APAC Outlook - issue 46

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

Issue 46

MESINIAGA BERHAD

A mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Futureproofing businesses postCOVID-19

Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19, building on its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor

Danny Wilson, General Manager of Onsport, on the development of a new online sports arena in Australia

Asia just got bigger...

Asia Outlook has expanded to become APAC Outlook.

Building on the success we’ve had in telling the stories of business operating throughout Asia, the time has come to open up to the whole of the Asia Pacific region.

From Australia and New Zealand to Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands, APAC Outlook is ready to uncover inspirational examples of innovation and growth across multiple industry categories.

Visit www.apacoutlookmag.com/ work-with-us for details on how your company can feature for free in one of our upcoming editions.

www.apacoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

WELCOME

Broadening Horizons

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Editor: Dani Redd dani.redd@outlookpublishing.com PRODUCTION Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

As we say goodbye to the previous incarnation of this magazine, we are excited to introduce our refreshed and expanded offering in the form of APAC Outlook.

Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTOR Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS David Knott david.knott@outlookpublishing.com Kyle Livingstone kyle.livingstone@outlookpublishing.com Sam Love sam.love@outlookpublishing.com ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Manager: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT APAC Outlook Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com www.apacoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/apacoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @apac_outlook

Building on the coverage we have provided organisations across the Asian continent through 45 issues of Asia Outlook, the time has now come for us to deliver a heightened focus on activities in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the surrounding Pacific islands.

Asia Pacific, or APAC, has long been recognised as a unified part of the world in terms of commerce and trade, and it is our intention to bring you the most inspiring stories from a host of industries which contribute to economic growth across the entire region.

We start with a cover story on one of Australia’s oldest industries – mining.

Here, we explore how Redpath continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor for large, complex projects very much still intact.

In the interview hotseat is Managing Director Gavin Ramage, drawn into the role precisely because of the stellar reputation the company commands.

“Like many mining engineers, I have picked up experience at a number of mining companies through the years, both on the client side and the contractor side,” he tells us. “I’ve covered pretty much all of it, but my attraction to Redpath was its global standing and scale.

“It is known for taking on significant contracts and, as a mining engineer, I wanted to be a part of a company that tackles large and technically challenging projects.”

Staying in the mining sphere, we speak exclusively to Mineral Technologies, with other interviews featuring insight from a vast array of sectors spanning retail, technology, energy, construction, and food and drink.

Elsewhere you will find a new spotlight feature – these hone in on the economic and industrial facets of particular markets. In this issue, we take a look at how special economic zones are helping organisations to do business more efficiently in the Philippines.

Be sure to head over to our newly-branded website www.apacoutlookmag.com to discover more and subscribe, the easiest way to ensure you don’t miss subsequent editions of APAC Outlook magazine.

Enjoy the issue!

Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing APAC Outlook issue 46 | 3

CONTENTS

12

194 18

REGULARS

6 NEWS Around Asia Pacific in seven stories

8 EXPERT EYE Why true retail business transformation requires the cloud

BUSINESS INSIGHT

12 Agriculture

Investing in a Continent

22

196

A look at Singapore-based Olam International’s work in Central and Western Africa

SPOTLIGHTS

18 Technology

Exploring economic zones in the Philippines

Business as Unusual

Schneider Electric on futureproofing businesses post-COVID-19

TOPICAL FOCUS

28 Philippines Exports EVENTS

192 Telecoms World Asia Three days of virtual collaboration

22 Smart cities

194 Last Mile ASEAN

Exploring smart cities in Australia and New Zealand

196 Asia Warehousing Show

Getting Smart

Solving long-standing logistical challenges The supply chain spectrum under one roof

198 THE FINAL WORD What, in your opinion, makes a good business leader?

28 4 | APAC Outlook issue 46

APAC OUTLOOK MAGAZINE

F E AT U R E S

36 SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

104

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

Inside one of Asia’s most trusted F&B operators

38 Redpath Australia

Maintaining Momentum

AEROSPACE

Continuing to deliver on complex projects in Australia

172 Airports Vanuatu Limited

56 Mineral Technologies

Paradise Pushed to the Limit

Mineral Mastery

TECHNOLOGY

66 Mesiniaga Berhad

Helping Customers Succeed A mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story

