By Francis Chan

BLOOM time is boom time for Sinflora, one of Singapore's largest wholesaler of fresh-cut flowers and plants.

As the Chinese New Year beckons, festive plants like kumquats and chrysanthemums are being snapped up by Singaporeans hoping they will bring some much-needed luck amid the downturn.

Sinflora founder Bernard Loo and his wife Charlotte Lee, both in their 50s, believe such plants are auspicious and people will not stop buying, recession or not.

Indeed, Sinflora is so confident that things will continue to come up rosy that it has rented an extra 150,000 sq ft of space for Chinese New Year stock, in addition to its 100,000 sq ft garden centre.

When The Straits Times visited Sinflora last week, trucks were unloading pot after pot of azaleas, kumquats of different sizes and chrysanthemums.

Madam Lee, the firm's executive director, said Sinflora is importing the same amount of stock as it did last year in expectation that demand will stay robust.

It seems a fair assumption. While she was talking, customers were flocking in to snap up the festive plants.

'See, we're selling them out of the boxes,' she quipped, while looking out her office window.

Although Madam Lee declined to divulge revenue figures, she said that as a seasonal business, the constant challenge for the husband-and-wife firm was to sustain its revenue stream during slow periods.

'Business during Chinese New Year is easily 10 times more than on normal days,' said the mother of three.

'But to sustain the business, we need to be able to bring in new products that people would like to have in their homes throughout the year. So you have to give them a wider range.'

Sinflora was set up in 1979 by Mr Loo, whose father ran a successful business supplying flowers and plants to florists. But when he wanted to strike out on his own, he decided to sell artificial flowers instead.

'He did not want to clash with his father's fresh flowers business, so we started supplying artificial flowers to florists in Singapore and Malaysia,' recalled Madam Lee.

Sinflora quickly penetrated the Malaysian market and by 1986 had set up a subsidiary in Malaysia to import, wholesale and trade in artificial flowers and plants.

Within three years, another unit was formed in Malaysia - to manufacture shade nets for the agricultural and construction industries.

By 1995, the Sinflora group also included the Asia-Pacific's largest manufacturer of phenolic floral foam, a substance that keeps flowers fresh longer.

Madam Lee said the expansion was all part of Sinflora's plan to move into different areas of the industry.

But her involvement in the family business certainly was not part of the game plan when she married Mr Loo. She was an air stewardess for about 61/2 years before joining her husband at Sinflora.

'I first dabbled in a 'small flower' business with some friends after I left Singapore Airlines, but my husband needed some help,' said Madam Lee.

'At first I didn't want to help him and neither did I want to get into the family business, but I just went with the flow and this was how things turned out.'

Sinflora has grown from a modest 10,000 sq ft warehouse in Kallang Bahru to one of the largest garden centres in Singapore.

The line of products has expanded from artificial to fresh-cut flowers, plants, ornamental fountains, garden furniture and other landscape and garden equipment, tools and accessories.

Its workforce has also doubled from 10 to 20 since the move to its current site at Seletar West Farmway 1.

But even that move has not solved the firm's biggest problem - the scarcity of land here. 'We don't have land like in Europe or the United States so that may limit the growth of our business here,' said Madam Lee.

Sinflora has tackled the problem by moving part of its business across the Causeway. In 2001, it was granted 200ha in Malaysia for commercial cultivation of foliage and plants for export.

After an initial investment of about $25 million, Sinflora is now growing their own stock of flowers and plants in Cameron Highlands, an operation it started in 2004.

Today, Madam Lee remains optimistic about business prospects, despite the economic situation.

'I don't think the plant business will be affected by the economy too much because firstly, how much can a plant cost?' she said.

'A few dollars for a small plant to maybe a few hundred for a bigger plant - there's a wide range - and they can add a special quality to your home, beautifying the entire place.'

She says her eldest daughter, who is now at university, and two younger sons - one in National Service and the other in secondary school - have all shown a keen interest in the family business.

So who will take over?

'I don't know yet, this is very hard work,' said Madam Lee, but she believes that Sinflora will continue to have a place in fast-developing Singapore.

With the Government promoting Singapore as a garden city, more home owners here are starting to want more greenery in their homes too, 'whether they are living in a landed property, condominium or flat'.

She also says many Singaporeans are developing 'green fingers'.

'Many enjoy taking care of their plants and watching their plants bloom over time,' she said.

'And everybody loves plants. Just take the Zamioculcas (which she spells effortlessly) or what the Chinese call, 'Jing Qian Shu', meaning 'money tree'.'

'People will think it is only the Chinese who will buy them for luck, but I have Indian customers who say they won the lottery after buying a few pots.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on January 21, 2009.