Construction Global magazine - April 2016

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ILLUMINATING TECHNOLOGY Renusol Transforming the solar technology industry

Technology & Equipment Use the cloud to improve organisational efficiency TOP 8 European building and construction exhibitions

JOHN HOLLAND GROUP

April 2016

EDITOR’S COMMENT

Building Growth H E L L O A N D W E L C O M E to the April

2016 issue of Construction Global.

We kick this month off with a cover feature on PV mounting solutions company Renusol, outlining its consistent success and state-ofthe-art new product. Also included is a guest piece from Jeff Denworth, SVP of Marketing at CTERA, who summarises ways to use cloud technology successfully. This month’s list is our pick of the top eight construction exhibitions held in Europe this month.

Featured too is Dubai Parks and Resorts, soon to open a vast multi-million dollar theme park in the desert; engineering and building consultancy company Griffin Consultants which focusses on sustainable and government work; and art façade company Alubond West Africa.

Enjoy this issue, and please tweet your feedback to @ConstructionGL and @NellWalkerMG

Nell Walker Editor nell.walker@bizclikmedia.com

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CONTENTS

Features

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TECHNOLOGY Using the cloud to improve organisational efficiency

14 20

MAJOR PROJECTS Illuminating technology 4

February 2016

TOP 8 European building and construction exhibitions in April

Company Profiles MIDDLE EAST 30 Dubai Parks and Resorts 70 Association: Emirates Green Building Council

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Dubai Parks and Resorts

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72 Griffin Consultants

USA 84 Bizzack Construction 94 Lithko 104 Archer Western 505 Tower Project

AUSTRALIA 112 Pensar

LATIN AMERICA

Emirates Green Building Council

94

Griffin Consultants

70

Lithko

126 ALFAGRES 142 Eternit

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156 Intercoastal Marine, Inc.

Archer Western 505 Tower Project

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112

ALFAGRES

Pensar

156

Intercoastal Marine, Inc. 5

Using the cloud to improve organisational efficiency Jeff Denworth says that construction companies should take advantage of cloud technology to optimise their processes W ri t t e n by: J e f f D e n w o r t h , S V P o f M a r k e t i n g a t CTE R A

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

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TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

ACCORDING TO SAGE’S 2016 Construction Technology Outlook, 71 percent of contractors communicate using file sharing sites, and 40 percent rely on online project collaboration software. Additionally, the same survey revealed that cloud and mobile are reshaping the industry; 59 percent of respondents expect to use or have plans to use cloud-based software. Clearly, the combination of these factors makes it difficult for businesses to ignore the increasing importance of cloud computing.

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Many organisations understand that in order to remain competitive, they need a cloud strategy that improves productivity while reducing costs.

However, many contractors and executives are often caught in the weeds and focused on the basics leaving little time to focus on organising and managing project files. This leaves no time to think about the best overall, unified strategy for using a combination of cloud and mobile devices across their entire organisation that addresses their actual business objectives.

How to use cloud successfully: Assess your infrastructure and know your workflow: before you migrate any of your company’s files and data to the cloud, take time to conduct an inventory. This inventory includes your information technology (IT) infrastructure and organisations’ workflow, as well as an understanding and classification of the types of files ranging from pre-job documentation to job completion (i.e. computeraided design (CAD) software, cost assessment, occupational safety

and health administration (OSHA) documentation, etc.). Once you’ve completed your inventory list, determine how all of the tools are used, who uses them and where they currently reside. Many times, IT will discover that different lines of business are already putting critical files in the cloud, but they live in various places that your IT staff cannot manage, monitor, secure, or even access. It’s important to develop an approach that includes applications and files that are appropriate for the external cloud and which are not, 9

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT

“Like any project, it requires proper planning and infrastructure that needs to be adjusted over time”

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U S I N G T H E C L O U D T O I M P R O V E O R G A N I S AT I O N A L E F F I C I E N C Y

depending on their classification as field, customer ready, etc.

As you conduct the assessment of how your team accesses and works with critical files, take the time to understand how they connect (which device and from where) when it comes to project management and discovery systems to identify information and access data.

Create an internal policy: It’s critical to design an internal policy that adheres to any and all compliance requirements, including OSHA and labour. This should include dynamically applying smart policies for data. For example, one that integrates rules for what can and cannot be shared, encrypt specific data sets, set up secure and encrypted projects, etc.

Cloud blueprint for success: Once you’ve assessed your IT infrastructure, understood the workflow of your teams’ design, budget and construction data, and established internal policies, the next step is to sketch out your cloud architecture. Use the following outline to guarantee that your plan incorporates the infrastructure used as well as any platforms or applications:

Ensure that all of the business applications in your workflow drive adoption of IT-sanctioned services, otherwise staff just won’t use them.

Simply put, your team needs fast, easy access to files regardless of if they are at a project site or in the office.

Select solutions that enable your team to increase their productivity, specifically one that manages copies of all files and supports collaboration regardless of if they are in the office, meeting with a client or on site at a construction project.

Maintain data integrity and security regardless of where the data resides.

Empower your IT team to easily and effectively manage project files and users.

Your cloud is deployed: Now that your project files are in the cloud, you’re still responsible for ensuring that it continues to meet your business needs as well as any new industry compliance requirements.

You need to continuously monitor and audit applications and data usage (just as you do with traditional systems) and take inventory of your data and systems periodically, review your policies and make sure that your business 11

TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT activities remain in compliance. If you are using a managed service provider for your cloud activities, you are still responsible for ensuring that it meets both your needs and complies with regulated requirements.

This entire process of building your cloud infrastructure might seem like a serious undertaking at times. Taking no action, however, is even riskier and could result in a loss of data controls, dangerous business practices, and loss of trust in the cloud despite its benefits.

Remember that cloud infrastructure is not inherently less secure than traditional in-house infrastructure, but it does entail a renewed approach to data governance, and an understanding of both current and future requirements.

As you roll out your cloud strategy, your construction company, like many others organisations, will experience business benefits from its agility, cost advantages and improved access to design and building applications that ultimately increases their productivity.

Like any project, it requires proper planning and infrastructure that needs to be adjusted over time – but if the resilient framework is there, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

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Illuminating technology Renusol has released a brand new assembly solution to transform the solar technology industry Writ ten by: ALI C E YO U N G

MAJOR PROJECTS

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MAJOR PROJECTS

‘Renusol develops economicallyoptimised assembly solutions for the photovoltaic sector’

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I L L U M I N AT I N G T E C H N O L O G Y

GERMAN PHOTOVOLTAIC COMPANY, Renusol, was founded in 1997 and began developing economically-optimised assembly solutions for the industry. It is part of the Gibraltar Industry group, with its parent business being RBI Solar, one of the leading EPC providers of outdoor plants in the US. Renusol’s business reach extends to all key European markets, the USA, Latin America, and South Africa.

Photovoltaic technology involves converting solar energy into direct current energy via the use of semiconducting materials. The resulting photovoltaic effect requires solar panels made with solar cells to supply power. Power derived from solar technology is a clean, renewable source, requiring no moving parts and does not produce any environmental emissions.

Photovoltaic systems have been in operation for fifty years, becoming universally available in 2000.

At London’s Ecobuild exhibition held in London last month, Renusol unveiled a new mounting solution for small freestanding photovoltaic systems. The Micro Ground System (MGS) substructure is suitable for

light commercial, agricultural, and residential purposes. The modular pre-assembled mounting kits can be customised to fit any size of PV installation, and are an attractive asset to distributors since they simplify the logistics process. The system is fixed to solid concrete foundations, so it can be easily rebuilt in another location if required.

The posts of the installation do not have to be accurately fitted to the foundations in order to fit correctly; the joint in the mounting posts can compensate for a discrepancy of several degrees. Deviations from a true 90 degree angle are tolerated thanks to slotted holes in the purlins, allowing for rectification of small errors. No costly excavation work is required, as the MGS substructure can be positioned on any type of surface, and integrated cable ducts negate the need for laying underground cables.

The module is fixed into place with a bracket and hook system, without the need for clamps. Conventional mounting solutions necessitate four clamps to fasten each module, requiring two sets of hands and a much longer installation time. The system comprises three components: 17

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sigma posts, top chords, and purlins. The base kit attaches 12 modules and it can be extended in accordance with the desired size of the solar installation thanks to the mounting system’s modular design.

Lars vom Stein, Product Manager at Renusol, is very proud of the system’s simplicity: “Our new substructure is suitable for smaller ground-mounted solar installations with an output of approximately three to 20 kilowatts peak,” he says. “There are currently very few mounting systems with modular extension kits on the market

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with freestanding installations of this size, and those available often require heavy machinery to anchor the system posts into the ground. This is why we have developed a solution which is simply fixed to concrete foundations. Its design allows the system to be put together by one installer working alone.”

Alongside the announcement of the MGS system, Renusol has also recently expanded into the Latin

I L L U M I N AT I N G T E C H N O L O G Y

“We have developed a solution which is simply fixed to concrete foundations. Its design allows the system to be put together by one installer working alone” - Lars vom Stein, Product Manager Renusol American solar market. One gigawatt of photovoltaic technology has already been installed – including more than 500 megawatts in Chile alone – and solid economic growth in the region has encouraged demand for lower electricity prices.

PV power is generally cheaper than

grid power, and the sustainable element of PV is appealing to many whose countries have already been carved into by power projects.

Renusol’s mounting solutions have proven their quality over time, with many systems still going strong after 15 years.