82 Quantrics

164 Express Food Group (EFG) A Passion for Good Food

MINING

Industry-leading solutions powered by an innovation-driven culture

FOOD & DRINK

Flying for Vanuatu in times of difficulty

CONSTRUCTION

104 Butra HeidelbergCement Building Brunei

A socioeconomic stalwart since 1996

110 DBI Design

Creating for Communities

People Powered

Celebrating 40 years of intricate, integrated design

How empowering employees pays dividends

118 JERDE

RETAIL

Delivering memorable experiences to people all around the world

ENERGY & UTILITIES

126 CPRW

The Water Guardian

88 Onsport

Game On: Inside Australia’s Rapidly Expanding Sports Marketplace Catapulting the development of the Aussie online sports arena

Pioneering Placemaking

80 Not Out

Building on eight decades of pioneering design

98 Grays

136 Min Dhama Steel Structures (MDSS)

Inside Australasia’s largest online auction marketplace

Inside a fast-growing steel structure fabrication company

Going, going, gone!

Strong and Structured Growth

144 M R Dayal Group A Friend of Fiji

Inside a Fijian industrial and social stalwart of 80 years

150 10 Design

Celebrating a Decade of CuttingEdge Architecture Pioneers of innovative architecture in Asia

176 176 Trident Water Systems Pioneering responsible, sustainable and innovative wastewater management

182 Total Solar Distributed Generation Leading the Solar Charge

Proving the power of off-grid energy

FINANCE

188 MARUHAN Japan Bank Lao A True Partner of Laos

Trustworthy, innovative, customer experience and digital-led

188

MANUFACTURING

158 Ionics EMS

98

Electronics Solutions Made Smart Spearheading smart electronics in the Philippines

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 5

NEWS Around Asia Pacific in seven stories…

AIRLINES

Qantas ‘flights to nowhere’ sell out in 10 minutes

CHINESE STARTUP XPENG UNVEILS FLYING VEHICLE PROTOTYPE XPENG HEITECH – a technology unit majority-owned by electric automaker Xpeng and backed by Alibaba – is investing money into flying car technology.

The electric automaker recently revealed the first in a series of flying vehicles it aims to develop. It has eight propellers and a capsule frame. The vehicle can hold up to two passengers and is designed to

fly at low altitudes (between five to 25 metres).

The project is in a conceptual phase, and the company said it will conduct an evaluation before proceeding with any substantial investment.

“This is a long-range R&D exploration for us to really think about mobility in a greater context,” said Brian Gu, Vice Chairman and President of Xpeng.

ENERGY

Singapore’s SP Group launches green credits energy consumption scheme EL EC T R I C I T Y U S E R S in Singapore can now access My Green Credits scheme, allowing them to match their electricity consumption with an equivalent amount of energy produced by renewables projects.

6 | APAC Outlook issue 46

PHOTO BY ADAM MOREIRA (AEMOREIRA042281)

TECHNOLOGY

Q A N TAS R E C E N TLY announced that a seven-hour scenic flight over Australia’s outback and Great Barrier Reef sold out in 10 minutes. Some airlines, eager for revenue and to keep their pilots’ licenses up to date, have started to offer ‘flights to nowhere’, taking off and landing at the same airport.

The Qantas flight will fly low over Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney harbour before returning to Sydney. Tickets cost between A$787 and A$3,787 ($575-$2,765).

“It’s probably the fastest selling flight in Qantas history. People clearly miss travel and the experience of flying. If the demand is there, we’ll definitely look at doing more of these scenic flights while we all wait for borders to open,” said a spokeswoman for Qantas.

Customers can choose a renewable energy project to support – including Katoen Natie’s rooftop solar energy facility in Singapore and the Krong Pa solar farm in Vietnam – as well as the percentage of their monthly electricity consumption to match with green credits. “Many in Singapore are keen to make green practices part of their everyday life. However, they may be deterred by relatively high costs and the lack of easy access to green sources on a sustained basis,” said SP Group CEO Stanley Huang.

