By Daphne Lee

CARS are Ms Valerie Tan's business as the chief executive officer of Pinnacle International, which employs over 200 staff in a network of more than 50 countries.

The company - established in 1996 as a small trader of used cars - introduced its first batch of compressed natural gas (CNG) enabled cars in Singapore in January this year.

It also offers a range of car-related activities such as exporting old and new cars to more than 40 countries, including Peru, Mongolia and Trinidad.

'As the first automobile company to introduce CNG systems for our cars in Singapore, we spurred public interest in bio-fuel cars through our large-scale commercial efforts,' says Ms Tan.

'Since then, we have seen an 80 per cent increase in demand for such cars, which are cleaner, greener and cheaper than normal cars.'

Besides watching the bottom line for the consumers, Pinnacle International has also adopted corporate social responsibility as an integral part of its corporate culture. Each year, the company dedicates a day in December to charity work.

Ms Tan, 34, recalls her own journey as a young entrepreneur who kick-started the business with five staff members.

'Cars have always been my passion, and it has never crossed my mind to be rewarded in any way as long as my business is contributing to the automobile industry.

'However, the knowledge that this award can provide a platform for me to share my entrepreneurship journey with others has spurred me to participate in the highly prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2008.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on October 22, 2008.