Cyclect’s founder Tan Ai Meng passed away in 1985. His sons — Tan Sin Poh, Peter Tan and Shanton Ho — assumed leadership of the company and became the second generation to lead the family business.
The transition from founder to second generation is a test that most family businesses do not pass cleanly. Cyclect’s second generation maintained operational continuity, preserved the company’s core client relationships and made the investment decisions that positioned the business for its subsequent growth: the semiconductor division, the Tuas headquarters, the ISO 9001 certification.
The founding values — togetherness, integrity, determination, excellence — were carried into the second generation not as a marketing exercise but as a practical operating culture. The company that the third generation inherited in 2006 was a stronger and more capable business than the one Mr Tan had built.