DA I RY

TELECOMS

Record year for NZ’s Tatua dairy company

NYY TAKES OVER MOBILE UNIT DOCOMO IN RECORD ¥4.3 TRILLION DEAL

WAIKATO BLUE chip dairy company Tatua achieved record group revenue of $381 million and earnings of $151 million for the year ending July 31.

This enabled it to pay its local community of cooperative shareholder-farmers $8.70 per kilogram of milk solids. On top of that it retained earnings of $1.26/kg (equivalent to $19.1m before tax) for reinvestment.

I N W H AT might be the largest tender offer for a Japanese firm in corporate history, telecom giant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (NTT) recently announced it will buy all shares of its subsidiary and mobile phone unit NTT Docomo Inc. in an eye-watering ¥4.3 trillion ($41 billion) takeover bid.

The move will help NTT streamline and lower operational costs in an increasingly competitive environment.

“This deal will make Docomo stronger…as a result, Docomo’s financial base will be more solid, so there will be room to cut the fees,” said NTT’s President, Jun Sawada, at a recent news conference.

R E A L E S TAT E

Mapletree to acquire $387.57 million office building in Gangnam MAPL ETREE N ORTH Asia Commercial Trust (MNACT) and Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd (MIPL) have agreed to purchase and co-invest in The Pinnacle Gangnam, a freehold office building located in Gangnam, Seoul. Its agreed value is US $387.57 million.

Seoul, South Korea

This year, Tatua invested $20.3 million in wastewater and engineering support services. It processed 15.15 million kilograms of milk solids.

Despite COVID-19, it remains “cautiously optimistic” about the year ahead.

Completed in 2011, The Pinnacle is located in Gangnam’s business district, with direct access to the underground and with a gross floor area of 44,444 square metres.

“Despite the current challenging global business landscape, we still see opportunities and in this case in the Seoul office market. We are pleased with the addition of this quality office asset in Gangnam Business District to our balance sheet portfolio together with MNACT,” said Mr. Hiew Yoon Khong, Group Chief Executive Officer of Mapletree.

MOBILE MONEY

PAYMONGO SECURES $12 MILLION IN SERIES A FUNDING ROUND F I L I P I N O - OW N E D O N L I N E payment platform PayMongo recently secured $12 million in a Series A financing round led

by Stripe, with Y Combinator, Global Founders Capital and a new investor, Bedrock Capital also participating.

“The Series A funding builds on an exceptional first year for PayMongo. We’re thrilled to have amazing investors to support our mission of building the digital economic infrastructure in the Philippines,” said Francis Plaza, PayMongo CEO and co-founder.

With the new capital, PayMongo plans to accelerate the rollout of planned new features and products while building up its expert staff teams.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 7

EXPERT EYE

Why True Retail Business Transformation Requires the Cloud If retail businesses want to succeed, they will need to use cloud technology to ensure seamless supply chains and online aggregation Written by: Gene Tang, Head of Professional Services and Onboarding Delivery, APJ Rackspace Technology

T

he rise of the digital economy is transforming Singapore’s society.

The government has been highly supportive of retail sector transformation through the Retail Industry Digital Plan (IDP) and other programmes.

For retailers, the future lies in omnichannel strategies that integrate the brand’s approach to customers across physical stores, online and mobile for improved customer experience. In a study of six retail brands in Singapore, Forrester found that these stores scored the lowest on online experience and digital store capabilities such as digital engagement screens, and location engagement. These strategies will not be successful without cloud-based applications and infrastructure.

The cloud offers several fantastic advantages, but also carries hefty technology challenges that incumbent retail brands must overcome if they are to succeed. For these businesses, identifying where to add or change channels and applications is a constant challenge. A fine balance must be struck between maintaining revenues for today and having an eye on the future. So, when retailers consider an e-commerce platform addition or upgrade it is vital to determine the services that make sense to migrate to the cloud. There is no clear-cut answer here, but several important motivators to consider. While a strong customer interface is crucial, true success also extends to the streamlined management of logistics, stock, staff, and management processes.

