The sun rises in the Far East
Far East Flora is one of Singapore’s home-grown business success stories, a household name in floristry and everything associated with flowers, horticulture and greenery.
Established in 1965 (the year of Singapore’s Independence), she has grown from humble beginnings offering fresh flowers from a small van, into a major wholesaler, retailer and importer of flowers, plants and accessories in Singapore and the Asian region today. Flagship brand FarEastFlora.com is a leading online florist offering a wide range of flower bouquets, floral arrangements, plants, gifts and hampers.
In late-2023, Far East Flora officially opened Far East Flora Centre, which I visited. The Centre now serves as their Corporate Headquarters, and within its 11 storeys houses:
– Retail outlet selling exotic flowers in the basement,
– Rooftop garden selling larger plants and edible greens,
– Gourmet grocery store,
– F’east – their 80-seater casual diner / eatery
– CreativeWorkz Floristry Academy – floristry workshops taught by award-winning Principal Instructor Ms Christina Pang. Sign up here!
The "S" in ESG
Sustainability is one of the biggest issues facing our world today. Since the Industrial Revolution, the human race as a whole started to use the Earth’s resources at a far greater pace and manner than she can regenerate. People have started to recognise that this cannot continue, and slowly but surely we are changing our practices of consumption and production.
By the very nature of her business, Far East Flora is a vanguard in the sustainability space.
Just in the design of the Far East Flora Centre alone, sustainability is built into its core. One example is their use of high-volume, low-speed fans to minimise the air-conditioning use (significant contributor to climate change).
Another example is them designing and building a system to collect rainwater into an automated rainwater recycling and self-irrigation system, which I saw first-hand. Pipes carry the harvested rainwater to water plants throughout the building. That seems simple enough, but it required clear direction from Management and thoughtful planning and execution to make it happen. And this pays dividends over and over again.
At the product offering level, sustainability is also built in:
1. FarEastFlora.com, their e-commerce subsidiary, offers an easy and affordable way for consumers to add plants and greenery to our lives, to play our part to produce oxygen and remove carbon from the atmosphere. FarEastFlora.com has created sustainable and eco-conscious gifts & bouquets that “showcase the beauty of sustainable materials and reflect your care for the environment and your loved ones”.
After you’ve gotten your plants, you can also garden sustainably. FarEastFlora.com put together a playbook for your home garden. Learn how to compost, use water sustainably and upcycle your waste in this insightful blog post: https://fareastfloragarden.com/blog/3-simple-practices-for-sustainable-gardening.
2. OneO2Plants, Far East Flora’s integrated floriculture subsidiary, does the same for businesses, helping companies to “Breathe Life into Space”, and transform offices into green oases through their “Greenery-as-a-Service” offering of plant rentals and ongoing upkeep.
If you want to create a comfortable, green workplace for your team, get in touch with OneO2Plants today.
Building a Sustainable Business
It was great to visit the Far East Flora Centre.
I came away more-than-convinced that building a sustainable business is only possible with good people.
ArcLab has been privileged to serve Far East Flora for the past few years, and we see first-hand their investment in people, their ongoing learning & development at the workplace, across her many businesses.
We’re also pleased to know that Far East Flora is a PWMark employer, committed to uplift lower-wage workers’ wages, invest in their training, skills and productivity, and provide clear pathways to progress in their careers.
Special Deals for the Dragon Year
For readers who’ve come this far, there’s something special for you.
The Lunar New Year of the Dragon is upon us very shortly, and we all know the Dragon is considered one of the most auspicious animals in the Chinese zodiac.
If you’re still shopping for Lunar New Year, check out FarEastFlora.com’s Chinese New Year 2024 Collection, and get an EXTRA $8 OFF with promo code HUAT8. Corporate orders get additional discounts with a minimum spend of SGD $1,000.
May we all find sustainable good fortune in the Year of the Dragon.
HUAT AH!
Photos: ArcLab