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HG Metal Competitive Strengths
We believe our competitive strengths to be as follows: -
(a) Manufacturing capability and ability to custom manufacture to the
specific requirements of customers
 We believe that we are the only stockist in Singapore with a manufacturing
arm which gives us the necessary first mover advantage in terms of stock
availability and shorter delivery lead time. We are also able to customise
steel products according to the specifications of our customers which
gives us a competitive edge over our competitors in terms of addressing
and fulfilling all the requirements of our customers. As a result, we are
a "one-stop supermarket" offering convenience to our customers as we are
able to satisfy their requirements without having to deal with other
stockists or manufacturers.
(b) Wide range of products
We are able to provide a one-stop service for our customers by carrying an
extensive range of steel products, including customised steel products. In
total, we carry more than 2,000 different steel products comprising steel
plates, angle bars, flat bars, channel bars, round bars, hollow sections,
beams and pipes, all of different dimensions.
(c) Established and diversified customer base
Having been in the steel trading business for more than 30 years, we have
established a pool of more than 300 customers in Singapore and various
countries in South East Asia. Accordingly, we have a very diversified
customer base and are not dependent on any single customer. Over the
years, we have also fostered good working relationships with our
customers, which include public listed companies such as Hong Leong Asia
Ltd. We market our new products and manufacturing capabilities to our
existing customers and expand our customer base through referrals.
(d) Reliable and established suppliers
We source our steel and related materials from several established steel
mills or their representatives or agents around the world. These include
steel mills in Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European
countries. We have established trusting and reliable relationships with
our suppliers through our more than 30 years of being in the steel trading
business. In addition, our experience in the steel trade enables us to be
familiar with the quality of steel products produced by the different
steel mills. With a diversified supplier base, we are also able to source
for high quality but yet competitively priced supply of steel products and
materials.
(e) Experienced management team
Our management team comprises persons who have many years of experience in
the steel industry. The members of our management team include our
Executive Chairman Mr Tan Chan Too, our Chief Executive Officer Mr Wee
Piew and our Directors Messrs Tan Ah Bee, Tian Chye Heng and Lee Leng Loke.
Messrs Tan Chan Too, Tan Ah Bee, Tian Chye Heng and Lee Leng Loke each has more than 20 years of experience in the steel industry. Our
manufacturing operations are overseen by Mr Kiat Yap Chuan, our production
manager who has been involved in the manufacturing operations for more
than 30 years.
Collectively, our management has contributed greatly to the growth of
our business in the past years and will continue to do so in future years.
Barriers to entry
We believe that there is a high barrier to entry in our line of business.
Firstly, a potential stockist will require a large warehouse and warehouse
facilities to house its steel stock. This requires a large initial capital
outlay. In addition, a large working capital is also required to hold a
wide range of stock. We estimate that approximately $20 million is
required to acquire and stock the wide range of products we presently
carry in our warehouse.
In addition, trading in steel products yields relatively low profit
margins, and therefore a stockist must rely on high volume turnover in
order to sustain its business. We are of the view that it is difficult for
new entrants to our trading business to secure enough sales volume to
sustain their business in the initial period of operation.
Lastly, we also believe that experience and a strong understanding of
the industry is required in order to be able to successfully compete in
our industry. Our Company has been in the business for more than 30 years
and has accumulated a vast amount of experience and goodwill among its
suppliers and customers. As such, our Company has a reputation which we
can leverage upon when negotiating transactions with our suppliers and
customers.
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