8 | APAC Outlook issue 46

ABOUT THE EXPERT Gene Tang is Head of Professional Services for Asia and India at Rackspace Technology, and responsible for developing multicloud and big data solutions that help organisations understand, integrate and use the industry’s best technologies.

Gene has worked as a trusted advisor for organisations across EMEA, APAC and ANZ. He has assisted businesses on their digital transformation journey and helped clients in ensuring that the use of data and cloud technologies are aligned with their business goals.

Gene has spent the last decade at Rackspace Technology developing expertise in multi-cloud computing and big data, working in roles such as systems engineer, senior solutions architect and Head of Solutions Architecture in London, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The cloud may be for everyone, but it is not for everything. Retailers must understand where the cloud can add value to the organisation before making any change.

The shake-up of the retail market Technology has redefined the service industry, giving birth to a new generation of brands that use it as a weapon to expand quickly and cheaply.

The cloud has transformed how

businesses grow and change with its ability to morph with the business dynamically, rather than serving a fixed need for a set amount of time like many legacy systems. Retailers of all sizes with a brick and mortar heritage have seen operations become more complex with this rise of “born in the cloud” retail organisations over the last decade. Surviving has quickly become a game of sink or swim. Without the advantage of technology in their DNA, many of these traditional retailers have seen growth shrink or their businesses fold under the pressure.

There are two types of businesses that can thrive in the current environment. The first is the large, quick service companies that can turn around stock from concept to storefront in a matter of weeks. These businesses have a global footprint in every major shopping centre. They operate and grow swiftly, thanks to their well-established supply chain network and global contracts. The second type includes agile aggregators that exist purely in the online space. They can limit their physical margins and invest more in improving customer experiences. As facilitators, these retailers can streamline orders and keep stock moving, all while providing easy, fast and reliable service to consumers.

Both business types have achieved economies of scale because they have embraced agility in underlying infrastructure and systems through the cloud early on. They also look to where cloud can provide real value

by deploying smart IT strategies that extend beyond the website to the optimisation of logistics, stock management, point-of-sale, and customer interactions.

Regardless of your organisation’s attitude towards cloud technology, there will come a time in the near future to decide how important it is to keep up with the industry’s movers and shakers.

What is the goal of cloud migration? Before making any decision to migrate to the cloud or expand cloud capabilities, businesses must establish clear objectives. They must then begin testing with safe workloads and grow from there. It is not necessary to go “all-in” on cloud or replace all legacy systems immediately. Organisations should also keep these six factors in mind during the process.

Business agility and flexibility While cost is an important factor, it should not be the only driver because it is not guaranteed. Achieving the agility

“THE POINT OF INVESTING IN NEW TECHNOLOGY IS TO ENABLE INTERNAL TEAMS TO BE MORE AGILE, INNOVATIVE AND RELIABLE TO CREATE BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES” and flexibility to grow and innovate must be at the heart of the business’s thinking.

Team efficiency Innovative ideas may help retailers reach new audiences, but IT teams need the time and tools to help bring that vision to life. Too often these teams are weighed down with keeping sites and systems running and managing administrative tasks, rather than coming up with solutions to improve supply flows or better engage customers. IT teams need to have time to think creatively and explore new ideas.

Logistical insights Consumer expectations have changed. We now exist in a society

where information is available at our fingertips, and as a result we expect products to be as well. A cloud strategy that supports retailers’ logistical operations may help the organisation be more flexible and transparent in meeting consumer demands.

Smarter planning Cloud gives organisations the ability to automatically and cost-effectively scale operation for peak seasons, promotions and shopping events.

Retailers also gain the ability to digest and analyse significant amounts of customer data quickly, which may open up new growth channels for the business.

Real-time insights Cloud allows even the most complex organisations to operate in real-time, so there is never a question about the location of a shipment on the delivery journey.

Improved security Early concerns about the security of the cloud have dissipated so that today a strong security offering goes hand-in-hand with a reputable cloud provider. This is critical in guaranteeing that customer data will be protected.

