The company is also in talks to create its own sustainable adhesive, sourced from shellfish. 'We’re going to try to densify and stabilise the wood, get it a lot more usable,' Morgan shared. Roger&Sons was recently awarded funding from the Good Design Research initiative by the DesignSingapore Council, which will be used to conduct further research into local wood. This is where the company’s work in research and development comes in. Our idea is to really think how we can use the entire tree, not only for wood material, but as adhesive and finishes as well,” Lincoln elaborated. “We try to turn offcuts into other products. For us, we wanted to see whether we could do small objects, like capsule holders and bookmarks.” “But most of the time, people just cut the trees into slabs, put legs on and create a tabletop. “We’re not the only ones who work with local wood,” Morgan clarified. When the project was first launched, the team worked with Mandai Park Development to create outdoor furniture such as benches, tables and bike racks from rain trees that were felled to make space for the new bird park.

This desire to reduce wastage led to the birth of The Local Tree Project – an initiative that salvages abandoned local trees, such as angsana, khaya and suar (rain trees), which have been felled for urban redevelopment, and turns them into durable objects and furniture. At one of the sawmills that we go to quite often, there’s about four to five football fields filled with trees, stacked on top of each other,” Ryan added. “To put things into perspective, there are three to four sawmills in Singapore. These trees sit in sawmills for “five to ten years”, waiting to be turned into mulch or pallet wood. But as a firm, we can do what we can based on the resources that we have.”Īccording to Morgan, Singapore cuts “unofficially about 100 trees a day” for urban redevelopment purposes. “As individuals, we can’t do much to help with this problem. “Going into a sawmill and actually seeing with our own eyes how much waste there is in Singapore really changed our perception of how we should move forward,” Lincoln reflected. The idea of zero-waste may have only recently become a buzzword, but it’s something the brothers have been working towards throughout the years. Sustainability, the brothers shared, has long been a passion of theirs. READ> From handbags to furniture: Singapore's best-kept secret shopping haunts In a bid to modernise the carpentry trade, the company is now focusing on three new aspects – research and development, education, and at the heart of it all, sustainability.

With several years of experience now on their backs, the brothers are looking at expanding the business beyond carpentry work. “Now we want to be known as…” Morgan continued, as Lincoln chipped in, “People who actually know their stuff.” People didn’t really understand what we were trying to do,” Morgan confessed.

The support that we got was partly a sympathy vote. “When we first started out, we were known as the three brothers who took over the family business because their father had passed away. It’s been a six-year journey, and the brothers have since embarked on the next phase of the business. The firm also furnished the interiors of businesses such as Atlas Bar, Employees Only, PS Cafe at One Fullerton, Kevin Seah Bespoke, The General Co and William Grant & Sons. Roger&Sons’s extensive portfolio includes objects and furniture for brands like The Balvenie and Ethan K, and companies such as Mandai Park Development. Today, 32-year-old Morgan handles business development and sales, 29-year-old Lincoln handles product development and marketing, while 25-year-old Ryan handles production and day-to-day operations of the company. The firm’s new name – Roger&Sons – is a tribute to their father, Roger. Since assuming the mantle of the business, the trio rebranded the company, moving away from making mass-market system office furniture, to creating custom, bespoke fine furniture. But we didn’t expect to take over at such a young age,” eldest brother Morgan admitted. “Although each of us had our own interests and ambitions, we always knew that we would be part of the business, in whatever capacity. Not only did they have to grapple with this loss, the trio found themselves having to take over the carpentry business – then called JR&P Industries – that he had left behind.Īt the time, both Morgan and Lincoln were still in their 20s, while youngest brother Ryan was only 19.

Six years ago, the Yeo brothers – Morgan, Lincoln and Ryan – lost their father to cancer. The origin story of carpentry firm Roger&Sons is one based on legacy and the love of family.

Rogers and son forest products