“More than ever before, especially during challenging times, we count ourselves privileged to be able to contribute towards the greater good of our society here and beyond,” 

-- Mr Leow Ching Chuan, Executive Chairman of the Seacare Co-operative. 

If there’s a co-operative with a unique history and heartfelt story to tell, it’s Seacare Co-operative (Seacare).

Established in 1994 by the union, Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS), Seacare started as an answer to alleviate the plight of displaced seafarers. It took on the role of creating the jobs by investing in businesses which would welcome seafarers to start afresh.

What started out as a response to an employment situation morphed into a catalyst for enterprise development. 27 years on, Seacare has become a corporation with an annual turnover of more than S$60 million. Today, it has 40 subsidiary and associate companies with more than 800 employees and has its footprint in Singapore, Malaysia, China and the United Kingdom.

Blazing the trail by being the first co-operative in Singapore to own a hotel, Seacare reached a momentous milestone when the Co-operative’s flagship 16-storey The Seacare Hotel on Chin Swee Road was officially launched in 2013. Today, Seacare has amassed 13 diverse fully or co-owned hotel properties, with a combined portfolio of more than 1,000 rooms in Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

The year 2020 saw the outbreak of COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the global economy. Amid economic uncertainties, Seacare displayed its agility and adaptability to navigate through challenging times.

Seacare made a bold strategic decision to convert its hotel into a designated holding facility for seafarers who are signing on and off. More than a roof over their heads, The Seacare Hotel offered safety and comfort to refresh the seafarers right in the midst of the pandemic. To defray the crew’s stay and meals at The Seacare Hotel, SOS pledged S$1.5million sponsorship, a move that heartened the international maritime community. In March this year, SOS pledged another S$1.1milion to defray crew’s meals. 

Seacare Maritime Medical Centre Pte Ltd (SMMC) also stepped up its medical services to the maritime industry by providing ship call services to crew who could not disembark due to border control restrictions.

The good work echoed across the region where the Seacare flag was planted. In March 2021, the Citin Seacare Hotel in Kuala Lumpur rolled out its first self-quarantine lodging package for essential workers from the construction sector. 

Over in the United Kingdom, Seacare-owned Ivy Bush Royal Hotel provided safe and secure accommodation to frontline medical workers of the National Health Service (NHS). The hospitality team did such a good job in taking care of the health care professionals that their effort was lauded by Carmarthenshire Council. Other acquisitions of Seacare, Crown Spa Hotel, The Suites Hotel and Best Western Plus Milford Hotel, also opened its doors to key essential workers during the lockdown.

“More than ever before, especially during challenging times, we count ourselves privileged to be able to contribute towards the greater good of our society here and beyond,” said Mr Leow Ching Chuan, Executive Chairman of the Seacare Co-operative. 

The Co-operative was determined to be part of the solution for the communities it serves. In times of crisis, Seacare has revealed its true mettle.