Growing through trust and tenacity

WHEN Flora Lee started Millennium 3 Building Products (M3) in 2000, it was with no illusions about how hard the road ahead would be. Fresh out of a senior management role at an American MNC, she left behind corporate stability to strike out on her own with two young children in tow, and limited capital. Despite the challenges, she leveraged her knowledge and skill sets to establish M3 to focus on the supply and installation of raised access flooring systems.

Raised access flooring creates a secondary floor just above the main one, leaving space underneath to run cables, wiring and other infrastructure. This is ideal for spaces like offices and data centres that need to adapt quickly. M3 quickly made its name by supplying and installing these high-quality systems for commercial offices, data centres and cleanrooms, as it worked closely with architects, consultants and developers to get every specification right.

Her first contract, worth just S$6,800, was for a small server room installation at East Asia Bank. “We will always be grateful for our very first client who helped open the door to all the projects that followed,” she says. Today, M3’s footprint spans Singapore’s most iconic Grade A office buildings and cutting-edge data centres, with its latest expansion into Malaysia marking the start of its regional ambitions.

What sets M3 apart isn’t just the products, but also how the company approaches relationships. “In the business of building long-term relationships, our company upholds strong principles such as transparency and accountability to all internal and external stakeholders,” Lee says.

Nowhere was that more evident than during a cleanroom project in Batam in 2002, when M3 was asked to replace an entire batch of flooring due to uneven vinyl tones, after installation was complete. Faced with a serious dispute on foreign soil and few legal options, Lee called on her Korean suppliers for support. They flew to Batam to assess the situation.

“When my customer said, ‘It is you who I am dealing with, not your supplier,’ I knew I had to make it right,” Lee recalls. Her supplier responded by agreeing to replace all the floor panels. The issue was resolved, the relationship salvaged, and the trust gained eventually led to work on subsequent phases of the project.

Says Lee: “It was a tedious exercise and I had my then supplier to thank.”

Breaking ground in Marina Bay

If there was one project that changed the game for M3, it was the Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC). Winning the raised floor subcontract was a major milestone, not just because of the prestige, but because of the financial leap of faith it required.

“It was a win that evolved organically because I was not prepared to take on the job due to financial constraints then. Thankfully, we had our bankers, suppliers and sub-contractor who supported us through the job,” says Lee.

“MBFC was our testament towards a prestigious contract and we have no fear thereafter in taking on projects of any other size. It was a key breakthrough project that gave us credibility in the market.”

Indeed, that project opened the door to Asia Square Towers, Marina One, OUE Bayfront and more. The breakthrough proved that M3 could compete at the highest level, and handle the pressures that come with landmark projects.

Women at work

M3’s all-women sales team is a rarity in a male-dominated construction sector, but Lee doesn’t see gender as the focus. “At M3, it’s all about teamwork and trust. Our team members are carefully selected, trained and upskilled to excel in their own field of work,” she says.

“By connecting all the links, we are able to churn out the best in sales performance and project management to deliver every project to the full satisfaction of our clients.”

This approach extends across the organisation, from technical staff to project managers and drafters, who undergo continual training in areas like Building Information Modelling (BIM), safety, and data centre design. Leadership development and open communication are also key pillars. Regular team discussions, mentorship programmes and even casual social gatherings help maintain morale and cohesion.

Meanwhile, running a business while raising children is no small feat. Lee’s daughter was eight and her son six when she started M3. “I had a full-time helper, and I was personally coaching them in their Chinese language and Maths till their PSLE. I used to do ironing and coach spelling at the same time!” she recalls.

Eventually, she chose to stop hiring domestic help, wanting her children to grow up independent. “It wasn’t easy, but they’ve grown and today, they run an F&B business they built from scratch.”

That personal resilience filters into how she leads her company. “I want to inspire other women to step forward and defy the norm. Women can be just as impactful and successful in business,” she says.

Investing in people and planet

M3’s future-readiness strategy centres on upskilling and sustainability. The company runs a comprehensive internal training programme that covers everything from sales negotiation and workplace safety to leadership development and administrative skills.

For instance, the company’s project management team has been enrolled in courses on the Security of Payment Act to better manage documentation and minimise risk. Meanwhile, installation crews receive rigorous safety and operations training. The company is also actively upgrading its internal systems, including a shift to a cloud-based ERP platform.

On the sustainability front, M3 is in the final stages of appointing a vendor for solar panel installation for the rooftop of the company’s premises. Once completed this year, the panels are expected to generate 191 kilowatt-peak of solar energy across its rooftops, enough to meet its own electricity needs while exporting the surplus to the national grid.

“We always believe in walking the talk. If we want to support sustainable construction, we need to lead by example in how we operate too,” says Lee.

Expanding horizons

What began as a raised flooring specialist has evolved into a far more diverse business. M3 now installs designer carpets for commercial interiors and structural ceilings and containment systems for data centres, solutions that cater to fast-changing infrastructure needs in a digital economy

In 2020, despite limited references, M3 won the contract for the structural ceiling & containment system at Singapore’s largest data centre. “We were up against major overseas players. Winning that bid showed how far our brand and project management capabilities had come,” says Lee.

By 2024, M3’s industry standing was further affirmed when it placed 18th in the Enterprise 50 Awards. It also received the RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Bronze Award for health and safety and SCAL’s (Singapore Contractors Association Ltd) Bronze Award under the Workplace Safety and Health Awards for SLOTS (SCAL Safe and Lean Organisation of Trade Subcontractors) registered contractors.

“Despite 25 years of intensive site work, we’ve never deviated from putting safety first. These awards are a testimony of our commitment,” she adds.

Having established itself firmly in Singapore over the past 25 years, M3 is also now planting its first flag overseas. A new entity is being set up in Malaysia, with more countries on the radar in the coming decade.

“Our clients are expanding overseas, and we want to grow with them. I hope to bring M3 beyond Singapore. But of course, this is to be done with caution and careful planning,” says Lee.

“After all, our foundation back home is built from project to project, through trust and perseverance and that shall be our guiding principle when we expand abroad.”

Millennium 3’s milestones

2000: First contract for a server room at East Asia Bank worth S$6,800

2002: Cleanroom project in Batam opens doors to more opportunities

2007: First major cleanroom project – Siltronic Samsung Wafer Fab

2008: Wins MBFC Tower 1 & 2 raised floor subcontract, marking its entry into the major commercial office space

2010: Secures first carpet contract at United World College, entering interiors market

2019: Awarded bizSAFE Partner status for promoting workplace safety

2020: Secures first major structural ceiling and containment system contract for a data centre

2023: Receives RoSPA Bronze Award for Health & Safety Performance

2024: Places 18th in the Enterprise 50 Awards; wins SCAL Workplace Safety & Health Bronze Award

2025: Prepares to launch solar energy initiative and set up first overseas office in Malaysia