How Tollyjoy grew from a 100-worker Singapore factory to a regional brand over 55 years

SINGAPORE: For generations of parents in Singapore, Tollyjoy has been a familiar name, supplying feeding bottles, baby wipes, clothes and bedding.

Founded in 1971, the homegrown mother-and-baby care brand grew from a domestic manufacturing operation with about 100 workers into a regional brand selling hundreds of products.

Over the decades, the family business had to adapt to rising costs, shifts in manufacturing and economic upheavals, while expanding its product range and reach beyond Singapore.

Now, after 55 years, Tollyjoy is winding down, with the family business announcing on Sep 15 that it would cease operations.

Here's a look back at the brand's journey.

1971: Tollyjoy is born

Tollyjoy was founded in 1971 by Mr Tan Khung Ngee and Madam Tan Hong Keow.

Their son and current Tollyjoy chief executive Tan Wee Keng said in a 2016 interview that before starting the company, his parents were involved in the general trading of goods, including baby products.

They saw demand for affordable and durable baby and mother-care products in a market then dominated by international brands.

Taking advantage of relatively low labour and rental costs at the time, the couple rented space from industrial developer JTC and set up a manufacturing plant with about 100 workers. 

Tollyjoy was among the domestic manufacturers making products for Singapore's growing consumer market.

1970s to 1980s: Rising costs and shift in production

Within several years, however, rising manufacturing costs in Singapore made the company's original production model increasingly difficult.

Tollyjoy responded by introducing automation and upgrading its workers' skills. It also began outsourcing manufacturing while retaining its own design and production guidelines.

The company expanded its presence across the Causeway as well, with its Malaysian business incorporated in 1987.

1990s: Focus on quality

The current Singapore corporate entity, Tollyjoy Baby Products Pte Ltd, was incorporated in 1990, nearly two decades after the business was established.

In 1996, Tollyjoy achieved ISO 9001 certification, an international standard for how companies maintain quality in their products and services.

The company said that the certification reflected its focus on the safety, durability and reliability of its products.

"Our mission has been to provide only the best for your baby and yourself," the company stated on its website. "This, we have achieved through stringent quality control across our design, manufacturing and marketing processes." 

Its product range would eventually stretch across categories including baby feeding, grooming, hygiene, bedtime and clothing, as well as products for mothers.

2000s: A reluctant successor takes over

Mr Tan Wee Keng formally took over Tollyjoy in 2001 when his older brothers left to pursue other interests, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported in 2016 from an interview with him.

He initially did not want to take over the company and had his own ambitions of going into medicine.

However, expectation and filial piety led him down the route to becoming CEO of Tollyjoy.

His start at the helm was not an easy ride. In an article published by the Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2018, Mr Tan said that the Sep 11 attacks in the United States in 2001 had caused economic panic after Asia had just recovered from the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

2010s: Regional expansion

The CEO eventually steadied the company and expanded Tollyjoy's reach.

In the SMU article, Mr Tan said that the company was managing about 500 stock-keeping units across 50 categories. These ranged from baby wear to feeding accessories to carriers.

About 95 per cent of production is done outside Singapore.

He also described the desired position of Tollyjoy as "not too cheap, not too expensive".

The aim, he said, was to make products that were reliable, durable and value for money.

The company had about 200 employees and recorded S$16 million in annual revenue in 2016, the article stated at the time.

2026: The end of a 55-year journey

In a Facebook post dated Sep 15, Tollyjoy said that it is "winding down the brand", although it did not specify how long its products would remain available for sale in its markets.

It added that the decision to wind down was a "bittersweet moment".

In a statement issued by the company on Tuesday (Sep 22), Mr Tan said: "We recognise the responsibility that comes with making a decision of this nature. It was not entered into lightly, nor was it driven by financial considerations. 

"After careful consideration on the future of the business and how we wish to focus our time and resources going forward, we felt that the time was right to conclude our operations."

The company did not elaborate on where it intends to direct its time and resources, and did not give a date for when operations would end.

Mr Tan added: "Tollyjoy will focus on an orderly closure of its operations, including ensuring the welfare of its team and managing any remaining stocks"

In Singapore, stocks of Tollyjoy products are no longer available, but some products are still available in neighbouring Malaysia. 

“We leave this 55-year journey with a deep sense of appreciation for the many people who have been part of it. The relationships we have built and the memories we have shared over the years will always be meaningful to us,” Mr Tan said.