Mission Impossible
The PEAK Singapore|February 2017

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 and Ceo of Futuristic Store Fixtures Tells Us How He Defied the Odds of a Rough Childhood to Turn Danger and Failure Into His Life’s Biggest Opportunities – Including Heading an Unstoppable Empire Serving Some of the World’s Retail Giants.

Adeline Loh
Mission Impossible

“I don’t tell this story to many people,” says David Low, as he rolls up his right sleeve to show us a scar running down his arm. The year then was 1978: Aged 16, Low’s childhood had been “nothing but work”, slogging long hours to support his family, and working odd jobs for his father who ran a carpentry business on Duxton Hill. On that fateful day, he was asked to transport a large piece of glass to a factory. “The professional way to carry a piece of glass is with a suction cap. Those years, we didn’t have any,” he recalls.

As Low was lifting the bottom edge of the glass piece, his co-worker, who was handling the top edge, hit the side of the truck. The piece slid and sliced Low’s arm. He ended up with 42 stitches and the arm in a cast for six months. The accident shook the youth to the core and made him question his future. He recounts: “I thought, ‘I am a one-armed man. What can I do with one hand?’”

In retrospect, the accident gave Low guts. “Because I survived and was given this second chance at life, I would be blessed and I had nothing to fear,” says the 55-year-old CEO of Futuristic Store Fixtures.

Recently awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 – Supply Manufacturing Chain, Low has had an unlikely and colourful resume lined with dangerous jobs: from descending four storeys deep and braving suffocating environments to clean an off-shore ship ( just to make $40 a day), to balancing on planks several storeys high as part of an electrical team. Through it all, he never forgot his accident. “I was determined to do something extraordinary.”

This story is from the February 2017 edition of The PEAK Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the February 2017 edition of The PEAK Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE PEAK SINGAPOREView All
Shaping Healthy Confectioneries Through Science-Backed Innovation
The PEAK Singapore

Shaping Healthy Confectioneries Through Science-Backed Innovation

At a time when health-conscious consumers are questioning the norms of processed foods, Glico tells us why it stands firm in its confidence.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
The Home Advantage
The PEAK Singapore

The Home Advantage

This AI-dependent reno-tech platform is cutting out the middleman for interior designing and, recently, its financing.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
Financing Art
The PEAK Singapore

Financing Art

UOB, UBS, OCBC, and Bank of America are some financial institutions involved heavily in today's art world. Why is this the case?

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
Airing New Possibilities
The PEAK Singapore

Airing New Possibilities

Acclaimed chefs Matthew Orlando and Will Goldfarb hope to inspire and spark deeper conversations and action around food and circular cooking at their idyllic concept Air in lush Dempsey Hill.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
Taking Initiative
The PEAK Singapore

Taking Initiative

Nicole Robinson, andbeyond's chief marketing officer, shares how the luxury safari operator is accelerating its ground partnerships in a race against time to save the planet's remaining wilderness.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
Tropical Modernism
The PEAK Singapore

Tropical Modernism

In this three-storey inter-terrace belonging to a family of four, designer Ethan Lin of TE-EL sought to create a cosy nest that marries the disparate tastes of its owners.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
A Symphony of Vintage
The PEAK Singapore

A Symphony of Vintage

Antoine Bakhache, founder of Bakhache Jewellery, shares the story behind the brand's inception, its curated vintage collections, and the journey ahead.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
Time is of the Ressence
The PEAK Singapore

Time is of the Ressence

Time is of the Ressence Independent watch brand founder Benoit Mintiens on creating unique timepieces by focusing on the user experience.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
A Timeless Impact
The PEAK Singapore

A Timeless Impact

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise celebrate innovators like Denica Riadini-Flesch, whose work at SukkhaCitta focuses on ethical craftsmanship.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
In the Right Gear
The PEAK Singapore

In the Right Gear

The Richard Mille RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal lets users adapt the watch’s self-winding mechanism for their activities.

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024