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Stewarding a cleaner, greener environment

As crowds begin to return to hotels, hawker centres and other public-facing businesses, Primech A&P is using technology to ensure safe, hygienic environments.

Stewarding a cleaner, greener environment

Primech A&P aims to deliver a high standard of cleaning for hotel kitchens. Photos: Primech A&P

According to Mr Vernon Kwek, co-founder of facility services firm Primech A&P, cleanliness is a key concern for many diners, whether they are at restaurants or at hawker centres. 

At the hawker centres that use Primech A&P’s services, tables are cleaned frequently using cloths that are also cleaned regularly. Said Mr Kwek: “Our cleaners use degreasers and we don’t use contaminated cloths. Even at hawker centres with heavy traffic, we try our best to clean whenever someone leaves the table before the next person comes.”

To further establish a safe and hygienic environment, Primech A&P plans to deploy a non-toxic coating called the Advanced Antimicrobial Nanoshield that works continuously to reduce the spread of common viruses or bacteria on surfaces it’s been applied to. Exposure to light – including natural daylight – triggers its disinfecting ability.

Primech A&P also uses productivity cleaning management systems and interactive feedback panels to ensure that support staff and customers’ feedback in spaces like high-traffic toilets receives a timely and appropriate response.

Along with robotic cleaning machines, i-mops and ambitious collaborations with tech partners, it’s clear that the hawker cleaning services of yesteryear have evolved.

A TECH-DRIVEN, PEOPLE-ORIENTED TRANSFORMATION

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The i-mop combines vacuuming and scrubbing for greater efficiency.


The COVID-19 pandemic saw many of Primech A&P’s public-facing clients – like hotels, restaurants and hawker centres – closed or diminished in operations. But now that most social distancing restrictions have ended, these businesses are back – and they require cleaning and stewarding services for the post-pandemic era.

“It’s a very different landscape from two years ago,” noted Mr Kwek. “Labour costs have increased; even material costs have increased.”

Primech A&P’s forward-thinking focus on developing its own tech-driven solutions has allowed it to meet these challenges confidently, while raising the bar for the facility services industry as a whole.

Mr Charles Ng, Primech A&P’s vice president of innovation and technology, said that the company’s investment in research and development of these smart solutions is driven by an understanding that hotel guests and customers now have higher expectations of cleanliness: “As businesses like hotels re-open, we need to give confidence to their guests that they are in a safe environment, which is why tech solutions are an integral part of our service delivery.”

The company’s manpower strength and tech-enabled resources are especially useful in the field of stewarding, which requires larger teams for the cleaning of commercial kitchens in facilities such as hotels and hospitals. “Stewarding teams consist of 10 to 30 people, depending on the size of the kitchen,” explained Mr Kwek. 

For major events, such as on auspicious dates that often see multiple weddings taking place back-to-back at hotels and clubs stewarded by Primech A&P, the company is also able to tap on its pool of trusted part-timers, who are experienced in handling demanding, large-scale operations.

WHEN CLEANING GOES GREEN

Tables at hawker centres are steam-cleaned for enhanced cleanliness and thorough elimination of germs and bacteria.

Inspired by the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Primech A&P has embarked on its own sustainability initiatives. For example, its cleaning products and consumables are from sustainable sources. It also produces its own green hypochlorous acid, which is a food-and contact-safe disinfection chemical.

Even its distributed product range has been curated with an eye on the environment. Its stabilised aqueous ozone generators dispense an effective cleaning solution made from cold tap water, which is both non-toxic – benefiting visitors with sensitive skin or allergies – and environmentally friendly, as it does not need to be rinsed off with water and eliminates the use of harsh, polluting cleaning chemicals.

Besides developing its own products, Primech A&P is working with tech companies to offer more eco-friendly solutions to facility owners, including energy efficiency monitoring and optimising tools powered by the Internet of Things. In addition, it has signed a lease with EVCo, SMRT’s venture into the electric vehicle market, with the objective of converting its vehicles to electric vans.

Said Mr Ng: “As a company, we have to take social responsibility in terms of the environment and protect mother earth by doing what we can, like generating energy from solar panels and using green chemicals. It’s also for future generations – we want to keep Singapore a liveable city.”

Added Mr Kwek: “Sustainability is a real challenge that we face in our industry. It’s important for the future of the industry and of the world. We believe that innovation and technology can help us to improve our performance in this area.” 

Learn more about Primech A&P’s facility services and collaborations.

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