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TOP 8

Top eight European building and construction exhibitions in April There are a large number of building and construction exhibitions happening in this month; here are Construction Global’s eight picks for the best across Europe

Written by: Jess Shanahan

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TOP 8

South-East European Exhibition on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy When: 5th – 7th April Where: Inter Expo Center, Sofia, Bulgaria At this exhibition you’ll find a wealth of existing energy technologies and it’s the starting point for new products too. Innovative isolation systems, energy storage devices, energy-saving HVAC equipment, systems for renewable energy production, and cogeneration will be among the exhibition highlights.

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TOP EIGHT EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION EXHIBITIONS IN APRIL

Intertunnel Europe

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When: 5th – 7th April Where: Lingotto Fiere, Turin, Italy Covering the tunnelling and underground excavation sectors, this trade fair enables engineers and buyers to learn more about the very latest in tunnelling and underground construction technology and expertise.

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TOP 8

3 Nordbygg

When: 5th – 8th April Where: Stockholmsmässan, Stockholm, Sweden This is Northern Europe´s largest and most important construction industry event. Nordbygg gives visitors a detailed grasp of developments in the construction, building services installations, and housing industry. More than 800 exhibitors from over 30 countries will be taking part with exciting innovations, smart solutions and new ideas.

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TOP EIGHT EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION EXHIBITIONS IN APRIL

Construma When: 6th – 10th April Where: Hungexpo, Budapest, Hungary Construma is a collection of Hungarian construction industry exhibitions all taking place at Hungexpo. It covers the entire spectrum of home building from purchasing real estate, through to construction, and then onto interior design.

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TOP 8

Belorusian Construction Week When: 12th – 15th April Where: MinskExpo JSC, Minsk, Belarus This specialised international exhibition shines a spotlight on windows, doors, roofs, flooring, furniture, country living, and general construction. It also features two specialised salons: landscaping and interiors, and artistic casting in architecture and art.

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April 2016

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TOP EIGHT EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION EXHIBITIONS IN APRIL

Bud-Gryf

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When: 15th – 17th April Where: Szczecin International Fair, Szczecin, Poland Bud-Gryf is an international building trade exhibition focussed on building technology, machinery, materials, and interior construction. It offers an invaluable impression of what the trends and expectations within the industry may be.

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TOP 8

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Bauen+Wohnen Aargau When: 21st – 24th April Where: Tägerhard, Wettingen, Switzerland This 35-year-old building, gardening, and lifestyle exhibition fair appeals both to private customers and larger companies, showcasing many big industry names and renowned brands. The show allows members of the public to gather inspiration and information for their homes, and includes talks and advice from industry experts.

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April 2016

TOP EIGHT EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION EXHIBITIONS IN APRIL

No-Dig When: 26th – 28th April Where: VDNH, Moscow, Russia No-Dig is a conference and exhibition for trenchless technology. It showcases new tech, equipment, materials for horizontal directional drilling and tunnelling, and new methods of construction aimed towards governments, major companies, and private customers.

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Park life

The Dubai Parks and Resorts project

Written by: LUCY DIXON Produced by: JORDAN PLATTEN

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D U B A I PA R K S A N D R E S O R T S

In just a few months the doors will open on the Middle East’s most exciting and ambitious theme park resort

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hen you think of theme parks, you inevitably conjure up images of Mickey Mouse at Disney World or the King Kong ride at Universal Studios in Orlando. And Dubai Parks and Resorts is planning to join that prestigious handful of household names by creating a mustattend entertainment destination in the heart of the UAE. As Chief Technical Officer Matthew Priddy explains: “We have the ability to become a regional leader in the entertainment business. And as we develop the brand of Dubai Parks and Resorts, we can become one of the top three in the world.

That’s the goal, we are all very committed to that. And we’ve made a very good start.”

Priddy’s hand-picked team of 30 people boasts at least 500 years of theme park experience between them, each one of them a specialist in his or her field. Despite this degree of knowledge, the industry remains niche, and this allows Priddy and his team to ensure Matthew Priddy, Chief Technical Officer 32

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500

The number of combined years of experience the management team have in the theme park industry

“As we develop the brand of Dubai Parks and Resorts, we can become one of the top three in the world” – Matthew Priddy, Chief Technical Officer

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the highest quality at every point of logistical point of the operation. The Dubai Parks and Resorts project was developed in support of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision for the tourism sector. “His Highness’s idea for 2020 involved bringing 20 million visitors,” Priddy explains. “He wanted to diversify the economy and create a family entertainment destination. Design for this project began in January 2013, and ground was broken in March that year. Throughout the remainder of 2013 and the majority or 2014, all the infrastructure was installed and erected, and by 2015 we were integrating the finishes, interiors, and finally the shows and rides themselves.”

And having spent a morning touring the Dubai Parks and Resorts site, talking

‘H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wants to diversify the economy and create a family entertainment destination’

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20m

The expected number of vistors to the region by 2020

to Priddy, who is responsible for design, engineering and production of shows and rides, it’s easy to see how the goal of becoming one of the top three theme park destination is going to be achieved. This ambitious and exciting destination is due to open in October this year, and the site comprises three theme parks – Legoland ® Dubai (and Legoland ® Water Park), Bollywood ParksTM Dubai and motiongateTM Dubai, as well as the family oriented, Polynesian-themed LapitaTM Hotel, and a retail, dining and entertainment district called RiverlandTM Dubai. The facts and figures are impressive – the finished site is expecting 6.7 million visits in 2017 and will include over

Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, CEO w w w. d u b a i p a r k s a n d r e s o r t s . c o m

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D U B A I PA R K S A N D R E S O R T S

100 rides and attractions, with 15,860 trees and 6,100 palms on 25 million square feet of land.

The site still looks very much like a construction project – albeit one with a giant meatball (from the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) gracing the site – with rides starting to be installed and the buildings that will house many of the attractions going up. Priddy says: “We started a little over three years ago, and back then this site was nothing but desert. In the last two years we have put in the underground utilities, and all primary infrastructure that goes with that, meaning sub stations, water treatment facilities and sewage plants.” With the majority of that background work complete now, the team is focussing on everything from cultivating plants in its nursery for the landscaped areas and moving the first Lego models into position to recruiting over 4,000 staff that will be needed in time for the grand opening.

Dubai Parks and Resorts is located on the Sheikh Zayed Road, the main

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LIGHTING SYSTEM INTEGRATION

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route between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. And it really is the perfect location, says Priddy. “It’s a terrific site because it is equidistant between the two international airports – Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It’s also 10 kilometres from new Al Maktoum airport, which is going to take on the existing traffic from some of the terminals at DXB. It is also close to the Expo 2020 site, so the city is going to grow in this direction.

“What ends up happening, from what I’ve seen in my experience at Disney and Universal, is that all the support vendors and suppliers will spring up around the site and

15,850

The number of trees planted

6,100

The number of palms planted

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“We started a little over three years ago, and back then this site was nothing but desert” – Matthew Priddy, CTO

become an economic engine, driving growth in this direction.”

The career experience that Priddy refers to includes a 20year career at Disney, including serving as Senior Vice President of Worldwide Production for Walt Disney Imagineering. As Priddy says: “My background really is the theatrical side of the theme park business.”

Describing his current team and its role in the strategy of Dubai Parks and Resorts, Priddy says: “My group is an interesting mix of development and operations. We have procurement, contracts, media, R&D, control systems, creative,

facilities management, show and ride engineering, technical services. Our role is diverse, but the important thing for us is to ensure the guest experience.

“A theme park and a resort is looking to offer a compelling experience that will make people want to come and it needs to be so compelling that they want to come back and next time they want to bring their friends and their grandparents and they want to stay longer.

A longer stay equates to more per capita spending, and that’s the concept of an integrated resort – a theme park on its own, out of town, has a hard job with

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Minimise risks.

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As an experienced, impartial expert organisation, TÜV SÜD boasts over 80 years of international experience in the testing and approval of amusement parks, rides and structures. Our expertise is backed by industry best practices and client case studies from our work in Europe, USA, Asia and the Middle East.

Work with TÜV SÜD today to take care of all your safety needs while you focus on the fun part.

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INSPIRING TRUST

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MIDDLE EAST

repeat visitation and length of stay. It doesn’t end up being a destination. Dubai Parks and Resorts is a destination. People will come here and stay for a day, two days, two and a half days.”

And Priddy certainly isn’t afraid of any local competition, in fact, he welcomes it. “We are fortunate that we have additional theme parks springing up around the UAE. We don’t look at them as competition, we look at them

as another reason to drive the UAE, Dubai and Abu Dhabi as international destinations. We will probably partner with them at some point in the future, when it comes to things like safety standards and creating a theme park organisational mentality in the UAE.” Content is key for the success of any theme park and the team at Dubai Parks and Resorts has carefully selected a rich

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D U B A I PA R K S A N D R E S O R T S

“A theme park and a resort is looking to offer a compelling experience that will make people want to come and it needs to be so compelling that they want to come back and next time they want to bring their friends and their grandparents and they want to stay longer.”

– Matthew Priddy, CTO

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mix of attractions and experiences that will enable it to quickly become a leader in the region. Firstly, there is Bollywood ParksTM Dubai, a product that is unique. “Bollywood has never been done as a theme park before and there are millions of Bollywood fans within just a few hours of our site, so we are expecting to have to start the expansion from day one!

Bollywood is such a large part of the culture here that making it part of the business plan was a no brainer.”

