Our History
Singaporean Roots
1928 – The Tans decided to rear some pigs to improve the livelihood, beginning with a pair of piglets.
1937 – The Tans move from Geylang to Changi.
1939 – The pig farm formally named Tan Chye Huat Farm.
1962 – Extensive flooding in Changi forces the Tans to move back to Geylang Pig population at the farm grows beyond 1,000.
1966 – The Tans move to Ang Sar Lee due to government plans to redevelop Geylang.
1967 – Operations at the pig farm continue to expand, the headcount surpassing 6,000.
1977 – The government reclaims Ang Sar Lee. The Tans move to Punggol and continue to expand their farming business.
1984 – The pig population climbs to 50,000, making Tan Chye Huat Farm the largest pig farm in Singapore.
1984 – The government announces the complete phase-out of pig farming in Singapore. The Tans cross over into the grocery business and open their first small-scale supermarket known as Prime Supermarket. The first Prime Supermarket was set up at Blk 803, King George Road.
Overseas Development
1993 – With plans to explore new markets, Hong Khoon, the youngest of the thirteen children in the second generation, traveled to Shanghai.
1996 – Shanghai Sun Island Golf Club holds its official opening. Shanghai-Singapore International School (SSIS) was founded to provide quality education for his two daughters and other Singaporean expatriates. Mahota Farm stared on a 50 hectares site in the Northeast of Shanghai, on Chongming Island.
2007 – Recovering from a heart attack, Hong Khoon developed a new found understanding of health, realising that it has to be holistic and sustainable, involving not just the individual, but also the community and society.
2010 – Prime Group International launches the study of Taisheng, putting it into practice at Mahota Farm, implementing sustainable farming. Prime Group International purchases a 167 hectares piece of land in Penglai, Shandong China to build Mahota Town Penglai.The annual Mahota Symposium is launched.
2012 – The Mahota flagship store opens in Shanghai. The Taisheng philosophy is applied to agriculture, wellness, F&B concept, education, cultural research and design.
Coming Full Circle
2013 – Mahota Vineyard Penglai enjoys its first grapes harvest and Mahota Winery makes its foray into organic winemaking with the Estate’s First Pick.
2014 – Mahota Farm Shanghai obtains organic certification from Organic Food Development and Certification Centre of China (OFDC), a member of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM).Mahota Health Management Centre is set up on Shanghai Sun Island, signifying the completion of the first prototype of an integrated township model – Mahota Town.
2015 – In a bid to widen its sourcing markets, Prime Group International expands into Japan and Australia, extending its network of global sourcing and trading offices.
2016 – Mahota Commune at 809, French Road Singapore, a few blocks away from 803 King George Road Prime Supermarket. PGI is proud to begin a new chapter at the same location where it launched its retail business over 30 years ago.