By Smita Krishnaswamy

LOCAL family-run ice business Tuck Lee Ice has provided ice to hawker centres and wet markets since the 1930s.

It is now in the hands of the fourth generation of the family and run by Mr Jeremy Hauw, 31, who spoke to The Straits Times in 2007 about his rebranding of the company, with the introduction of a new logo and fresh marketing campaign.

At the time of the interview, he also spearheaded the ice manufacturer's entry into a new segment - the ice sculpture market.

Today, it contributes 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the company's $5 million revenues, up from about 5 per cent in 2007. And Tuck Lee regularly fields requests for sculptures at least three times a week, up from only once a week two years ago.

'The trend of having ice sculptures at events has really grown,' said Mr Hauw,

The general manager of sales and marketing is committed to investigating new markets and seeking expansion via diversification.

Tuck Lee entered the Singapore beverage market in 2006 and is the exclusive local distributor for Archipelago beer, bottled by Asia Pacific Breweries, and premium bottled water brand Fiji Water.

Entering the beverage segment was a natural extension of Tuck Lee's core business, according to Mr Hauw.

'The clientele is basically the same - it's just an extension of the product category we sell them,' he said.

The company is looking to take on more brands in the segment, which now accounts for 10 per cent to 15 per cent of its sales.

Despite Tuck Lee's diversification strategy, Mr Hauw is clear he wants to retain the company's pole position as leader in the local ice market.

'Our core is still the ice business. We want to continue what we are good at while expanding into other areas,' he said.

To that end, the company has increased its fleet from 25 to 35 ice trucks since 2007 and is currently focusing on improving on-time delivery.

The company has been especially successful in capturing the demand for ice from bars and clubs. Mr Hauw estimates that 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the large bars and clubs here are Tuck Lee customers.

Mr Hauw has no plans to expand internationally and does not want to focus resources on opening new factories elsewhere.

The company's beverage sales slowed early this year because customers cut down on spending at high-end restaurants and clubs due to the downturn.

But business picked up again after a few months. 'I didn't really feel that we were in a recession,' he added.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.