And it is a very vibrant part of the overall Dubai Parks and Resorts offering – the stunning Rajmahal theatre is a striking setting for the 850-seat shows. Priddy adds: “The theatre is very high end in terms of its finishes and its technology for the shows. During the day it will operate as a typical theme park theatre with 20-minute shows. Then at night it turns into a Broadway-style theatre, with an

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extravagant production based on Kingdom of Dreams, with a cast and crew of 150 people.

That’s a separate ticket, which is all part of our strategy to extend the length of stay. A visitor could spend the day at one of the parks, go to Riverland TM Dubai for lunch, go to the hotel for a rest if they are staying there, then go to Bollywood ParksTM Dubai in the evening for a meal at the high-end themed Indian restaurant, then go to the theatre show.�

The second theme park is motiongateTM Dubai, which Priddy describes as a typical movie park as the attractions are based on

150

The number of cast and crew for the production Kingdom of Dreams

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D U B A I PA R K S A N D R E S O R T S

films from Hollywood. But, he says, it is atypical as there are many different and diverse IPs at the park. He says: “In the states they would be seen as competitors but they are all together here.” The park will offer attractions based on Sony

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PictureStudios films (Hotel Transylvania, Ghostbusters and Zombieland, as well as Lionsgate (The Hunger Games).

Priddy adds: “Those are not new products but they have never been done in a theme park environment before, so

MIDDLE EAST

‘The park will offer attractions based on Sony PictureStudios films (Hotel Transylvania, Ghostbusters and Zombieland, as well as Lionsgate (The Hunger Games).’

we have been very fortunate.

Sony has allowed us to use some of the new ghosts from Ghostbusters. So we are really bringing the films to life in the theme park environment.”

Visitors to motiongateTM Dubai will also get to enjoy attractions

based on Dreamworks animation films which Priddy says will be housed in one enormous building – big enough to fit in five Airbus 380s. He adds: “Dreamworks has a demographic that runs all the way from little kids to adults, and in my opinion the

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LINQ, Las Vegas

Universal Studios Hollywood

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MIDDLE EAST

Dreamworks franchise has the best sense of humour. We will have all sorts of effects that have never been done before – including Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek and Madagascar. And all these will be unique in the way the ride technology and animation is being combined and presented to the world.”

The park that is aimed at families with younger children is Legoland ® Dubai, and the Legoland® Water Park alongside it. Priddy says: “Legoland® Dubai is not unlike the other seven around the world, although we do have one unique feature. Our Miniland a 90-metre diameter dome, which houses architectural icons from the region, created using Lego

5

The number of Airbus A380s that would fit inside the Dreamworks building

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bricks,– this is clearly weather driven and architecturally it makes a great centrepoint.” The weather in Dubai has definitely been a factor in the design of the attractions, continues Priddy.

“We have a fairly elaborate shade programme, to minimise guests being outside. When they’re outside, we try to keep

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them in the shade. All of our queues are 30 minutes of airconditioned queue plus 30-45 minutes of cool overflow queue” Talking about the months ahead, Priddy describes the run-up to opening a theme park as a ‘very happy train wreck’. He is referring to all the different

MIDDLE EAST

teams pushing to get their elements ready, the extensive testing of rides and attractions. “You have to make sure it all works and it’s safe and reliable,” he says.

And there is a lot of technology that needs to be tested. “Whether it is control systems, music, development, exterior entertainment lighting, the list just goes on and on and on. The technologies that we’re combining are programmable ride systems which can vary at speed and has to be put together in conjunction with the soundtrack, with the

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“We’re using lighting, projection, holograms, animated figures, and that is all run by computerised control systems. It’s quite technologically rich” – Matthew Priddy, CTO

music, with the media to make sure that we’re hitting all those marks. We’re using lighting, projection, holograms, animated figures, and that is all run by computerised control systems.

It’s quite technologically rich.”

To make sure all is working as it should when the crowds arrive in October this year, Dubai Parks and Resorts will be initiating what Priddy calls a testing and commissioning.

“You might, depending upon the status of things, open one park one day, open another park the next day and so on. This serves two functions. It allows

us to bring out the systems and make sure they’re properly tuned and identify any problems that we might have in parts. It also means we can train the staff. We’re bringing in over 4,000 people, many of whom have limited park operations experience so there is a lot of training and development that has to go on.”

Recruiting – and training – this many people is clearly a big challenge but, for Priddy and his team, the procurement phase was equally tricky, because there is only a certain number of people who can produce what a theme park needs, so there may

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be timing and capacity issues.

He says: “Other projects going on in the world were chasing similar resources. So we had to get creative in procuring these packages. And the procurement team did a fabulous job - we managed to find the vendors and structure the packages that we think we’ve got it covered.

But it was a challenge.”

The hard work was well

worth it though, as the park currently has 95 percent of its ride systems either installed or in the warehouse ready to go. “And we’ve got a good 50 percent of all the shows either in the warehouse or on the water which is a tremendous accomplishment by our guys,” Priddy adds. “The goal is to get in and start playing with it so we can make sure we can dig out

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all problems and deal with them as early as we can. The role of the project manager and the technical division is to look for bad news.

It is to look for problems and deal with them now. Not later. We’re doing a great job.”

Without exception, everyone we spoke to at Dubai Parks and Resorts had a love of theme parks running through their bloodstream. A passion that Priddy epitomises. He says: “I majored in theatre technology in UCLA. That is really all about lighting, audio, rigging, scenic construction and stuff like that.” This eventually led to a call from Walt Disney requesting that Priddy join its team building scenery for the Epcot Center. “Typically theme parks at that time used the Hollywood film studios to build all the scenery but it didn’t have the capacity for Epcot so we needed to set up our own. So we built 3.5 million square feet of scenery plus Tokyo Disneyland at the same time and shipped it out of California in 18 months. It was a lot of all nighters but it was a lot of fun.”

Earlier on, Priddy mentioned that R&D is part of his responsibility, and it is a fascinating part of a theme park as new and unique attractions are sought. He says: “It’s natural for all of us. You see something and you say ‘Ooooh,

“When we mature as a park and we have the right dialled-in level of talent, I know for a fact that we will become known as one of the top innovators in the business” – Matthew Priddy, CTO

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I could apply that to some part of the theme park’. Whether it is a technology or a combination of technologies; maybe you have an idea of a special effect

and the technology doesn’t exist. Then you have to come up with it. You have to figure it out with all your smart people what combination of systems

MIDDLE EAST

technologies and products you can combine and utilise. When we mature as a park and we have the right dialled-in level of talent, I know for a fact that we will become known as one of the top innovators in the business.”

While touring the Dubai Parks and Resorts site, our guide was regularly pointing out space that has been allocated for future expansion.

And it’s easy to see that will be in the very near future, as it’s impossible to imagine the site being anything other than a huge success.

“Once we open and based on market demand

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we have to think of expansion within the existing parks - each has probably 30 percent of its original size available. We believe our business plan is such that it’s best to have more demand than capacity but at some point that deteriorates the guest experience so we have to be ready to expand. The rule of thumb is every 18 months, maybe two years, you should be putting in a new attraction that gives you a marketing hit and a spike in attendance.”

So, will the site be ready for the crowds in October this year. The answer is a very loud ‘yes’, thanks largely, says Priddy, to strong

“We believe our business plan is such that it’s best to have more demand than capacity” –M atthew Priddy, CTO

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“I really believe we couldn’t have done this without all of our suppliers, our contractors, our architects and IT consultants.”

–M atthew Priddy, CTO

relationships with suppliers. He says: “I really believe we couldn’t have done this without all of our suppliers, our contractors, our architects and IT consultants.

It’s a world class bunch of

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companies. They have supported us really well. I think in turn we have been a very good client to work with. We pay our bills and we respect their requirements.

There was a bit of the stigma from

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4k

The number of staff required for the opening day 2008 when the financial crash happened and a lot of people didn’t get paid. So there was a little bit of trepidation on part of some of our partners, but we have done an awesome job

dispelling all that to the extent that I believe that every one of our contractors will be back here next time around. Happily.”

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Building with a green agenda The UAE has made significant strides since 2006 to drive the green building agenda with numerous ground-breaking frameworks and programmes being implemented by the public sector Written by: Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council

The focus on sustainable built environments reflects in His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai’s initiative for a ‘green economy for sustainable development’.

Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has been aligned with His Highness’ vision and initiative. Since its inception in 2006, it has been at the forefront of driving sustainability in the UAE’s built environment. EmiratesGBC supports all stakeholders in the building industry to advance green building principles that help protect the environment and

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foster sustainability in the UAE. EmiratesGBC is pleased to be cooperating with Construction Global magazine to highlight the importance of sustainability in green builds. Such communication initiatives are important to sharing the green building agenda in the region.

EmiratesGBC and its programmes are aligned with the National Agenda 2021, the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy and Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030, all which serve as critical road maps to steer the advancement of sustainability in the country.

For further information on the Emirates Green Building Council, please visit the webiste: www.emiratesgbc.org

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Building GREEN Written by: Nye Longman Produced by: Jordan Platten

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Business Review Middle East takes a look at how Griffin Consultants, despite being a young company, has quickly grown into a key green engineering consultant in the UAE

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riffin Consultants is a small yet mighty engineering company operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specialising in sustainable designs, energy management, and district cooling, the business has played a major role in a number of major projects across the country, despite the fact that it has only been in operation for a few years. Griffin has also become an increasingly active member of the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC).

Business Review Middle East speaks to Omnia Halawani, Managing Partner at Griffin Consultants, to explore how the company has been able to reach these milestones in such a short space of time.

