Worth Its Salt

Speaking to King Quah of Saltycustoms reveals his aspirations, inspirations and what he hopes to accomplish, writes Tien Chew

Enigmatic at first yet fun to speak with as time goes on, King Quah is the group managing director of Saltycustoms, a company that creates custom quality t-shirts for businesses, brands, events, you name it. Sitting down for a chat, his office resembles the likes of a creative startup, thanks to numerous Saltycustoms designs adorning the walls of the space, allowing me to better understand the environment the man I was speaking to had created. Minutes into the conversation, it was clear that I was conversing with someone who loved what he is doing in life. His passion was clear and his tone was an indication of his sincerity. “I want to build an impactful business and create value for at least the people around me first, and then hopefully for society,” says Quah. “When we started the business I knew from the get-go that it had to be something that would help me accomplish my personal dreams and vision,” he adds. Yet, at the heart of it all, Quah tells me that his company is a people company in the apparel industry and not the other way around. Although initially confused when I heard this, I began to understand the logic behind his viewpoint when I spoke to the colourful employees that peppered Saltycustoms’ office. When I approached the men and women of Saltycustoms, they were dressed comfortably in their expressive attire—an indication of the creative environment Quah and his cofounder Shannon Toh had undeniably fostered in their work space. As I met them one by one, they greeted me in their own friendly manner and gave off a welcoming vibe, despite me being the outsider in the room. Quah’s message about Saltycustoms being a people company became even more evident when I overheard one of the newcomers (my assumption) speaking to her neighbour. Saying something along the lines of, “I am learning more with my time here than I have at university.” Hearing such a sentiment meant that she could only be satisfied with her own personal growth at the company. Seven years into Saltycustoms life and Quah still feels that working in the company is like a breath of fresh air. He and his motley crew in the company have already been featured in the media on several occasions and the man himself is known as a disciplined individual with a natural appreciation towards the aesthetically beautiful. Because of this, he holds high standards when it comes to the apparel his company manufactures and creates for their clients. “If it’s not good enough for me, it’s not good enough for anyone and that’s why I’m so meticulous,” states Quah. It’s the same quality that echoes in many successful and iconic leaders of our time, such as the late Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, Barack Obama, Jack Welch and Elon Musk to name a few. These are the inspirational fellows that Quah labels the ‘usual’ suspects, yet it is seemingly the ‘unusual’ suspects that seem to

“If it’s not good enough for me, it’s not good enough for anyone”

have made a huge impact on him. “They are the people behind the curtains—my mentors. They dedicate their lives to understanding more about themselves and are willing to teach and tell me that at the end of it all it is empathy that is the greatest form of knowledge and not intellect,” he says. Innovation is something that Quah keeps telling me is also the ethos of the folks at Saltycustoms. In fact, they are set to bring a new brand to the fore, called Readyswaggo which focuses on helping people make merchandise without any up-front cost or logistical nightmares—keeping in line with their core belief.