Osim founder on the hunt for wellness, entertainment ventures

Ron Sim also looking for those who are young, daring and hungry for success

- Claire Huang

The man whose name is synonymous with Osim massage chairs is always on the hunt for new opportunities, and Mr Ron Sim's eyes may well land on you as he seeks to add new brands to his business.

He is on the lookout for those who are young, daring and hungry for success.

The 65-year-old founder and executive chairman of V3 Group, which owns Osim, said in an exclusive interview that he is looking to add a few more brands in wellness and entertainment to the V3 family.

The group now has 11 brands, including TWG Tea and bakeries Old Seng Choong and Cat and the Fiddle.

Without giving details, he said plans are in the initial stages.

"Singapore brands are now more valuable. It is whether Singapore enterprises are hungry enough and daring enough to take the plunge to grow regionally and globally. This is the time," he said.

"So, we should be looking for young companies, young people who are daring, hungry, have aspirations, and support them."

The entrepreneur and billionaire - Forbes estimates his net worth to be around US$1.5 billion (S$2 billion) cited Singapore's small domestic market as a key reason why local firms find it hard to grow.

"You have to create the external domestic market and build on that," said Mr Sim, who did exactly that.

In 1979, he started R Sim Trading, which sold a wide assortment of household goods. The firm opened its first store here in 1980, and in 1983, he opened the first of more than 400 global retail Osim stores.