GREENER PASTURES

Newman magazine, GREENER PASTURES, Manifesto, September 2014 issue

GREENER PASTURES

Trained as a surgeon. Discovered a knack for the property game. Also assist expatriates in obtaining legal residency in Malaysia. Welcome to the world of Dr Lee Ville…

Dr Lee Ville is a man who marches to the beat of his own drum, forgoing his career as a medical practitioner and decided to reinvigorate his family business in Penang.

So for someone who can easily be labelled as non-conformist, it’s amazing how successful the director of New Bob Group has been in expanding the group’s areas of expertise to include property development, a car rental service and a licensed company that assists expatriates in obtaining legal residency in the country.

He is a great believer in being hands-on and oversees each project from its inception. “It’s in my nature to make sure that everything goes according to plan,” he says. “I like to believe that my previous life as a surgeon prepared me for this.” And now, even with over 200 staff and property agents under his supervision, it’s not surprising to see him pacing the floor once in a while, just to ensure that the operations side of the business is in running order.

The company began as his uncle Bob’s fairly  small family real estate agency. And when he passed away, his aunt took over  but was declined to continue the business. And thus, his father took up the helm to keep the business in the family in 1975, “Back in the days, when someone takes over the company, they just add the word “new” to the front of the name. Hence the name “New Bob Group”.

His father was often busy with work and he realised that the same route wasn’t for him. After much deliberation, he gave up his career in medicine and decided to spend time with his family and his family’s business.

Fortunately, he learned much from his father which certainly  helped him grow the business to what it is today. With three other companies under the group – NB Tropics, New Bob Rent-A-Car, and Expatriates Homes – its not hard to see why he is one of Penang’s most recognisable names in the industry.

“The new companies came about as an extension to the realty services we already have,” he explains. It seems that while many were looking for the right place to call home, he realised that a significant portion of his clientele were composed of foreigners. With that, a car rental service became a necessity in providing transportation to them. Slowly, it expanded to a full fledge car rental business that caters to travellers on the island. It also includes interesting tour packages for those looking to explore Penang on a more personal level.

Apart from expanding the car rental business, Dr. Ville obtained the coveted Malaysian government license to assist expatriates in obtaining legal residency in Malaysia, allowing them to transition into Malaysia as their second home. His property development arm, NB Tropics, now focuses in building high-end and eco-friendly green homes in Penang, balancing on a tightrope between commercial viability and environmental awareness.

“To further expand our business, you will soon be seeing a “flashpacker” outfit that caters to those who seek temporary home in Penang at a low budget with clean facilities,” he adds. The New Bob  Group is also currently looking into building Penang’s medical tourism industry with service suites to go along with medical treatments in selected hospitals.

“The medical tourism industry in Penang is a million dollar industry and it increases 10% each year,” he explains. Suitably, he’s still an active medical advisor for D’Home – a non-government organization that primarily seeks to create greater awareness on mental health and family support in Penang, “At the end of the day, having life with my wife and children is what makes everything worthwhile.”

 

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