Always provide honest and sincere services to customers and treat your employees fairly
We take great pride in providing our customers with top-quality services that are rooted in honesty and sincerity, and we believe that treating our employees with fairness and respect is key to maintaining this standard.
Ricky Kang and Aveling Kang with Ronnie at a recent expo
Ronnie Kang
Co-founder
Santino Coffee Specialists Pte Ltd
Since its inception in 1978, Santino Coffee Specialists Pte Ltd has undergone a remarkable transformation from a modest cottage coffee roaster to a major player in the coffee industry. The company's founders, brothers Ricky and Ronnie Kang, have been instrumental in its growth, steering it towards becoming a leading provider of top-quality coffee products and services. However, their ambitions have not stopped there. In recent years, the company has made significant strides in expanding its operations beyond coffee, branching out into other industries. As a result, they find themselves currently in the midst of an exciting phase of further expansion.
At the heart of the company's success is their unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service to their clients. They understand that their clients' success is their success, and they go to great lengths to ensure that every client receives personalized attention and support. With their extensive knowledge of the coffee industry, they take pride in helping clients conceptualize, select, and fulfill their coffee-based needs. Whether it's sourcing the finest beans, crafting a unique blend, or developing a custom packaging design, the company is dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions that help their clients achieve their goals.
With their impressive track record of success and dedication to excellence, the company is poised to continue its expansion into new markets and industries.
1. What have been some of your biggest learning experiences in running a business?
In 1991, our coffee roasting company experienced a setback when our head roaster left due to low sales. At that point, I took it upon myself to learn how to roast coffee through various observations and research. I eventually took over the roasting personally and received excellent feedback on our beans. Similarly, in 1998, when we first began importing Italian coffee machines, our company was still small, and I went to clients' locations almost every day to troubleshoot the machines. This experience taught me the importance of patience, maintaining a positive attitude, providing excellent customer service, building strong client relationships, having confidence in our products, and continuously improving them.
2. What will you never compromise on with your business?
We never compromise on our core principles which involve delivering honest and sincere services to our customers, treating our employees with fairness, maintaining an open-minded approach to continuously improve and upgrade product quality, exploring new business opportunities, and consistently delivering top-quality customer service.
3. How did you go about researching and validating your idea for this company?
I discuss with my partner and brother Ricky regularly on ways to expand the company and business. Additionally, I closely monitor market trends and consumer needs, and continuously adapt my business model and product offerings to cater to these evolving demands
4. How did you market your business when it was brand new?
We promoted our products and services through a variety of marketing channels, including exhibitions, sponsorships to trade shows, displays, direct sales promotions. Recently we have added online social media platforms which are managed by our marketing team.
5. How have you grown personally from becoming an entrepreneur?
My personal philosophy is centered on treating everyone I encounter with kindness and patience. Additionally, I believe in the importance of being a responsible and compassionate member of society by giving back in any way possible. As part of this, I am committed to motivating and inspiring the younger generation through sharing my experiences and offering guidance and support where I can. I believe that by nurturing and uplifting the next generation, we can create a better future for all.