 The current headquarters of MacAlister & Company | |
| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Trading post Distribution center |
| Founded | 1857 in colonial Singapore |
| Headquarters | 12 Ang Mo Kio Street 64, Singapore 569088 |
| Owner | United Engineers Limited |
MacAlister & Company is a Singaporean trading house and industrial distributor. it was founded in 1857 by Alexander McAlister and James Parker Niven. It is currently a property of United Engineers Limited.
Etymology
The name of the company is derived from Alexander McAlister, one of the two founders of MacAlister & Company.
History
Two immigrants from Scotland, Alexander McAlister and James Parker Niven, founded MacAlister & Company in 1857, specializing in general trade and Australian pearl trade.[1][2] Their main office was situated in the Gresham House at Battery Road.[3] Upon its establishment, MacAlister & Company held regular auctions of pearls and pearl shells when Australian ships arrived to port.[2] Ebenezer MacAlister later took over ownership of the firm, with two other businessmen, C.N. Glasser and J.S. Neave, joining the firm as partners in the 1880s.[1][2]
MacAlister & Company was later incorporated as a limited liability company in 1903, with the larger Mcllwraith, McEacharn & Company Limited becoming a major shareholder.[1][2][4] This new development resulted in the improvisation and expansion of the company's shipping, engineering and export facilities. MacAlister & Company also took part in the rubber trade, becoming a producer of tools for the cultivation and planting of rubber trees, while also acting as an agent for shipping, mining, farming and oil companies.[4] By 1906, the company had established branches in Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Tongka and Penang, with agents in Australia and England.[2]
After the independence of Singapore, MacAlister & Company specialized in engineering products which included ironworks, boilers, as well as fire extinguishers, while resuming its role as an agent for shipping companies.[5] In 1971, it was acquired by United Engineers Limited.[6] After this development, MacAlister & Company focused on the trade and import of military vehicles, power generators, steel structures, as well as servicing of infrastructural equipment.[7]
Headquarters
The original headquarters of MacAlister & Company was located within the Gresham House at Battery Road.[3][8] Their current headquarters is located in the United Engineers central business hub, located in Yio Chu Kang.[9]
References
- From Early Days: Some Longtime Members of the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce. Singapore: The Chamber. 1979. pp. 85–87.
- "Pearl Auctions In Singapore". The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser. 8 October 1935. p. 19.
- Tan, Lily (1982). Singapore Retrospect Through Postcards: 1900-1930. Singapore: Archives and Oral History Department. pp. 26–31. ISBN 9971933349.
- Arnold, Wright (1908). Cartwright, H.A. (ed.). Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries, and Resources. London: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company. pp. 684–687.
- "McAlister holds interest in various fields". New Nation. 29 May 1971. p. 13.
- "Produce". The Straits Times. 4 August 1971. p. 16.
- Singapore trade register. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). Kompass Singapore. 2006. p. 450.
- "Great Fire in Battery Road". The Singapore Free Press & Mercantile Advertiser (Weekly ed.). 4 July 1983. p. 10.
- "UE Bizhub Central (Commercial Building) - 12 Ang Mo Kio Street 64 (S)569088". www.streetdirectory.com. Retrieved 23 May 2026.