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Operations and talent management “We provide a range of services for new construction, particularly green buildings. We also do a lot of work for the existing building sector where we are an accredited energy auditor by the Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau of the Government of Dubai.” Halawani says, “We were one of the first accredited energy auditing firms, and one of the few companies that is carrying out energy efficiency projects under the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy’s ‘Directive on Energy & Water Efficiency of Buildings for Government Entities in Dubai.’ The project comes in line with the objectives of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 to help achieve the overall energy demand reduction target of Dubai.”

Halawani adds: “Coming from an intensive design background, we provide an added advantage to our clients in the energy auditing sector as we can basically cover

Hassan Younes, Technical Director and Partner

Omnia El Halawani, Founding Partner

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both the auditing and the design aspect of a project. We go into the building, we assess it, and we see where it is wasting energy and how the energy can be conserved.”

Griffin Consultants has the holistic expertise at its disposal to provide custom-made solutions to a variety of clients looking to control both energy usage and their carbon footprint. The company’s expertise covers engineering, energy, and technology, whereby it can provide education and consulting, as well as a range of sector-specific certifications.

In short, the company’s offering encompasses everything from design, design and project management, and CSR strategy planning, through to technical studies and a range of services covering commissioning and sustainability.

Halawani says: “We are always developing our internal processes and always want to hear our employees’ opinions on how to do things better – both in terms of what they have experienced from their previous employers and what they look forward to experience.

It’s not authoritarian when we tell them ‘this is how it’s done.’ We would like them to build the company with us as their own.”

“Being a small company helps - our

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Mixed use buildings on Al Wasl

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“We are always developing our internal processes and always want to hear our employees’ opinions on how to do things better. We would like them to build the company with us as their own” – Omnia Halawani, Managing Partner

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Cupra was established in the early 90s in central England. The company was involved in manufacturing lightning protection components. Subsequently, the company was taken over by LCC france, and the group was renamed Cupra International..

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MIDDLE EAST Aryana 5 Hotel in Dubai

overheads are not very high. We can always price in a competitive way. Being a young company, it takes perseverance and a lot of effort to get clients to trust us with their projects.

But once they do, we always see them coming back to us with more projects. 70 percent of our projects are from return clients; which is great. ”This enforces the idea that the quality of the individual engineer working on a project is far more important than the age of the company on paper. We have been recently selected as one of the Top 20 MEP Consultants in the region.

“Being a younger company means that there’s not a lot of negative politics or bureaucratic processes - it’s efficient. We are there for each and every project whether they are of small or large – we have found that this gives our clients a lot of confidence in working with us.”

And that is the crux of Griffin Consultants’ unique position in the UAE: a small company with the talent, resources and remit to work on projects normally only meted out to larger organisations. By necessity its team is multi-skilled, which provides a depth of understanding and capability rarely seen in a single office, as Halawani explains.

She says: “We encourage our staff to take developmental courses and certifications

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for which all expenses are bourne by the company. We plan to have multiple internal training courses as well.”

“We always have regular team building activities. We have a monthly get together where we talk about the projects and the forecasts. Those monthly meetings would also include a team building fun activity for the team. Each month we give a different employee District cooling plant

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the task of coming up with the next teambuilding exercise.”

“We also find great satisfaction in giving back to our community.

On an annual basis, we pick a cause that is related to our field of expertise through which we can volunteer our time and effort.

Two years ago we were given a chance by OpenSource Arc (Humanitarian architecture, UAE) to help them design the concept

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“And that is the crux of Griffin Consultants’ unique position in the UAE: a small company with the talent, resources and remit to work on projects normally only meted out to larger organisations” – Omnia Halawani, Managing Partner

MEP services for a community centre, orphanage, and school to house 300 unfortunate children in Tanzania.

“We collaborated with a large number of architects and engineers who have voluntarily came together to design this project. This year we are leaving it up to our team to decide what cause we should adopt as a company.”

Driving green The firm’s commitment to advancing the UAE green economy is evident on many levels. “Our director is on the Boards of Governors of the local chapters of ASHRAE and CIBSE; the internationally adopted standardising authorities in the USA and the UK respectively. He aims

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CSR- Tanzania Orphanage- thinktank of design teams

to help influence the construction industry on how to make it better and greener.� Says Halawani.

As a leading member of the EGBC, the company is part of a thought-leading organisation that hosts events, provides training and educational courses, and also works across the country to make businesses more environmentally friendly.

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“We have committed ourselves to a COP21 pledge, in association with the EGBC. Our pledge is to dedicate one day a month for pro-bono educational initiatives and other industry efforts that tackle climate change and serve energy reduction causes. We have also committed ourselves to influence our clients and customers to make better and more environmentally-friendly

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CSR- IAQ analysis in kindergarten school

choices in building construction.”

Griffin believes in leading by example which is why, alongside its internally-led initiatives, the business takes great pains to achieve externally-audited accreditations, including ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, OHSAS 18001:2007, and ISO 50001:2011.

Griffin Consultants’ short but

illustrious track record not only shows what can be achieved in the Emirates’ construction sector but also proves that small companies, no matter what sector they are in, can compete with much greater players, provided their strategy focuses on skills, quality, and delivering value for the customer.

Not only is this company one to watch, it is one to imitate also.

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Paving the way to a

MORE CONNECT BUCHANAN COU

Bizzack Construction VP Stewart Gaither discusses C coal synergy that is powering this new development Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Tom Venturo

TED UNTY

Corridor Q and the

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Bizzack Construction’s clearing operations on a ridge looking into Kentucky

F

ew pieces of infrastructure are more important to the health and vitality of a region than its roadways. Connecting rural areas, remote destinations and urban centers, direct and well-maintained roads promote commerce and literally bridge gaps between communities.

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In Virginia, the Corridor Q/U.S. Route 460 Connector Phase II project is bridging a 6.2 mile gap in Buchanan County—creating a new stretch of four-lane limited access highway between Phase I of the project near the Kentucky Border and the start of the future U.S. Route 121 (Coalfields Expressway).

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It is a difficult, mountainous stretch of land to navigate, requiring just the right contractor with the right skill sets to do the job well. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) partnered with general contractor Bizzack Construction on a design-build contract to take this stretch of road to rough-grade and

make the vision of Route 460’s new Appalachian pathway a reality.

BUILDING NEW CONNECTIONS The Corridor Q project brings some significant benefits to Buchanan County. “It’s part of an overall project to bring better access to 87

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the community,” says Stewart Gaither, Vice President of Bizzack Construction.

As U.S. Route 460 is completed, it will create a stronger connection between Buchanan and the rest of Virginia, but also far beyond.

“US-460 runs through several states, so this will help connect this area with better roads to provide economic development and job opportunities while we’re doing the work,” says Gaither. “Then afterward it will provide the ability for these people to travel to other places for jobs, or to bring jobs to the community.”

SUPPLIER PROFILE

OPPORTUNITIES TH ROUG H COA L SY N E R GY Coal synergy plays a significant role in making this project viable and affordable for the state of Virginia. Coal synergy reduces road building costs substantially by using coal companies’ largerscale earth moving equipment to prepare the road bed to rough grade, allowing the companies to recover marketable coal reserves during road bed preparation, states VDOT. While Bizzack is not in Buchanan to mine for coal, it does make use of the valuable coal that it

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does encounter throughout its road building endeavor.

“A lot of people think we are out there mining coal, and we are not— that’s not what we do, we build roads for a living,” notes Gaither.

“But we optimized the design so that if we encounter coal within the footprint of the project, then by mandate we are required to harvest those natural resources . We use that revenue to offset the cost of the project so we can give VDOT and the citizens of Virginia a better value.”

The concept of coal synergy

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is also one way that the Corridor Q project is bringing both infrastructure and jobs to the region immediately. “The project wouldn’t be done if it wasn’t for coal synergy—that’s what’s helping fund the project,” says Gaither. “If it wasn’t for coal synergy, we wouldn’t be doing the work and the people we’re employing down there to do the work wouldn’t have that job.”

W O R K I N G C L O S E LY FOR HIGHER SAFET Y S TA N D A R D S To achieve the goals of this project, Bizzack Construction has been working very closely with the Virginia Department of Transportation from the start, with submittals to VDOT at every step of the design stage for review and approval before moving forward.

During the build stage, VDOT and Bizzack rely on a multi-layered approach to quality control to ensure that the construction process stays up to standard.

“We have three layers of quality control on the project—quality control, quality assurance, and

C O N S T R U C TUI O SN A

“The project wouldn’t be done if it wasn’t for coal synergy—that’s what’s helping fund the project” – Stewart Gaither, Vice President of Bizzack Construction

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Bizzack Construction equipment at the top of a side-hill cut

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independent assurance which is directly hired by VDOT,” says Gaither. “We have a quality control plan put in place for both design and construction, which specifically spells out the different requirements for QC, QA and IA.” Safety is also of the utmost concern throughout the building process, encouraged by weekly safety training meetings for employees along with preparatory meetings to address specific issues 92

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Bizzack workers install a rock cor

for each phase of the project.

Bizzack also requires each of its subcontractors and consultants on the project participate in preparatory meetings and follow prescribed regulations for the safety of all involved.

THE RIGHT BUSINESS F O R A N I M P O R TA N T REGIONAL JOB What makes Bizzack Construction the right fit for the job is a

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Company Information NAME

Bizzack Construction LLC INDUSTRY

Civil Construction HEADQUARTERS

Kentucky, USA FOUNDED

1958

re drain in bottom of an embankment

combination of its regional experience and the agility of its structure.

