All this changed after Yeah Hiang Nam, CEO and managing director of pawnbroking chain company ValueMax, began operating its first pawnshop — under a joint venture (JV) — in Tampines in 2004. He revamped the look and feel of an existing pawnshop to mimic the brightly-lit ambience of a jewellery store. He also changed the pawnshop’s Chinese name to ValueMax. This, he says, reflected the company’s ethos, which is “to give maximum value to customers”.
ValueMax’s Yeah Hiang Nam modernises industry and delivers maximum value to customers
SINGAPORE (Oct 14): Before the 2000s, pawnshops in Singapore were not exactly the coolest places to be. Protected by metal grilles, they resembled cages or worst still, a prison. The counter was usually raised and behind steel bars, creating a rather intimidating environment for customers.
