Her children have played a key role in the evolution of Ms. Jamie Lim as the second generation owner of local furniture maker Scanteak.
Two incidents in particular marked the spirit, causing lasting change. One of them is about security; another, longevity.
A few years ago, a "cheap and cute" wooden train set she bought for her three young children caused a rash.
"My kids don't have sensitive skin," she says. "So I saw the toy and smelled the wood and thought it was really cheap and something had to be added to trigger the eruption."
Ms. Lim suspected formaldehyde, a chemical found in glue and paint. It is unhealthy and a common indoor air pollutant.
"That's when I realized that our product shouldn't be giving families that kind of experience just because of the cost."
Formaldehyde-based adhesives, with strong bonding properties, are often used in the production of wood composites such as plywood and chipboard. Although wood composites are inexpensive and versatile, they perform worse than solid wood.
At that time, Ms. Lim and his brother Julian, head of Scanteak's Taiwan company, Scan-D Corporation, are deciding whether to follow strict foreign formaldehyde standards for some 500 Scanteak products. Singapore currently does not regulate formaldehyde emissions.
Will customers like the change? Or will they be deterred by the higher price? New, safer manufacturing processes will increase costs by 10-15%.
Safety considerations led Ms Lim to see this as a matter of principle. “Kids came out and took food from our table. Domestic dogs lick their feet. We feel a moral responsibility to our customers," he said.
"So we adopted our ethics, we made the calculations, and we made compromises in our territory."
The second incident that prompted the siblings, now in their 40s, to increase their tolerance for safety occurred while walking on the beach in 2019.
The adults walked for some distance before they saw the children behind them. Her children were eventually found rummaging through trash on the beach.
“It's good to know that if they continue with their business they will care about the state of the Earth,” said Ms Lim.
“That's when we realized that sustainability is important to our heritage. When you become a parent, you start worrying about the future after you retire.
"I said to myself: we have to create a better world for children."
But is sustainable development compatible with a business based on cutting trees and ultimately destroying forests?
