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Macly group founder and managing director Herman Chang set his mind that he will venture in real estate business because of the returns, Once during Once he sleepover with his secondary classmate in Chinese High School, he observed that the father of his classmate was a property developer or construction contractor and really earning a huge amount, from there and then he decided to do same in the future.
Mr Chang gave a big impact over the course and subject to take in higher education. He enrolled in General Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Economics and Higher Mathematics with a grade of ‘A’ for all the said subjects at Hwa Chong Junior College.
Succeeding his national service, decided to enrol at National University of Singapore and earned the degree of Bachelor of Civil Engineering with honours (second upper class) during mid-’80s. For a couple of years, he was designated as a financial future investor in Singapore prior to his MBA at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Macly Property Portfolio
Within the span of three decades, there were at least 40 projects of Macly which rise in Singapore, the majority by its own and few were under the collaboration that yields to more than 1,700 units.
In Kuala Lumpur alone, Macly hit 48 per cent with collaborating business company that constructed Infinitum which comprises, 31 shop units, 723 SOHO or small office home office. Roxy-Pacific Holdings is the partner of Macly for this project. The project is expected to be completed next year, 2020.
Macly in Singapore has ongoing seven active projects, which means five by its own and two with joint ventures.
Some of the developments include 33 Residences, FiveNine at Telok Kurau, Seraya Residences near Haig Road, Noma at Geylang, Tedge, Loft 33 at Geylang, Cassia Edge etc.
Macly collaborated with Roxy Pacific and Lim Wen Heng’s construction group for the development of 87-units apartment, right in 27 Moulmein Rise.
The Iveria in Riviera Point area around Kim Yam Road of Robertson Quay site is anticipated for the 18 storey developments of 51 apartments in three-bedroom.
Aside from 33 Residences & FiveNine which are already sold, the remaining five developments are expected to be launched this year. Macly’s significant share to the seven projects yields 227 units with a GDV or Gross Development Value as high as S$364 million.
Macly’s share over Infinitum of KL hit nearly 362 units plus RM260 million or S$87 million GDV.
Histoy of Macly Group
It was in 1980s that the group hit the best start, harvesting modest revenues from different developments like the landed developments in Glasgow Road and Tembeling Road.
Way back 1990, the business group purchased one hotel along Lloyd Road but later it was rehabilitated after yielding huge revenues. The cashflow that the hotel enjoyed in the coming years assisted in protecting the hard blow from the liabilities that the group experienced over the two residential development when Asian Financial Crisis beat in 1997.
“I acquired two areas, in Toh Cresent and Hillview at the very expensive price last 1995 prior to the development peak the following year, 1996, and in 1997 need to dispose of the landed properties at a joint loss of S$3.5 million approximately. I reflected and questioned myself, “something is wrong perhaps.” I kept tracking the market and landed buying two areas while the market stayed too cogent. That’s the wrong moved I’ve taken. ”
“When people share something like;” If you won’t buy now, you will surely miss that boat,” often that is not the ripe time to acquire the plots. The input I learnt and implemented to the succeeding two cycles.”
“Even though I lose some, I could still sleep peacefully because it’s within my resources. I am confident I won’t go bankrupt evident in the hotels that I have which enjoys the lowest leverage, but still something is getting in which actually saved a day. Also, learnt from my military days, a must to have reserves always.”
Macly was never affected even with the collapsed of Lehman Brothers in 2008. “After done disposing projects somewhere in 2007, I stopped buying more lands because what was going on was too good to be true. It was after the Lehman’s collapsed that made things positive and hopeful that ignites Macly to buy properties again.
“So we embraced a better counter-cyclical type of mentality or outlook. When something appears too good, then think twice. Similarly, when businessmen are so loud telling you not yet the right time to buy, actually it might be the best time to purchase properties.”
Post-Lehman somewhere in 2012, Macly enjoyed a momentum of progress over Singapore’s real estate property market, this is also due to lenient immigration policy, explained Mr Chang.
“While feeling the saturation when it comes to Singapore’s growth economy amidst the strict policies in immigration plus the cooling measures new policy. Thus, it leads me to look outside chances. In fact, many Singapore developments groups actively crossed International lands looking for better real estate opportunities last 2013-2014.”
Macly Hotel Arm
In 2013, his eldest daughter Joan took charged and rehabilitated the hotel around Lloyd Road. The rehabilitation completed 2014 and garnered several awards and recognition.
Although having less experienced in the hotel business but being a degree holder in the field of finance and marketing, she’s been so hands-on in terms of marketing the huge 34-room Lloyd’s Inn Singapore side by side with the other’s hospitality properties of the group.
She managed both the marketing and branding of Macly’s real estate property developments.
The company started hotel overseas acquisition way back 2014. It collaborated with Marsar Group of Indonesia. This Marsar Group is managed by a couple. Cara Cara Inn, a world class hotel, hostels or hostetel for travellers with a huge budget, opened only a walking distance to Kuta Beach of Bali somewhere in 2017. Lloyd Inn Bali followed its opening late last months of 2018 along the Seminyak, close to Double Six Beach. The Cititel hotel nestled in Pekanbaru was also another property of the group. All grand three hotels anchor 101 rooms for each.
A condotel and a hotel was also owned in Yogyakarta. The goal of purchasing those is to demolish the physical structure and convert it into two towers- Llyods Inn and condotel.
“The famous Cititel hotel of Pekanbaru is just too beautiful to obliterate. There are more undeveloped areas and we’ll try to study with other sites following the development in Yogyakarta,” told Mr Chang.
The group newly bought an area having an outdated building near Blok M, a popular mall of South Jakarta. ” The group is considering the chance to convert this building into a brand new hotel for local investors or patrons,” Mr Chang added.
The Yogyakarta, Pekanbaru, plus South Jakarta developments are managed by the controversial 49:49:2 partnership of Marsar, Macly and one common friend. The two grand Bali Hotels are under the ownership of 75:25 of Macly with Marsar Group.
Llyod’s Inn KL, owned and operated by Macly and anticipated to be launched by end of 2019.
Mr Chang considers himself as being born “idealist.” Even in the midst of some issues such as the cooling new policy, he was still able to sleep soundly, “You should have a good sleep so, in the following day, you have that sound, fresh mind to solve any hustles.” He does not have plan to list Macly, as he prefer that balance life than to be answerable to shareholders every moment.
