Three Rifles Holdings is established

Three Rifles Holdings was founded by Chong Chong Choong, who started out in the retail business at the age of 14 working at pasar malam (Malay for “night market”) stalls in Bukit Panjang.^[1] When Chong was 20, he opened his own shop on Bukit Panjang Road selling shirts and other merchandise.^[2]

In 1971, after his trip to Japan to attend the world trade fair, Chong bought over the Three Rifles brand from the previous owner. Chong then expanded into shirt manufacturing and subsequently opened a small factory in Geylang with only eight staff.^[3] After setting up his flagship Three Rifles outlet in President Shopping Centre, the company began opening outlets in People's Park Centre, People's Park Complex, Katong Shopping Centre, Peninsula Plaza, Thomson Plaza and City Plaza in the 1970s and 1980s.^[4] Besides manufacturing its own brand of clothing, Three Rifles also imported clothing brands such as Lonner, Portfolio and Rhomberg.^[5] The company became the regional manufacturer for Emporio Armani, and from 1980, it was also the regional representative for Italian fashion label Caserini.^[6]  In September 2006, the company signed a manufacturing and distribution licence agreement with French designer brand Pierre Balmain to manufacture menswear under the brand and sell them in Singapore and Brunei. Within a short space of about three months after signing the agreement, the brand’s clothes were being sold at Pierre Balmain counters at Robinsons and Isetan Scotts.^[7]

The company began to diversify into other businesses in the 1990s. It branched into commercial and residential property development in Singapore and Malaysia with the formation of a property subsidiary company ,Three Rifles Land, in June 1994.^[8] In 1995, the company set up TV Media, a joint venture telemarketing company based in Malaysia.^[9] After suffering a net loss of S$4.68 million in 2004 –due to provisions for what it termed “impairment of assets”– Three Rifles was bought over in 2005 by TR Networks, a sister company dealing in healthcare, beauty and lifestyle products, which is also owned by the Chong family.^[10]

References

1. [Chen Shunjie] 陈顺杰 (1992, October 15). 张长中白手兴家7000元建三枪衣厂. Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报), p. 22. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报), 15 Oct 1992, p. 22.
3. Pak, S. (1992, February 29). Garments maker Three Rifles plans overseas investments. The Straits Times, p. 32; Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报), 15 Oct 1992, p. 22. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. 三枪牌制衣厂公司第五分行昨举行开幕. (1979, August 19). Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日报), p. 10; 三枪牌制衣厂公司第六分行今起营业. (1979, November 17). Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日报), p. 10; 三枪恤制衣厂公司在汤申大厦设立第七分行. (1979, December 23). Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日报), p. 20; 三枪牌恤衫第八分行启业举行酬宾大优待并赠送礼物. (1981, October 25). Sin Chew Jit Poh (星洲日报), p. 15. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. Page 39 Advertisements Column 1: “Three Rifles” special opening sale at Peninsula Plaza. (1979, November 17). The Straits Times, p. 39; Page 35 Advertisements Column 1: Three Rifles building moving out sale.  (2007, August 4). The Straits Times, p. 35. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Chan, C. (1990, October 2). Three Rifles to move into property, trading. The Straits Times, p. 40; Lam, J. (1994, August 29). Keeping up with trends and the times. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. Three Rifles inks deal with Pierre Balmain. (2006, September 28). The Business Times, p. 7; Three Rifles looks to open Balmain store in S'pore. (2006, November 23). The Business Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Lam, J. (1995, May 13). Clothes maker Three Rifles diversifies into property. The Straits Times, p. 2; [Fu Laixing] 傅来兴 (1995, May 16). 从成衣制造业走向房地产业三枪集团在本地进行三项房地产发展计划. Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报), p. 16. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
9. Garment maker diversifies into telemarketing. (1995, December 29). The Straits Times, p. 42; Tan, C. (1997, September 29). Three Rifles sets its sights on property development. The Straits Times, p. 48. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Goh, E. Y. (2005, January 11). TR Networks buys Three Rifles. The Straits Times, p. H17; Goh, E. Y. (2005, January 17). Market frowns on TR Networks' proposal. The Straits Times, p. 21. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.