As a business owner, he protects his staff and build their careers and not ruin them. He advise his staff to dream small dreams first so as to achieve them easily. Embracing new ideas. Do old things in new ways. Confront difficulties head on without flinching. Crossroads are our opportunity to make the most important decisions we ever make.

Outbreak of war in the Middle East in 1990 was a setback for Liner Shipping after setting up in 1989 as a Mideast specialist. His dreams of conquest were shattered by the Gulf War. He picked himself up to fight for his company’s survival. His philosophies since then were problem free management never makes a strong leader, clear skies never makes a good pilot, good roads never makes a good driver, calm seas never makes a good sailor.

The company survived the Gulf War period and go on to conquer the market growing with the carriers. He conceptualised LCL or less than container load. No one thought of the term in those days of AQ (all quantities) or CONSOL (consolidated). Shippers have cargo that exceeded the capacity of one container. He develop a niche for the overflow cargo. P&O Line gave him a break with a lot of these overflows from his solution to their problem. Liner Shipping became the only freight forwarder allowed CY [container yard] and CFS [container freight station] status which was a give-away from P&O Line. Shippers showed confidence on them being associated with a conference member line with fixed schedules. News spread that Liner Shipping was the go-to guys for the Mideast.

He shared all business success comes from a good sense of proportion and organised in all areas of life. Be quick to seize opportunities and concern towards charity. Be a good corporate citizenship even if it involves some cost or risk to his business. He engage convicts in rehabilitation programmes through employment at Liner Shipping in co-operation with the prison service. “Leopards never change their spots”, he believed convicts are not leopards and have made bad choices when young and can change their ways. Good corporate citizenship is assistance to the Singapore government department when his company’s equipment is needed for a quick job, he will provide it without charge.

Business has changed. In the past, many countries’ cargo were unable to go direct. Today is direct from Bangkok, Jakarta or Philippines. No longer do they need Singapore to re-consolidate. Many ocean-going ships go from Thailand through the Suez Canal and take away trans-shipment cargo. Singapore can only give the best service it can and apply its comparative advantages with good infrastructure, workers attitude and good commitment and here is a very safe culture.

The port will shift to TUAS by 2027 and they already have five warehouses there. But things change in shipping, today’s wisdom is often tomorrow’s foolishness. Expanding the Panama Canal will have problems because carriers now have bigger and even bigger ships. Carriers will go through Nicaragua if they can open one big canal. Thailand pose a threat to Singapore if they cut a sea channel to go from east to west. Asia-Europe shipping is attracting China attention with its “One Road One Belt” global transport initiative. The proposed KRA Canal will shave days off an Asia-Europe voyage. Singapore and Port Kelang will be bypassed by megaships cutting across the Malay Peninsula before the crossing the Indian Ocean into the Red Sea and going on to Suez and the Mediterranean.

Liner Shipping started with the Middle East and expanded to be an operator inside the Port of Singapore from the Keppel Distripark with a Container Freight Station (CFS) warehouse for trans-shipment. They owned their fleet of lorries with fitted crane for lifting the cargo off trains and a heavy-lift crane as well for all kinds of loading and lashing equipment which they can have command and control of the situation to exercise proper control. Managing their own assets to operate them and have control over scheduling, operational quality, service levels and safety to service our customers’ requirements and needs by providing trucking, warehousing, cargo handling, stuffing, un-stuffing and transhipments

Whatever I do, I use my heart. A person who works with his hands is a labourer. A man who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman but a man who works with his hands, his mind and his heart is an artist – Mr. Robin Teo.