oldest coffee brands around. For 40 years, we focused on the local market, but we decided to move out of our comfort zone and cast our nets farther. Being an export-oriented company has different sets of problems to solve, but making the global market as our main business is definitely the right approach.

The change in name was meant to give it a more global appeal.We chose the owl for its wisdom and nocturnal habits. After all, coffee is known to keep people alert late at night, too.

To what do you attribute the continuing growth of the company?

Five key areas – quality, service, people, variety and easy accessibility to all contact points. Of these, product quality is the most important to the company. It has earned OWL the Singapore Promising Brand Award, the Singapore Heritage Brand Award and the Singapore Superbrands Award. A more recent award we received is the Singapore Packaging Star Award (Commercial – Sales and Display) for our Kopitiam Roast [‘Kopitiam’ is derived from the Malay word for coffee, ‘kopi’, and the Hokkien word for shop, ‘tiam’ – Editor] given by the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation in September 2011.

OWL has four brands to date. Are these targeted at specific markets?

With a clear brand identity, we are able to allocate the right type of research and development for product offerings. The OWL range is for the Asian community, Yesté and Negresco are for the Middle East, and Yé Yé is the key export brand to the Maldives, Mongolia and newer markets such as China. The products vary in terms of sugar content, strength of brew, premium perception and product packaging, with these elements carefully selected and localised to fit individual markets. All these years, we have continued improving our packaging design to meet consumers’ requirements and government regulations. All required labelling for identification, description, nutritional facts, packing size and directions are clearly stated on the packaging.

Of these, which are the best-sellers?

Our best-sellers are the OWL and Yé Yé in Singapore, Maldives and Mongolia. In fact, Yé Yé is currently the coffee market leader in the Maldives.

And the company’s top export destinations for instant coffee?

Our top five biggest markets are the Maldives, Mongolia, China, the US and Iran.

What challenges, if any, have you experienced when rolling out products internationally?

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