Established in 1938, Hock Tong Bee Pte Ltd has been family-owned and independent ever since. It is currently under the leadership of Mr Clinton Ang, the 3rd Ang generation. Having pioneered the wine industry in Asia, his father Mr Aloysius Ang (2nd generation) is now an eminent figure in history.

The name Hock Tong Bee was coined by its founder Mr Ang Soo Seng, and means “Prosperity together with Beauty” in the Hokkien dialect. ‘Prosperity' stood for Mr Ang's firm vision for the business, while ‘Beauty' was something that he had found in his beloved wife whom he met when he first came to Singapore.

Hock Tong Bee's humble beginnings traces back to the 1930s when it was just a little shop in Rochor Road . Starting as a trader and wholesaler of almost every possible produce ranging from rice to alcohol, Hock Tong Bee grew to become one of the largest wholesalers in Singapore . Adversity struck in the late 1950s during the time of the Indonesian riots where all Chinese shops in Indonesia were looted, resulting in unfulfilled payments to Hock Tong Bee for goods imported. However, even at the brink of bankruptcy, Mr Ang was able to pull the business through tough times. In 1952 however, he suffered from a heart attack and passed away.