“We’re big enough that we can handle large projects like this, but we are not a large bureaucratic company—we’re a small family owned company,” says Gaither. “We’re very close to the people in the areas where we work, and we hire people from those areas that we work in. We have employees and management from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia.”

With this, Bizzack Construction is paving the way for a more connected future in the region.

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LAYING THE

GROUNDWORK FOR SUCCESS

Lithko Contracting Inc. builds the framework for Tulsa’s new River Spirit Casino expansion Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Tom Venturo 95

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A Lithko Field Lead engages his crew in the daily preparation process before t

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n 2014, construction teams broke ground on an ambitious $365 million expansion of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s River Spirit Casino resort. With 29 stories and close to 500 rooms, the 415,000-square-foot expansion is a project requiring the know-how and dedication of both general and specialized contractors to ensure that components of the project are strong and solid every step of the way.

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As the foundation and the backbone of any building—and for maximum progress on a structure as large as the River Spirit Casino— finding the right mix of concrete for speed and strength is imperative.

To tackle the structural concrete portion of the project, the Muscogee Creek Nation and joint venture contractors Manhattan Redstone turned to the concrete construction specialists at Lithko Contracting Inc.

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the day’s work begins

KEEPING THE PROJECT S A F E LY O N S C H E D U L E With the new and improved River Spirit Casino set to open in 2017, all contractors on the job must keep to a tight schedule to avoid falling behind. This is especially important for contractors like Lithko, responsible for placing the foundations, columns, decks and floors on schedule to specific tolerances that every other detail

will be built on.

“Key items on this project really were schedule-driven,” says James Duke, Operations Manager for Lithko’s work on the River Spirit Casino project. Lithko worked out a seven-day cycle with Manhattan Redstone and its concrete mix supplier and subcontractors, working nights three times a week to make the most of crane and site logistics. w w w. l i t h k o . c o m

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$365 million expansion of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s River Spirit Casino

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But despite this tight turnaround timeframe, safety never takes a back seat for Lithko Contracting.

The company approaches this issue through several safeguards, starting with preliminary Phase Hazard Plans drawn up by Project Leads and then involving Field Leads on weekly “Operational Activity Trainings” (OAT) and using

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the Daily Preparation Process (DPP) to identify and assess the unique hazards and challenges facing coworkers each day.

“We don’t try to push it down from the top, but try to get the buy-in and input from each and every one of the guys doing work on the best way to do it safely,” says Duke. “Do we put the ladder on the inside or the

outside? Do we stage materials left or right? They get to have a voice in that and some ownership in their own plan for the day, and it gets more eyes and more ideas around each thing we’re doing. So you tend to get tunnel vision if you’ve done the same thing over again. With eight or ten more guys working on a problem, you get a better result.” w w w. l i t h k o . c o m

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The Lithko crew places level 25 at the River Spirit project

THE RIGHT MIX FOR THE JOB Finding the perfect concrete mix is also vital to staying on schedule, as every other operation hinges on floors and load-bearing walls that have gained enough strength to keep moving forward.

“We poured the structural deck typically at 2:00 a.m., and by 3:00 p.m. that afternoon we poured 100

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columns and sheer walls—then by noon the next day we tensioned the post-tension slabs,” says Duke.

“We had to have 3750 PSI on the concrete within 24-30 hours in order to make schedule. We also had to not just make the strength in the timeframe, but finish it.”

Countless tests and trial batches performed by local Tulsa-based supplier and partner Eagle Ready

CONSTRUCTION

The River Spirit project

LITHKO - RIVER SPIRIT CASINO PROJECT

Providing quality concrete to the Commercial, Infrastructure and Residential contractors throughout the Tulsa metropolitan area.

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Mix, resulted in the perfect concrete formulation to meet the challenges of the River Spirit Casino resort.

“They worked with BASF to really hone in on the mix and the additives we used,” says Duke, noting that by working together they were able to dial in a perfect mix of concrete and additives to suit the needs of Lithko and Manhattan Redstone.

“A lot of times you get the strength, but it turns into something you can’t finish,” Duke explains.

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Secured with the proper safety ha

“They worked with us, and really got something that I think they’ll market for a long time. We used Engius intelliRock II maturity meters to determine the strength in the concrete, where we didn’t have to wait on cylinder breaks from the testing lab. We were making 3,750 PSI within 24-30 hours, dependent on what the temperatures were, and ultimate strength was within the 7,000 PSI range.”

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Company Information NAME

Lithko Contracting INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Plain City, Ohio - USA FOUNDED

1992 EMPLOYEES

arness, a Lithko employee installs a wall gang form

1500

L AY I N G T H E G R O U N D W O R K FOR SUCCESS With its last significant pour achieved on schedule, Lithko’s active part in the River Spirit Casino project is now starting to wind down.

When all is said and done, the contractor will have contributed nearly 20,500 cubic yards of concrete to the structure as well as 700,000 ft of post tension cable and 1,800 tons of rebar.

When the project is complete, visitors will be able to enjoy new entertainment and luxuries atop Lithko’s strong and steady surface.

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Taking Nashville

TO NEW HEIGHT

Archer Western Project Manager Brian Evans discusses goals and challenges of the Nashville’s ambitious 505 Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Tom Venturo

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ony Giarratana is known for his ambition, striving to make every new building taller and better than the last. The Nashville real estate developer’s latest project is poised to redefine his city’s skyline: the 505 Tower.

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gleaming 524-ft tower will stand as the tallest building in Nashville by habitable floors—matched only by the spires of the city’s iconic AT&T Tower, known locally as the “Batman Building.” To take on the challenge of realizing this grand project, Giarratana has turned to contracting firm Archer Western.

CONSTRUCTION

R EIMAG INING NASHVILLE DOWNTOWN LIVING The 505 Tower is not all about its height—it’s also about expanding the possibilities for luxurious living in downtown Nashville. Once completed, the LEED Silver tower will contain two amenity floors

with sq. ft. of restaurant and retail space. Beyond this, the entire top floor of the adjacent parking garage is projected as an “amenity deck,” sporting such features as a fullsized pool, tennis and bocce ball courts, cabanas, and even a dog run and dog park.

The tower’s 16 top-most floors w w w. w a l s h g ro u p . c o m

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boast one very special extra benefit, as part of Giarratana’s plan. “Right now when you’re on the 29th floor, you’re at the current highest occupied living space in Nashville,” explains Brian Evans, the Archer Western project manager for the development. Residents 108

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of the condos built into floors 30 through 45, therefore, will be able to enjoy fully unobstructed views of downtown Nashville.

“I would say that this is taking downtown urban living to the next level,” says Evans. “Nothing like this exists in Nashville right now,

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and Giarratana’s team have had unbelievable vision for that. Once he started creating residential living in downtown, everything he’s done has been bigger and better. This far and away exceeds anything in the downtown market.”

MEETING CHALLENGES O F PR OX I M IT Y A N D SAFET Y One of the most significant challenges facing Archer Western in the construction of the 505 Tower is the very thing that makes it desirable—its location in the heart of downtown, and therefore its close proximity to surrounding buildings and projects. The building shares a construction site with the city of Nashville, occupying a third of the space for the tower, while the remaining two-thirds is allotted for the construction of a parking garage.

“The parking garage started before we did,” notes Evans.

The Archer Western team has employed several strategies to mitigate this challenge, including the construction of sidewalk canopies

to store materials and tools overhead and maximize available space.

“The other big piece is that in the center of the site we put a self-climbing core system into our elevator shaft,” says Evans.

“It literally will jack itself up, and w w w. w a l s h g ro u p . c o m

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it’s got a platform on top of it that again allows us to store material, build rebar and physically work. In essence, we’ve created our own small laydown and storage areas.”

Safety is also a key challenge, especially when dealing with the skyscraper heights of a tower like the 505. Archer Western’s solution to maintaining a high level of safety at all times, especially on elevated decks where leading edge and lathe operations are underway, is 110

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the creation of Controlled Access Zones no less than six feet from the edge of any deck.

“We have our own separate training and certifications,” Evans says. “Our tradespeople or subcontractors who go into the Controlled Access Zones are fully trained to do so.” By taking these measures, Archer Western can ensure that construction continues smoothly as the workers make their ascent.

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Company Information NAME

Archer Western, 505 Tower Project INDUSTRY

Construction HEADQUARTERS

Nashville, Tennessee USA ABOUT

OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD “I was shown a rendering of the building and that was all it took,” says Evans of his commitment to the 505 Tower. “We at Archer Western are honored to have the opportunity to build this for Tony and his team.”

The 505 Tower is currently on track for completion by the end of 2017, and the Archer Western team looks forward to seeing the project through from start to finish. The firm also hopes that this will be the beginning of a strong relationship with Nashville’s construction and development industry.

Real estate developer Tony Giarratana selected Archer Western as the general contractor to complete his 505 Tower project, an ambitious 45-story skyscraper in the heart of downtown Nashville BUDGET

$169 million

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CONSTRUCTING A POSITIVE

OMPANY CULTURE

eneral Manager - New Business, Joel Martin cusses the company culture and core values that set Pensar Construction Group apart Written by: Sasha Orman Produced by: Vince Kielty

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K

arl Yunker has always had a passion for construction, but as he developed his career, he saw the potential to apply a different approach to the industry.

The result of that vision is Pensar Construction Group, founded by Yunker at the age of 28 and based on a concept of creating quality work in a highly positive work environment.

It’s an idealistic ambition that has become a proven success: in the past three years alone, Pensar has doubled its staff numbers and Head Office - Staff

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revenue. Today, even more growth is on the horizon, as Pensar shows that good work and good company culture go hand in hand.

