Silver Bullion: a Journey of Innovation and Trust in the Precious Metals Industry

By SBMA

Founder of The Reserve: Gregor Gregersen

In the heart of Singapore’s bustling financial district, a beacon of stability and security stands tall. Founded in 2009 by Gregor Gregersen, Silver Bullion Pte Ltd has emerged as a leading player in the precious metals industry. Offering segregated ownership of physical commodities like gold, silver, platinum, and other metals, Silver Bullion has carved a niche for itself by reducing counterparty, storage, and jurisdictional risks associated with holding these commodities.

Gregersen, a German native who partially grew up in Italy and England, spent 12 years in the United States before settling down in Singapore. His journey into the world of precious metals began during his tenure as a senior data architect at a major bank in Frankfurt during the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers. This experience opened his eyes to the fragility of the world’s financial system and the ephemeral value of currency, sparking his move to precious metals.

Silver Bullion, a member of the Singapore Bullion Market Association (SBMA) and an affiliate member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), has delivered more than 764.3 metric tons of bullion since its inception. But the company’s operations extend beyond mere trading. In 2011, Gregersen launched the S.T.A.R. storage programme, allowing people to securely store their precious metals outside the financial system. This was followed by the launch of The Safe House (TSH) vault in 2014, a state-of-the-art facility offering secure storage designed to Silver Bullion’s specifications.

The company’s commitment to security and authenticity is evident in its operations. All bullion stored under the S.T.A.R. storage program is authenticated and uniquely identified, ensuring clients that they are buying actual physical gold or silver, not just paper rights. This, coupled with the company’s robust insurance coverage and stringent adherence to LBMA’s rules on good trading practices, makes Silver Bullion a solid counterparty against global systemic crises.

Gregersen’s vision extends beyond the present. With the increasing demand for renewable energy sources, silver’s role in photovoltaics for solar panels is becoming more extensive. Gregersen believes that the Silver Institute’s estimate of 237 million troy ounces of current silver supply shortage, coupled with its increasing demand, could push silver into triple-digit valuations.

As Silver Bullion continues to grow, it remains committed to its mission of providing a safe haven for investors. With its recent expansion into a six-story building in Changi, Singapore, named The Reserve, the company is set to offer a wider range of services, including testing and authentication labs for physical assets like watches and rare industrial metals, digitization, and collateralization.

In a world of uncertainty, Silver Bullion stands as a testament to the enduring value of precious metals. Through its innovative business model and unwavering commitment to security and authenticity, the company offers investors a safe harbour in the stormy seas of the global economy.

To delve deeper into the workings of Silver Bullion and its future plans, The Crucible had the opportunity to sit down with founder Gregersen for an enlightening Q&A session.

What Does Becoming the First Southeast Asian Affiliate Member of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Mean for Silver Bullion?

It means a lot. Having witnessed the financial crisis of 2008 and recent bank failures firsthand, we’ve seen how fragile the financial system can be. We have a vision of what we feel is the best way to protect wealth with physical precious metals, and we have spared no effort in working to realize it. Being accepted by LBMA is validation of these efforts, and proof that we’re working with the right goals in mind. Being in the industry for we now serve tens of thousands of unique customers.

For our clients, this gives them peace of mind that their wealth is in good hands. And that the bullion they get through us is sourced ethically according to the global precious metals code.

The Reserve: A New High-Capacity Vault and Alternative Asset Center

LBMA membership is widely recognised as a mark of credibility and trust within the global bullion market. It allows us to have the right to vote at AGMs and to sit on LBMA Sub-Committees and Working Groups to influence policymaking in the precious metals market.

Our participation in LBMA roundtable discussions has initiated promising dialogues with institutions and progressive enterprises, fostering potential collaborations to innovate and enhance services for our clients.

As a member, we are excited to have access to the LBMA’s Sub-Committees and Working Groups. We look forward to working with other LBMA members to collaborate on initiatives and support policies that are positive for the precious metals market and consumers. Given our experience, I believe we can contribute meaningfully to key issues and hopefully present our views to the LBMA board.

Can You Discuss the Significance of Silver Bullion‘s Iso 9001-certified Vault, the Safe House, and the S.T.A.R Programme?

The Safe House plays a pivotal role in upholding the company’s commitment to excellence and trustworthiness. The ISO 9001 certification is a globally recognized standard for quality management systems, and by achieving this certification, The Safe House demonstrates its adherence to rigorous quality control processes and a dedication to continuous improvement.

We are also in the process of obtaining the ISO 17025 certification for our bullion testing laboratory at The Safe House. The vault’s state-of-the-art security measures, combined with its advanced vault management system, ensure that every item stored is accounted for and protected against potential threats.

S.T.A.R storage reduces our clients’ jurisdictional exposure, ensures that our clients are legal title owners of their bullion, and authenticates precious metals, ensuring that all bullion entering our storage is genuine. We also have comprehensive insurance to protect our clients’ wealth.

Silver Bullion’s ISO 9001-certified vault, The Safe House

What Are Some of the Significant Moments and Lessons Since Silver Bullion‘s Founding in 2009?

It’s been quite the journey. Both the company and the team have grown and changed along the way. What hasn’t changed is our dedication to providing the best wealth protection possible for our clients.

WHAT HASN’T CHANGED IS OUR DEDICATION TO PROVIDING THE BEST WEALTH PROTECTION POSSIBLE FOR OUR CLIENTS.

And that can be seen from how we’ve moved from being only a dealer to also being a vault operator and later a landlord with the purchase of our building, The Reserve. Every step and decision were made with the aim of removing a level of risk for our customers, and we will continue to keep innovating to ensure our clients’ wealth is well protected.

For example, we’ve leveraged technology to allow customers to offer loans to potential borrowers with our Bullion Secured P2P Loan program, using the borrower’s stored bullion as collateral. This allows a way for lenders to get returns on their extra fiat funds with minimal risk

What Can We Look Forward to With the Upcoming Completion of the Reserve?

Anticipated for completion by the close of 2023, The Reserve, our upcoming vaulting facility, is already proving instrumental in unlocking fresh avenues for business expansion. When completed, The Reserve will be a wealth hub that also securely vaults high-value assets beyond precious metals. We have plans to store valuables including art, rare earth metals and luxury timepieces. We aim to create an ecosystem within The Reserve allowing clients to transact between different hard asset classes under one roof.

We believe The Reserve will not only be an iconic landmark in Singapore but it will also become an important destination for those seeking wealth protection.