History

The Group has played a pivotal role in Singapore’s nation-building and subsequent urban and economic development. Over the past century, the Group’s legacy is etched into numerous local landmarks, such as the former Supreme Court, Cavenagh Bridge, OCBC Building, and the British Embassy. Over the years, the Group has also received numerous accolades: recognized as the eleventh oldest company in Singapore by the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce; awarded the Singapore Jubilee Business Award by the Singapore Business Federation, the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore, and DP Information Group; and UE BizHub CITY being designated a historic and cultural site by the National Heritage Board.

The group’s history dates back to the 19th century, when it was formed by the merger of Riley Harcliffs & Co. (founded in 1865) and Howarth Erskin & Co. (founded in 1875) to become “United Engineering.” Initially, the group’s main business was importing, supplying, and manufacturing heavy machinery needed by industry at the time. During World War II, many of the group’s businesses were destroyed, but after the war, the group quickly rebuilt its operations and became a major player in the booming shipbuilding and ship repair industry.

Following independence, Singapore entered a phase of large-scale redevelopment, actively developing various public facilities. The Group was a contractor for several of these major redevelopment projects. At that time, the Group achieved numerous breakthroughs in engineering technology, solidifying its leading position in the engineering field: for example, being the first contractor to launch a light steel keel roof structure and space deck structure system; the only foundry to meet Lloyd’s Register’s stringent quality requirements; and the first local private company to implement computerized operations. Simultaneously, the Group actively expanded into other new businesses, such as construction and real estate, trade, property management, and environmental engineering.

Entering the new millennium, the Group’s real estate business expanded significantly, developing multiple residential, commercial, and industrial projects, including Eight Riversuites, orchardgateway, UE BizHub EAST (Changi Business Center), and a large integrated project located at one-north. In addition to real estate development, the Group also owns several high-quality office buildings and industrial properties, such as UE BizHub CITY, UE BizHub TOWER (Anson Office Building), and UE BizHub WEST (Alexandra Industrial and Office Building). Furthermore, the Group manages several shopping centers, such as Rochester Mall and UE Square Shopping Mall; and operates the Park Avenue chain of hotels in Singapore, as well as its serviced apartments and serviced offices.

In 2013, the group made a historic acquisition and merger, incorporating another century-old company, Vision Group (“Vision”), into its portfolio. Founded in 1906, Vision was a pioneer in many industries in Singapore, creating numerous household-name consumer brands. After World War I, Vision launched Singapore’s first yellow-top taxi service, double-decker bus service, and commercial air service between Singapore and Malaysia. Vision also achieved great success in various sectors including car dealerships, heavy industry, technology, manufacturing, financial services, and real estate, and in 1989, it was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 66 companies with the most potential for future growth in the world.

Following the acquisition of V-Sign Group in 2013, the Group has continuously pursued business integration and divestment of non-core operations, with its current portfolio spanning real estate, distribution, engineering and agri-tech, as well as manufacturing. Rensheng and Pinnacle became the Group’s major shareholders in 2017. In 2020, Renhe Land Group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Renhe Investment (Singapore) Pte Ltd (formerly Renhe-Pengrui Investment (Singapore) Pte Ltd), successfully completed a mandatory general offer for United Engineering. United Engineering was delisted from the Singapore Exchange in February 2020. Leveraging Renhe Land Group’s extensive experience in real estate development and corporate operations, the Group is poised to enter a new phase of growth.