BUILDING A POSITIVE MINDSET From the outset, Pensar Construction Group was created with the intention of fostering a constructive environment to work, as well as collaborative and mutually beneficial relationships with subcontractors, suppliers and clients to develop repeat work across the board.

“Our core values are pretty oldfashioned,” says Joel Martin, GM of New Business at Pensar. To be accountable, respectful, patient, flexible, and focused—it’s actually fairly simple and straightforward.”

But those simple values represent the culture of the company. “We’re not really a company that has an arrogance or ego attached to it,” says Martin. “We’re very down to earth, focused on doing good quality work. That’s seen us grow over the last 16 years from one person in a sublease office to 120-

CONSTRUCTION

Brisbane Head Office

plus staff now, all for believing in the brand and buying into the ethos of the company.”

BUILDING A BETTER WORKFORCE A positive environment does not mean a lax environment. Pensar has high expectations for staff from the start, but the expectations are balanced, with Pensar placing a high priority on giving employees the tools and resources they need to flourish.

“We have a very rigorous recruitment process, to ensure that we’re getting the right calibre of people, but we also don’t restrict them or pigeonhole them. Where they start is not always where they finish,” says Martin.

By stressing the right fit, a strong work-life balance, and well-being activities ranging from community outreach to fitness lessons at its onsite boxing gym, Pensar strives to make its employees feel valued.

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Sustainable Returns to Service Life through Rehabilitation of Concrete Infrastructure National Concrete Solutions have a range of capabilities that assist in providing Sustainable Returns to Service Life of Concrete Infrastructure. By utilising a number of specialised products and systems, we provide quality solutions that deliver and assist in the rehabilitation of Commercial and Civil Infrastructure.

Our services continue to deliver high quality solutions to our clientele that will assist in not only extending the service life of our Clients’ Assets, we provide extensive cost savings in the reduction of future maintenance costs, through to maintenance scheduling and planning.

76 Merkel Street, Thurgoona NSW 2640 PO Box 255, Lavington NSW 2641 Phone: 02 6049 4848 Email: info@ncsaustralia.com.au

www.ncsaustralia.com.au

SUPPLIER PROFILE

National Concrete Solutions is a specialist, Contracting Organisation that has been incorporated since 1991. (NCS) prides themselves on their wealth of experience and knowledge in concrete solutions for the Commercial, Industrial and Civil sectors. Through continued investment, we build brand loyalty and address Environmental, Social and Economic factors, showing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), to assist in lessening the effects on the community. This investment not only addresses global factors, it further provides technical education and development of our people.

NCS provides a high quality service delivering sustainable solutions in Concrete Repair (Structural and Non Structural), Durability Solutions, Crack Injection, Structural strengthening, Joint repair systems, Water Ingress Prevention, Surface Coatings, through to restoration of heritage buildings and structures that results in Return to Service Planning, promoting Long Term Sustainable Benefits.

National Concrete Solutions (NCS) does not view Corporate Social Responsibility as a regulatory cost, but an investment towards assisting in gaining a more sustainable future, in extending the life of Commercial and Civil Infrastructure.

With passion being at the forefront of the Why we do it, together our team of committed people can work towards creating a sustainable future. Built on Loyalty, Honesty, Respect and Innovation, NCS continue to achieve providing Sustainable Solutions resulting in Rehabilitation of Concrete Infrastructure.

Website: www.ncsaustralia.com.au

AUSTRALIA

is rewarded with a hard working and loyal staff—and that is something that the company does not take for granted, especially with its burgeoning growth.

“Our short term and long term staff retention far exceeds the industry norms, because we don’t just hire people for projects and let them go when the project finishes. We’re looking to provide

safe, secure and stable long-term employment,” notes Martin. “The amount of people who have worked here for five to 10 years is quite outstanding, and we have initiated endeavours to identify these people and talk about their stories. We appreciate the long tenure they’ve brought to the organization, and the ideas they’ve brought in the time they’ve worked here.”

Mudgeeraba Water Treatment Plant

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WRB is one of Australia’s largest concrete sleeper retaining wall builders, specialising in concrete sleeper retaining walls, boulder walls, acoustic and timber fencing.

Phone: (07) 3245 1925 | Email: admin@wrbconstruction.com.au www.wrbconstruction.com.au

Solid thinking.

Grounded results.

Morrison Geotechnic specialises in providing Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Materials Testing, and Engineering Geology to the civil, engineering, construction and mining industries.

A P E W

Unit 1, 35 Limestone Street, Darra QLD 4076 (07) 3279 0900 // F (07) 3279 0955 mickmorrison@morrisongeo.com.au www.morrisongeo.com.au

AUSTRALIA

BUILDING COMMUNIT Y TH ROUGH OUTR E ACH Philanthropy is a core value close to Pensar, displayed through its commitment to its community and such charitable organizations as Traction and White Ribbon. Along with monetary donations, the company also commits time and resources to the causes it supports.

In the case of White Ribbon, this involves Pensar building awareness through its actions and social media management. For Traction, it’s

dedicating office and warehouse space to the youth organization to help it scale up and more comprehensively foster its growth through coaching and mentoring.

“This comes back to that human element. We like to think and care about the community and charitable organizations,” says Martin. “Rather than just spending money on these things, we prefer to be hands-on and actually involved, and our staff find that empowering, because they can have more of a tangible impact.”

Boxing Team Building

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PENSAR CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Brisbane Airport Corporation Substation Upgrade

BUILDING TRUST WITH SUPPLIERS, S UBCONTR ACTOR S AND CLIENTS Pensar Construction Group’s interest in a positive and encouraging environment also extends to its dealings with clients on one end and its suppliers and subcontractors on the other. Not 122

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interested in clinical, transactional one-off partnerships based on the lowest bids, Pensar sees value in building a partnership that lasts and always working to understand our customer’s needs.

“We want to build relationships with like-minded companies that share our high professional standards, and help them grow as

AUSTRALIA

we grow,” says Martin. As Pensar has found, there is a simple key to building these collaborative relationships.

“The foundation of true collaboration is good communication, being open and honest and having frank discussions at the start to let people know where they stand—each stakeholder gets

the opportunity to talk about what they hope to achieve,” says Martin.

“Over time, it happens organically that positive relationships are formed and continue to evolve and strengthen. It doesn’t happen on day one, but we definitely try to build a rapport. We try to keep the same set of rules and create the same kind of positive collaborative w w w . p e n s a r. c o m . a u

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PENSAR CONSTRUCTION GROUP

relationships up and down the food chain.”

TH E ROA D A H E A D “Do good things and be generous, and good things will come back to you. We believe in karma,” says Martin.

That belief has been bolstered by Pensar’s successes, which have continued with the company’s recent diversification strategy. Now the company is entering a period of consolidation to ensure that the strategy is able to take root and survive in the long term and that risk among the divisions is well balanced.

“We will continue to grow in a slow and sustainable fashion,” says Martin, adding that the company plans to expand its staff to around 200 by the year 2020. “We’re ensuring that our building, water and power divisions are still growing and moving forward, increasing revenue and staff numbers, and are profitable so they can sustain their growth and continue to be viable businesses.”

As Martin explains, Pensar’s 124

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Rocky Point Boat Ramp, North Qld

growth is exciting for more reasons than just the increase in revenue that it brings. “Growth creates opportunity for the staff that work here, as well as opportunity for people to come in and bring fresh ideas and fresh energy to the company,” he says. “We’ll be tweaking the

AUSTRALIA

Company Information INDUSTRY

Civil, Building and Utilities HEAD OFFICE

- South Brisbane, Qld Australia REGIONAL OFFICES

- Cairns, North Queensland - Somersby, New South Wales FOUNDED

2000 EMPLOYEES

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organizational structure, and that will open up new opportunities for existing staff to be promoted or move into a completely different role. We’ve already created two new roles in the organization that current staff members are moving into in the next couple of months. It’s exciting to see that play out as we speak.”

As the business continues to accentuate the positive, the sky is the limit for its success.

REVENUE $115m group turnover

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Finishing products’ p

ENTIRE CO

ALFAGRES features new lines of products, services and bu of properties Written by: Mateo Rafael Tablado Produced by: Jassen Pintado Interviewee: Carlos Boggio, President of ALFAGRES

partner for the

ONTINENT

usiness strategies to its finishes operations for all types

A L FA G R E S

C

elebrating its 60-year anniversary in 2016, ALFAGRES specializes in manufacturing wall and floor coverings. One of the company’s goals is to increase product lines and services portfolio, thus improving its offering to the domestic market and industry as a whole, for both commerce and institutional clients.

The company also exports to United States, a large and important market, in addition to have

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Key People

distribution centers in many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Today the company is steered by wise sales strategies, innovating the aesthetic and marketing of its creations, further facilitating their access to the public, and strengthening consumer relations.

2016 began by fulfilling the company’s sales expectations of, with a growth of 10 percent.

Carlos Boggio President of ALFAGRES Boggio graduated as a manufacturing engineer

by Boston University (USA). He has an MBA from the SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, Italy) and another Master in Family Business from Kennesaw State University (Georgia, United States). In Italy he worked for the Italian subsidiary of Bain & Company. He has been in charge of the ALFA section for the United States and he is part of the group board since 2005, becoming the leader of it in 2011, a position that he left in 2015 to become the president of the group.

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A L FA G R E S

ALFAGRES production plants benefit from significant investments in technology

Based on the rest of its operations, it is clear that ALFAGRES have the resources to deal with the market successfully in the remainder of the year.

