The Lea Hin Group was first established in 1935 by entrepreneur Woo Kai Lea (1911-1977) in a rented shophouse at 156 South Bridge Road before the eventual move to 231 South Bridge Road. It served as a regional distributor for factories based in Shanghai, China selling imported products such as kerosene stoves and lanterns. The kerosene-fuelled products proved to be a hit, and were favoured by people across different trades (street hawkers, fishermen and industrial workers) in Singapore during a time when electricity supplies were not readily available or even dependable.

Lea Hin Group’s business resumed after the end of World War 2, and started to look abroad for supplies. One of such products, the kerosene stoves were imported from America and sold under the “Butterfly” brand.

Due to supply shortages from China, Lea Hin Group expanded into manufacturing in the early 1950s after purchasing a plot of land at the junction of Alexandra Road and Leng Kee Road to set up its own metal factory. By 1950s, Lea Hin manufactured kerosene-fuelled pressure lanterns under the “Butterfly” and “Tingkwon” and high-quality steel casement windows under the “Star” brand.

Nowadays, Lea Hin’s factory with its iconic red star along Alexandra Road has become a landmark in Queenstown and is also one of the major suppliers of steel casement windows, window grilles and roller shutters in Singapore. Lea Hin Group’s trademark “Butterfly” brand kerosene stove is still in demand internationally and exports to African, South Pacific and North American markets till this day.