2nd March 2017
Big plans for Australia’s newest online furniture and homewares Start-up Zillo & Co Pty Ltd is a new joint venture between Australian company, The MM Lab Pty Ltd and Furniture maker SHH Resources Holdings Bhd, Malaysia. It will commence online trade to the Australian market in mid 2017 and be known as Zillo and Hutch. It is the intention of the joint-venture parties that SHHFI will be the manufacturer and export the furniture from Malaysia to Australia and The MM Lab shall develop, launch, market and maintain the online portal, and thereafter manage the import, warehousing, distribution and after sales services for customers of Zillo and Hutch. In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, SHH said its wholly-owned subsidiary SHH Furniture Industries Sdn Bhd (SHHFI) had completed a subscription of 70,000 shares or a 70% stake in Zillo & Co Pty Ltd for a total cash consideration of AU$70,000 (RM238,403). The remaining 30% stake, according to SHH’s disclosure, is owned by The MM Lab Pty Ltd (29.99%) and Teo Bok Yu (0.01%). Teo is the son of SHH’s managing director Datuk Teo Wee Cheng and Deputy managing director Datin Teo Chan Huat. The SHH Group is principally involved in the manufacturing and sale of home furniture, principally for the North American market. “The demographics and traditions of the Australians are similar to the Western counterparts in North America where the Group's products are well accepted.” “ While the population of Australia is relatively smaller compared to the Group’s traditional markets, the affluence of the residents of major cities in Australia provide good opportunities for the Group to expand its presence in this market.” SHHFI announced yesterday via Bursa Malaysia. The Directors of Zillo and Hutch are Melbourne based representative of the The MM Lab, Melissa Tantuccio and Teo Bok Yu, representative of SHHFI. The MM Lab was founded by Melissa Tantuccio and Mark Brown, with the mission statement “Bring It To Life”. It is the parent company to tb style lab and tb tech lab. tb style lab is an interior design and home styling firm, working with clients on both residential and commercial projects, interior design, furniture sourcing and styling. tb tech lab is a digital agency, specialising in web design and development and brand activation. With combined years of solid experience across the retail furniture industry, sales, marketing, design, software development, and technology consulting, The MM Lab is the ideal partner for the new Joint Venture with SHH Holdings, to develop and grow a strong Australian presence, building an iconic brand and ecommerce platform. Melissa, now Managing Director of Zillo and Hutch, has had over 16 years in sales and marketing experience, working with clients across many industries, from retail and hospitality to design and media. She has owned and operated multiple successful start up businesses within Australia including ecommerce, furniture and homewares retail stores and currently a thriving interior design and home styling firm. Melissa has built various brands, with a focus on implementing marketing strategies to grow and define each one. She possesses a wealth of industry knowledge in both furniture and ecommerce, demonstrating strong business acumen. Mark Brown, joint representative of The MM Lab, will head up technologies, supply chain and logistics for the start-up, Zillo and Hutch. With a background in engineering, Mark has been heavily involved in software design and development with the added experience in tech project management. Combining this with seven years of experience in business, he is highly skilled in brand building and business model generation. As an engineer, he thinks analytically and solves technical problems, while understanding the importance of design and usability in tech projects. As a business professional, Mark is driven to create a recognisable brand, providing a desirable product while delivering strong profits. The young and passion filled Entrepreneurs, Mark & Melissa have big plans for Zillo and Hutch. “We want to create a brand that Australia can connect with, allowing people to experience and purchase quality pieces for their space at an accessible price point. We want to keep it real, and reflect the way we actually live in and use our spaces and not feel like we need to take out a second mortgage to have nice things.” Zillo and Hutch is set to launch with a Melbourne based showroom and online in mid 2017. Their social network has kicked off across Facebook and Instagram so people can be a part of the journey and birth of the new Australia brand.