New products designs, sizes and formats have resulted into meaningful revenue for ALFAGRES

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Carlos Boggio has been in charge of the group since last October, accumulating experience in several positions throughout the company.

Boggio graduated from Boston University (USA) as a manufacturing engineer before working for ALFA and other companies, like an Italian subsidiary of Bain & Company, while completing an MBA at SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan. In addition to heading up ALFA’s United States division since 2015, Boggio has been a part of the board since 2005.

L AT I N A M E R I C A

Successful strategic decisions The growth of ALFAGRES and its dominance in markets such as the Andean region has been determined by a series of strategic decisions, such as the expansion of its portfolio and business areas as well as consolidating its operations.

One of these initiatives took place in 2014, when the company decided to renew its portfolio by introducing new designs and new sizes and formats for existing products. This resulted in a substantial amount of success, more than 25 percent of sales today belongs to products that were released in the last 24 months.

Another important decision last year was the creation of a new business vertical, called the institutional channel, providing solutions for large corporations, universities, hospitals, schools and government. The company expects that this channel will continue to be successful in 2016 and in years to come.

ALFAcenters, the new big step in distribution The creation of ALFAcenters stands out as a huge potential for ongoing success. As a new distribution channel, its format is similar to a franchise operation, with full support of

ALFAGRES offers complete product sets and services such as installation

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“There is

great growth

opportunity

if we focus on improving our

service and

portfolio in key markets” – Carlos Boggio , President of ALFAGRES

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A L FA G R E S

One of the company’s main goals is strengthening and consolidating their existing operations in the markets they are currently present.

the company for both product availability and variety, as well as marketing and promotion. The company transfers its know-how and provides a logistical supply service from its catalog.

Production plant in Barranquilla, located in the La Cayena area

In 2015 the first two ALFAcenters, with eight more locations opening by the first quarter of 2016. The intention is to continue growing this business model in Colombia and other markets, so that distribution and product availability can be guaranteed based on centralized logistics.

Key investments The commercial success of ALFAGRES is supported by major investments in operations

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The most modern equipment is able to provide substantial savings in the use of resources such as energy and water

and production, a back-end part of the business perhaps not normally taken into consideration by those unfamiliar with the industry.

ALFAGRES has invested about US$4 million in an innovative high-definition digital technology that improves the design and printing of enamel.

The Alfacer II plant has improved formats and sizes of the product after investments of approximately US$478,000. “That enables us to launch products with a new level of sharpness and superior image quality,� said Boggio.

In Barranquilla, the newest plant location, the company is investing in the construction of an w w w. a l f a g re s . c o m

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A L FA G R E S

A modern aesthetic touch can enhance any environment

L AT I N A M E R I C A

important logistics center that consolidates both domestic and imported products.

“The operation of the new logistics center will bring us significant improvements in our distribution network,” said the executive.

In the technology field, an important project was launched during 2015: the Sales and Operations Planning platform (S&OP). Its integration with the ERP-SAP system improves the effectiveness of demand and even provides elements to improve forecasting.

Integration with suppliers Much of the growth of ALFAGRES is because of its wide range of finishing products, such as paint, additives, and adhesives. To complement its portfolio, ALFAGRES takes advantage of strategic partners to source items for its installation service and turnkey solutions.

The most important area in which we benefit from our purveyors is in the ability to provide complete solutions to our customers,” Boggio said.

ALFAGRES creations are sold in the United States, the Andean region and other countries in Latin

Environment and community

America, either by the

ALFAGRES’ manufacturing facilities rely on different measures to create energy savings

company’s own means or through distributors

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A L FA G R E S

The importance of

and reduce water consumption, including new technologies that have a lesser impact on the environment. The company complies with government-enforced environmental regulations and has recycled elements for some of its products.

ALFAGRES’ suppliers is providing items which are important by complete an entire ambience provided by the company

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To make an impact on its surrounding community, the company is involved with the La Cayena Foundation, which works to improve the impoverished conditions in Juan Mina neighborhood near ALFAGRES’ Barranquilla plant. This foundation also works with other organizations, such as Fútbol con Corazón (Soccer with Heart), which provides learning opportunities to children through different afterschool programs and activities. The “Buscando la Excelencia” program’s purpose (In Search

L AT I N A M E R I C A

of Excellence), also within this community, is in charge of procuring funds for merit-based college scholarships. In Soacha, near Bogotá, the Plan Provenzal, based on designs from artist Mercedes Salazar, was developed to generate revenue for the many women financially supporting their families due to violence in Colombia.

ALFAcenters are ALFAGRES’ new business units, these are operated by third parties,

“We are aware that our production plants are close to highly vulnerable communities, and we decided to focus our efforts in supporting these communities,” said the company president.

with full distribution and promotion support from the company

Growth projections The growth forecasts for ALFAGRES indicate a 10 percent increase in sales, the same w w w. a l f a g re s . c o m

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accomplished so far in 2016 (during the first quarter). The plan for the next five to ten years is to sustain the company’s growth at a six to 10 percent rate.

Company Information NAME

ALFAGRES

“We are preparing our brand new 2016 line to be launched during the second quarter of the year; we will be offering both our own new creations as well as new products from our business partners,” Carlos Boggio said.

INDUSTRY

Construction, wall-floor coverings HEADQUARTERS

Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia FOUNDED

Established in 1955 – and in 1971 as ALFAGRES EMPLOYEES

3,000 REVENUE

US $200 million WEBSITE

www.alfagres.com

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A POSITIVE

IMPACT

for Peruvian households After more than 75 years supplying tanks, roofs and roof tiles in Peru, the drywall system is here to benefit construction professionals and end users

Written by: Mateo Rafael Tablado Produced by: Jassen Pintado Interviewee: Manzur Fegale, CEO for Eternit

ETERNIT

E

ternit manufactures construction products such as corrugated roofing, decorative roofing tiles, polyethylene water tanks and drywall construction systems. For 75 years, Eternit has contributed to the country’s development, covering the residential and nonresidential markets. The company is an affiliate to the Belgium-based Etex group, a global enterprise with a century-long history of success in 43 countries and more than 17,000 employees.

Being part of Etex brings a number of advantages, from working exclusively with quality-certified materials to selecting the best machinery at manufacturing facilities.

Eternit’s performance and innovative solutions have earned the Peruvian operation well-deserved awards from the group. But the

The workforce at Eternit has a record 590 plus days without an accident

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Key People

company’s main inspiration is the possibility of improving Peruvian families’ lives, which can aspire to improve their housing conditions with Eternit’s materials.

Eternit is already exporting options in Ecuador, and in the near future its products will head to Bolivia, also. The company is certified under ISO:14001, and also complies with the local Environmental Health Department (DIGESA).

“Benefitting Peruvian families’ living conditions with our products is our main responsibility,” said Manzur Fegale, CEO for Eternit Peru.

Fegale majored in economy, he graduated from the University of the Pacific (Peru); afterwards, he earned an MBA from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Mexico).

w w w. e t e r n i t . c o m . p e / e t e r n i t

Manzur Fegale CEO for Eternit Fegale majored in economy, he graduated from the Univeristy of the Pacific (Peru); afterwards, he earned an MBA fron the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (Mexico). He has been a business consultant, and he has also worked for P&G in Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia; he was business and marketing manager for COPEINCA (the most important company in Peru’s seafood industry), managing director for Camposol (agriculture), and he also worked for the Peruvian licensee to Castrol motor oil before joining Eternit.

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ETERNIT

Support from the Etex corporation benefits Eternit in obtaining

He has been a business consultant, and he has also worked for P&G in Peru, Venezuela and Bolivia; he was business and marketing manager for COPEINCA (the most important company in Peru’s seafood industry), managing director for Camposol (agriculture), and he also worked for the Peruvian licensee to Castrol motor oil before joining Eternit.

quality materials, machinery and other solutions for large-scale

Construction materials improving living conditions

manufacturing

Due to socioeconomic conditions, the immediate shelter solution for most Peruvian families is plywood, which is a combustible, nonwaterproof material that lacks proper insulation.

Eternit offers fibre cement and drywall as alternative materials. The company’s outreach to architects and other construction professionals ensures that materials are properly installed for end users.

The company’s products fall into the following divisions: • Multilayer: Fibre cement layer, able to replace plywood or corrugated tin.

• Equitone: Facade solution, boasted by Peru’s most important retail shopping center

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• Promat: Fire resistant, allowing more time for evacuation.

•

•

Drywall construction system: Galvanized steel structures with fibre cement layers on the outside and plaster interiors with safer, faster construction.

Manufactured since 1997.

Roofing: Products for any kind of weather or buildings; high-resistance, made to last.

Decorative roofing tiles, and corrugated fibre cement roofing.

• Water tanks: Resistant tanks for water storage. Weather-proof, able to store up to 6,600 gallons.

“Our system and portfolio is design to benefit end users and enable them to obtain better housing solutions. They also benefit construction professionals, who end up providing a faster solution,” the executive explained.

Automation and the new plaster production plant

Weather-resistant roofing

Drywall construction as the current growth strategy for the company has resulted in recent investments.

solutions from Eternit

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ETERNIT

“We are

the leading

company in drywall

here in Peru” – Manzur Fegale, CEO for Eternit

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L AT I N A M E R I C A

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ETERNIT

Eternit’s inspiration is to benefit the most Peruvian families possible with affordable construction materials

Eternit already invested more than US$33 million in a new plaster layer manufacturing plant, the most advanced facility of its kind within Latin America. Located in Lima’s Huachipa District, the 118,500 sq. ft. facility hosts a lean workforce of 45 employees due to up-to-date cutting-edge automation systems.

