Video Editing,
Production,
Photography,
& Corporate Storytelling
A Drop of Sun: The Story of Sarawak's Sundrop Fruit Juices (formerly Green Spot)
8/8/2024
TV script edited for article.
Writers: Eugene Chin, Cheryl Choo
Selamat Hari Raya! Gaxu-Guru, Gerai-Nyamai! Merry Christmas! Every year, family and friends across Sarawak come together to celebrate a variety of cultural and religious festivals. And in typical Malaysian fashion, each household would open its gates to visitors and exchange stories over - you guessed it - food. Among the colourful and seasonal snacks offered to guests, there's also the unassuming black can of orange juice, served no matter the occasion, in every household, for nearly four decades.
Sundrops' orange juice is a common sight for many who grew up on Borneo Island. But what they don't know is that the beloved beverage comes from somewhere closer to home: Kuching, Sarawak. But before it was Sundrop, it was Green Spot.
It's 1957, Kuching, Sarawak, and the land is still under British rule. A group of businessmen has just bought a beverage manufacturing franchise from an American company, Green Spot International. Its signature product was orange juice. As a franchisee, Green Spot (Borneo) Bhd. had rode on the success of its parent company in the States, including its formulation, technical know-how, and even ingredients. Until one day, it all stopped. And the timing couldn't have been worse for an enthusiastic timber businessman, who had just taken over and none the wiser about the company’s imminent demise.
The business changed hands once again, but not for the last time, and not very far. In fact, it landed into the hands of the timber businessman’s own sister, a local English teacher from St Mary’s School Kuching, Madam Toh. Together with her husband, they took over the company in hopes of reviving it.
Faced with a hurdle on their own, the couple finally approached their son, Lim Yu Kong, for help. Mr Lim had just started a job after graduating in Mechanical Engineering in the UK.
In 1987, the company finally ended its association with Green Spot International and re-established itself as Sundrop Fruit Juices Sdn Bhd. However, the divorce from Green Spot International also means they lose custody of their coveted orange juice recipe, which is the foundation of the business. The task of recreating the formula now falls to Mr. Lim.
The orange-flavored drink was originally bottled in glass. The two bottles on the left display the original Green Spot logos, while the two on the right feature the Sundrop logos after the rebranding.
Mr Lim recounts the challenges of developing a new formula from scratch: "and basically what we did was we travelled, I travelled the world. We would go to the U.S., go to America, see how people do it. It is a very tough job because everything, remember, everything about the business from accounts to manufacturing to marketing -- you have to do all because if one factor is missing, the company cannot be successful. And the first product we did was Sundrop, which luckily we managed to duplicate it."
Mr Lim had not only successfully replicated the orange juice formula, but he was also one of the pioneers in digitising the workplace in Kuching. The software is not the only prevailing legacy of the Green Spot era. Some employees have remained loyal to the Lim family since the then-young Mr Lim took charge of the company.
Sundrop’s production plant has been standing on the same site since the colonial years. Today, it has over 50 staff members. Despite cutting ties with its American parent company years ago, the equipment and machinery used during the Green Spot era remain an integral part of Sundrop’s operations and continues to operate to this day, gaining its household name in the daily lives of Sarawakians.
Linda was fresh out of St. Mary’s Secondary school when she landed her first job with the company.
Linda, a long-tem employee since the Green Spot time.
The beverages were originally packaged in glass bottles. But this entailed higher operating expenses and serious health concerns. Canning the beverages was already considered a technology ahead of its time, especially in Sarawak. But Mr Lim’s innovative spirit and determination did not stop there.
Sundrop went on to become the first local manufacturer to introduce ready-to-drink coffee in a can.
Lineup of the can packaging in the early days.
Mr Lim credits his background in Mechanical Engineering for being able to design a process that produces freshly brewed canned coffee. The final process is loading the cans into a retort, which sterilises the products before packaging. Each round of sterilisation takes 25 to 30 minutes.
As the company grew over the years, so did their offerings, brand design, and also, acquaintances. Madam Rita Ting, was one such acquaintance. A very close one in fact; a few years later, they became husband and wife.
Their eldest daughter of four, Sharon Lim, officially joined the family business four years ago. She now oversees the company’s digital marketing and sales arm. It took two generations for Sundrop to get to where it is today. So it’s no surprise that the next generation has many expectations to meet.
A retort where the canned beverages are sterilised .
Family and colleagues attribute his work ethic and leadership for rescuing the business from the verge of closure. But what does Mr Lim attribute his success to?
"In our business, we couldn't see a way to turn the company around because there were just too many obstacles," Mr. Lim said. "We needed a new brand, had to do marketing, and the company was hemorrhaging money. Creditors were constantly visiting, asking, 'When are you going to close down? Tomorrow? The day after?' Even my parents told me to give up. The message I want to convey is that the most crucial factor in business success, or any success, is perseverance."
Mr Lim during our interview at his office.
As Malaysia continues to make its name in the global stage, local businesses like Sundrop are using their reach to promote Sarawak’s arts and culture through their products, starting with a Sarawak-inspired motif in its packaging.Given time, perseverance and a new generation brimming with ideas, Sarawak - where a drop of sun illuminates the hopes and aspirations of its people - will continue to create ripples that extend far beyond its shores.
Madam Toh, an English teacher at a local school, took over her brother's ailing business. This marked the beginning of the Sundrop story.
Watch the full story here: