HANDWRITING is a neglected art in this age of digital communication. But one man is on a crusade to revive it - Herman Chan, managing director of Elephant and Coral, a local company dealing in pens and specialty stationary.
Known by collectors as a top location to visit, Elephant & Coral is a treasure trove of beautiful - some would say decadent - writing implements. Prices range from a humble $75 up to a staggering $1.5 million. And the more expensive items draw clientele accordingly. Sheiks, sultans, princes and royalty worldwide are among Mr Chan's clients.
Elephant and Coral has two stores in Singapore and one in Indonesia, all done in the same rich warm hues of wood, lush carpeting and subtle lighting. The stores exude opulence and luxury but stay on the right side of the fine line that divides ostentation.
Surprisingly, the decor has remained practically unchanged since the first shop opened in 1996 - a modest 170 sq ft alcove in Holland Road Shopping Centre. 'Literally a hole in the wall,' remarks Mr Chan dryly.
He began with $100,000 - $60,000 from his savings and $40,000 from a neighbour. He remembers the lady fondly. 'She told me, 'that's money for my coffin, don't cheat me out of it',' he says. The loan was repaid with interest in three years.
Amid such a humble beginning, Mr Chan spared no expense on decorating, because 'it's a branding business, all about image, all about how you sell'. He envisioned from the start what Elephant & Coral was to be - a name synonymous with luxury, quality and the art of writing.
So incongruous was the store's opulence among the drab surroundings of the shopping centre that Mr Chan was besieged by doomsayers. He remembers a woman walking past and saying loudly in Hokkien, 'So beautiful. But over here, who will buy? Nobody can afford this'.'
Happily, Elephant & Coral has proved its detractors wrong. Its annual turnover is now $3 million and it is looking to open more outlets.
An engineer by training, Mr Chan graduated from Imperial College in London and began his working life handling derivatives trading as treasury manager. He credits his ability to read the business situation and market economics to a strong mathematical foundation and his time doing trading.
The luxury pen business is about reputation - 'all about branding and telling a story', he says. Above all else, Elephant & Coral is selling a lifestyle. 'We're about the personal touch and that sincere, special connection with people. We're not just about utility and functionality. We associate ourselves with writing, reading and literature.'
Aspiring writers take note: Elephant & Coral gives a $325 pen to any writer who publishes their first book of fiction. And Mr Chan can count authors like acclaimed novelist Neil Gaiman and Professor Tommy Koh as recipients. 'I have a whole cupboard of books,' he says with a laugh. 'I do this to support the writers in a way I can. I say, if they have the guts to write, I applaud them.'
Elephant & Coral's business is one intimately tied up with memories and emotions. 'Many people buy our pens to remember a special event or to reward themselves after a job well done,' Mr Chan says. 'Pens have a meaning deeper than just writing instruments.'
He tells how, during his second year of business, he received an urgent call on a Sunday morning to deliver a $15 pen. 'I was shocked,' he says. 'First we didn't stock pens of that value - too low. Second, it was a Sunday morning. But the man sounded urgent, so something in me just told me to go.'
So Mr Chan went - with a his wife and children in tow - to the address that the caller gave. They were in for a shock. 'It turned out to be a hospice,' he recounts. 'The atmosphere there was quiet and oppressive. I went in alone to the highest floor, where people went to spend their last moments. There was moaning and groaning. There was an Indian man lying on a bed, he said to me: 'I know you have good pens, and I need it to write my will'.'
Stories like these are ones Mr Chan remembers vividly. 'These are the stories that make up Elephant & Coral,' he says.
As the man behind the company that won the Singapore Prestige Brand Award 2007, Mr Chan says integrity and a commitment to customers have taken him this far. 'A lot of this business is trust - clients trust the shop not to pull a fast one.'
Why the name Elephant & Coral. Mr Chan explains that it pays tribute to Elephant & Castle, a south London suburb where he spent most of his university days. Copyright issues prompted him to gain inspiration from his wife's name, Coral.
Mr Chan has this advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. 'My parents told me: work hard, dress well. I say, work smart and believe in our dreams. It's a lonely road when you're the only one with the vision, but once you make it real, you know you've succeeded.'
This article was first published in The Business Times on May 20, 2008