Other recent investments in new technology include an automated painting system for rooftop tiles.

Since 2014, management duties are being supported in the entire Entex group by a SAP system, able to optimize cost, production, sales and inventory control, among other data.

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Hand-molded Andean roof tiles

Supplier development The company is entering a new phase in supply chain management, optimizing operations through new procedures as of late 2015.

The first step toward improvement is establishing mid- to long-term partnerships with the company’s main suppliers, resulting in a common approach to market trends, improvements and other aspects.

Currently, Eternit is working on a work strategy with each vendor, stressing factors such as unit supplying, product/service quality, innovation and communication. This process is part of a wider scheme, in which strategic partners from every country are being evaluated for stock symmetry w w w. e t e r n i t . c o m . p e / e t e r n i t

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ETERNIT

Eternit offers fire-retardant construction materials

to prevent shortages in any particular region.

Etex global support

Corrugated fibre cement roofing

Among the benefits derived from affiliation with Etex, support received from other Etex global companies stands out: • Redco is in charge of raw material evaluation, a key role in the previously mentioned stock symmetry process.

• EtexEngineering brings technical advice for machinery and other equipment purchases.

• EtexIT provides knowledgeable automation and process control strategies.

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A regional manager specific to Latin America is in charge of having every manufacturing facility work under the same conditions, ensuring these affiliates share the corporation’s best practices.

Workplace safety and talent development Eternit has stressed special importance to workplace safety. The 600-employee company holds a record 590-plus days without an accident.

“The company prioritized safety a few years back. We want our working force to go home safe and sound to spend quality time with their families,” the CEO said.

Interaction between employees and their immediate superiors is encouraged, since this helps with evaluating the company’s needs.

Eternit serves residential and non-residential sectors

Eternit offers openings for interns, with the opportunity to be hired full time. The company also offers financing programs for staff members to acquiring new skills, such as learning English.

RSC: vivienda para quienes lo necesitan Eternit’s links with its immediate surroundings result in tangible benefits. The company — along with non-profit partners — supplies building materials to construct homes for impoverished neighborhoods. It also provides some of these w w w. e t e r n i t . c o m . p e / e t e r n i t

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individuals with workshops, where they gain skills to increase their value as workers in the construction trade.

Company Information NAME

Drywall: The future

Eternit

Eternit’s efforts for the short- and mid-term are focused in developing drywall construction throughout the entire country, since most of Peru’s population could benefit radically from this product.

Drywall construction has been set as the company’s current growth pillar, supported by product lines already established in its portfolio.

INDUSTRY

Construction products, drywall, fibre cement, roofs, roof tiles, water tanks HEADQUARTERS

Lima, Lima, Perú FOUNDED

1940 REVENUE

US$100 million EMPLOYEES

600+ WEBSITE

www.eternit.com.pe/eternit

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IN G

MARITIME

NFRASTRUCTURE’S GO-TO COMPANY IN THE CARIBBEAN Intercoastal Marine Inc. supports the energy and mining sectors by building maritime infrastructure in Central America and the Caribbean

Written by: Mateo Rafael Tablado Produced by: Jassen Pintado Interviewee: Andrés Lohse, COO for Intercoastal Marine, Inc.

I N T E R C O A S TA L M A R I N E , I N C .

P

ort infrastructure is coming to fruition in Latin America, thanks to new techniques in construction. Providing infrastructure to ports in the region has become a major factor to increase growth and development. Intercoastal Marine, Inc. (IMI) has established itself as an important player within this specialty in Panama, Central America and the Caribbean.

IMI’s staff is properly trained techniques to

IMI was created in 1995, specializing in design, construction, repairs, EPC, optimizations, upgrade and maintenance services for different maritime structures and installations.

lessen impact on the environment

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March 2016

In 2011, IMI was acquired by a partnership between Chilean engineering and construction corporation SalfaCorp and Colombia’s

L AT I N A M E R I C A

Key People

construction giant Conconcreto. Being a part of these two companies has resulted in IMI improving access to resources, best practices, and the most current innovation in construction techniques. IMI has the following certifications, derived from its two parent companies: ISO:9001, ISO:14001 and OSHAS 18001.

Maritime infrastructure for the Caribbean and beyond IMI specializes in design and engineering for highly complex maritime infrastructure such as docks, piers, and fluvial and lacustrine systems.

The company is also able to offer integral EPC solutions.

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AndrĂŠs Lohse COO for IMI

Andres Lohse, from Chile, is a civil engineer who graduated from Santiago de Chile University. Lohse took postgraduate studies at Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft (Germany). His experience includes working for the Contex y Belfi construction companies prior to being hired by Salfacorp, moved from Chile to Panama when Salfacorp assigned him as COO for Intercoastal Marine, Inc., where he is also in charge of research and machinery.

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I N T E R C O A S TA L M A R I N E , I N C .

Intercoastal Marine, Inc.’s main projects in Central America and the Caribbean

{

benefit the mining and energy sectors

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March 2016

IMI’s por tfol • Port facilities for Minera Panamá: Construction of 1,300 ft. offloading pier for carbon and copper.

•

Manzanillo International Terminal (Panama): 4.5 acre Construction of pier for electricpowered barges, including a 1290 ft. pier.

•

Fuel transfer bunker pier for Telfer Tanks, Inc. (Colón, Panamá): floating equipment for structure mounting, pile driving and other procedures.

L AT I N A M E R I C A

Crawler cranes, piledrivers, barges... IMI has everything

lio includes: •

Multipurpose pier at Punta Rincón (Panamá): Construction of 500 ft. pier for cargo transfer and personnel boarding.

• Balboa Port (Panamá): Construction of container dock.

• Power generation dock (Corinto, Nicaragua): Construction of 145 ft. dock.

}

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2909 LC Capelle aan den IJssel, The Netherlands T +31 (0)10 437 08 11 E

WE ELEVATE YOUR BUSINESS WE SELL AND RENT MODULAR PLATFORMS SUCH AS: • Self Elevating Platforms • Drillbarges • Cable/Pipe Laybarges • Jetties

• Work Over Platforms • Bridges • Barges • Workboats • Ferries

I N T E R C O A S TA L M A R I N E , I N C .

L AT I N A M E R I C A

The advantages of updated equipment IMI’s fleet of construction equipment includes the most advanced cranes and machinery that maritime infrastructure operations require. The company enhances its position in Panama by having the largest crane capacity for construction projects in the country.

The company acquired high-capacity pile drivers for complex tasks and developed its own production plants for prefab structures. At its facilities, IMI has produced custom-made octagonal piles up to 180 ft. in length, a first for any enterprise in Central America and the Caribbean region.

IMI’s new metal-mechanics unit relies on automated welding equipment for precise pile

IMI constantly updates its machinery and equipment fleet

SUPPLIER PROFILE Combifloat Systems BV, founded in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in the mid 1950’s, is stronger than ever.

Operating at all continents, Combifloat is exporting 95% of its products, whether floating or elevated.

Recently Combifloat moved their headquarters to the new location at Rivium Quadrant 75, 8th floor in Capelle aan den Ijssel while still having their office in Dubai, in addition to a network of agents worldwide.

Next to operating the world’s biggest modular platform capable of lifting over a 1000 mt payload, it is completing its design of a semi-modular monohull measuring 40 x 60 mtr, capable of operating in 60 mtr of waters with over a 1500mt payload.

This unit will be more dedicated to the oil- and gas/renewable industry as opposed to the marine construction market where most of the turnover was generated in the past.

Recent contracts required mobilization of equipment to Germany, France, Caribbean, Iraq, Oman, UAE and South America.

Webpage: www.combifloat.com

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I N T E R C O A S TA L M A R I N E , I N C .

IMI has the best equipment for high-ton pile driving upon which piers and other structures

joint and structure production, creating more than 18,000 tons of piles during the last two years.

For business management endeavors, IMI works with latest-generation SAP software and other applications that provide effective streamlining solutions.

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L AT I N A M E R I C A

are built

Guaranteed quality within the supply chain IMI has established long-lasting ties with companies in its supplier network. The company’s global supply chain includes purveyors from Asia, Europe and also from other countries in the Americas.

Compliance with supplied services and

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C MYK / .ai

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眀眀眀⸀瀀爀搀眀⸀挀漀洀

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L AT I N A M E R I C A

products gives IMI strict control over every process, guaranteeing quality and safety in all of its projects.

Company Information NAME

Intercoastal Marine, Inc.

Spreading the word about environmental care Maritime construction requires constant contact with nature. As a result, every single IMI staff member receives special training on handling construction material with the minimal amount of residual output. The company’s leadership trickles down comprehensive risk prevention and environmental management plans to its staff.

In fact, the main purpose for constant upgrades and updates in its machinery fleet is to answer environmental care demands, as newer equipment uses cleaner energy to run.

INDUSTRY

Maritime construction (EPC) HEADQUARTERS

Obarrio, Panamá, Panamá FOUNDED

1995 EMPLOYEES

600+

Growing the company’s presence IMI is currently engaged in projects supporting the mining and energy industries. Projects in development for Minera Panamá top the company’s list of commitments and as a result, IMI has expanded its presence within the region.

IMI’s operations abroad consist of a new project already underway in the Dominican Republic.

In the short term, IMI is poised to expand farther into the continent, with support from parent companies Salfacorp and Conconcreto.

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REVENUE

$100 million WEBSITE

www.imi.com.pa

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