Sime Darby Berhad has announced a refreshed brand identity which reflects the Group’s vision for the future and its renewed strategic focus as a pure-play powerhouse in the automotive and industrial equipment segments.
Instead of ‘Sime Darby’, it will now be known as Sime, which the company says resonates with the Group’s new purpose of bringing the best products and solutions to enable Asia Pacific to move and develop.
In line with this, Sime also has a new tagline – Bridging Opportunities – which encapsulates its leading role in driving growth and creating sustainable value across the region’s most dynamic markets.
“For over 100 years, we have adapted time and time again to shifting market dynamics, and this evolution of our brand stands testament to our agility and resilience. We are especially excited about the vast prospects in Asia Pacific, where we are at the heart of enormous growth potential. This transformation enables Sime to better serve our stakeholders while establishing a more distinctive identity in the market,” said Dato’ Jeffri Salim Davidson, Group CEO of Sime.
“Our new identity befits our purpose of bringing the best products and solutions to enable Asia Pacific to move and to develop. It also brings forth our personality as a brand. As a reliable partner backed by a legacy of trust spanning more than a century, we combine deep market insights with innovative solutions. Our thoughtful approach ensures we remain responsive to the needs of our people, local communities and the environment, while working collaboratively with our partners to drive sustainable growth and win together,” he said.
“This rebranding embodies who we are today and our bold aspirations for the future. By leveraging our century-long legacy and unwavering commitment to excellence, we will continue to bridge opportunities to drive innovation and unlock value for our stakeholders,” added Dato’ Jeffri.
The new brand identity will be progressively rolled out across all Sime operations and touchpoints in the coming months.
History of Sime
Sime’s history goes back to 1910 when two British businessmen, William Sime and Henry Darby, started a company using their names and got involved in the rubber business and then palm oil and cocoa. It grew to become one of the big British companies in Malaya and a major player in the plantation business.
In 1977, Sime Darby was acquired by Malaysian parties and thereafter, through mergers, became the Malaysian conglomerate it is today.
At the same time, it diversified into other industries and today has three distinct divisions – Sime Industrial, Sime Motors and Sime UMW. The latter was formed in recent times after Sime acquired the UMW Group which is involved in the automotive, equipment, manufacturing, engineering and aerospace industries.
To many Malaysians, Sime is today strongly associated with the motor business. Sime Motors represents many global brands in the Asia Pacific region and with the acquisition of the UMW Group last year, the list now includes Toyota, Lexus and Perodua.
Sime Motors entered the auto business 56 years ago and in Malaysia, started with Ford (initially via the PERNAS-Sime Darby joint venture in 1981). It has also had long association with brands such as BMW, helping the automakers grow their presence in various markets.
Sime Motors also has its own assembly plant, Inokom Corporation, in Kedah which assembles for a number of brands, including Porsche, BMW, MINI, Mazda and Chery.
With Sime UMW, it would also have another three vehicle production plants – UMW Toyota Motor’s Assembly Services Sdn Bhd at two sites in Shah Alam and Bukit Raja in Selangor, and Perodua in the northern part of the state.
Sime’s workforce numbers more than 30,000 in 18 locations across the Asia Pacific region. Where the automotive businesses are concerned, Sime’s involvement ranges from being assembler, distributor or retailer, depending on the brand and market.