Retailers in Singapore considering the first steps in migrating to the cloud should consult with an agnostic, unbiased partner to ensure there is no pressure to fit their business needs into a particular cloud platform, as well as overcome technological and cultural hurdles. Remember, the point of investing in new technology is to enable internal teams to be more agile, innovative and reliable to create better customer experiences.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 9

Outlook Creative Services Complementing the production of APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN: Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

E D I TO R I A L : Tom Wadlow +44 (0) 1603 959 657 tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Dani Redd +44 (0) 1603 959 667 dani.redd@outlookpublishing.com

OLAM INTERNATIONAL

INVESTING IN A CONTINENT Singapore-based Olam International plays a key role in ensuring food security across six continents, its Regional CFO for West and Central Africa, Sujay Sarkar, tells us more Edited by: Tom Wadlow For most of history, the world has been focussed on driving productivity to meet the increasing food needs of a growing population.

“In Africa, growing incomes combined with rapid population growth are fuelling food demand across the continent. Research shows that while food production has increased globally by 145 percent over the last 40 years, food production in 12 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Africa has fallen by 10 percent since 1960 despite the fact the continent still possesses 65 percent of uncultivated arable land. The continent’s capacity to become self-sufficient relies heavily on unlocking its agricultural potential.”

These opening words spoken by Sujay Sarkar succinctly highlight the imperative need to unleash Africa’s potential to produce more food.

As Senior Vice President and Regional CFO for West and Central

Africa at Olam International, he is supremely well-placed to comment on the subject, Olam being a multinational agribusiness giant headquartered in Singapore and present on six continents.

It aims to reimagine global agricultural and food systems by focussing on three core areas – prosperous farmers and farming systems, regeneration of the living world and thriving communities.

“We have a direct and vested interest in tackling anything that could impact the future of agriculture,” Sarkar says.

“Our sustainable sourcing platform, AtSource, is a powerful tool in this fight as it crystalises our experience in

FOOD & DRINK managing social and environmental challenges, and gives us the data and insights to engage customers and partners to catalyse change together.

“By revealing where the community needs lie and where efforts can be prioritised, this transparency brings global food companies closer to the thousands of farmers in Olam’s supply chain.

“Long ago, we understood technology isn’t a panacea, but has huge potential to transform communities, and protect the environment for the better. For example, in Gabon we are using drones to map our plantations and survey thousands of hectares of high conservation value forest and buffer zones.

“At the same time, the Olam Farmer Information System (OFIS) is helping cocoa farmers in Ghana and Nigeria make data driven decisions on when to plant, when to spray, how much water to use and the optimum time to harvest. The same data is allowing Olam to track the environmental and social footprint of agricultural produce.”

Building relationships with smallholder farmers lies front and centre of Olam’s agenda.

It is estimated that smallholder farmers own and/or work on 90 percent of the world’s farming areas, making them the backbone of global food security. Ensuring they receive the best price for their produce is therefore critical, and Olam strives to achieve this in several ways.

First, it is facilitating reliable market access through decentralised buying models which eliminates the middlemen and delivers a greater value to farmers. Through its digital origination tool – Olam Direct – the company has been able to democratise price information and provide farmers with the insights they need to negotiate with intermediaries and buyers like Olam, and eventually decide when and to whom to sell their produce.

“Through supporting smallholders

“THROUGH SUPPORTING SMALLHOLDERS TO ESTABLISHING COOPERATIVES, OLAM IMPROVES THEIR NEGOTIATION POWER WITH BUYERS AS WELL AS PROVIDING AGRICULTURAL TRAINING THROUGH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT”

to establishing cooperatives, Olam improves their negotiation power with buyers as well as providing agricultural training through skills development, which helps farmers get the best quality and yield,” Sarkar adds.

“Across many of our smallholder farmer sustainability programmes, we pay – often in partnerships with customers – additional value to the farmer in the form of certifications and quality premiums, incentivising good quality and sustainable practices.”

A LEAP OF FAITH Sarkar is a chartered accountant with around 20 years of experience in the

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 13

OLAM INTERNATIONAL

POWERFUL PURPOSE Q: How would you define Olam’s purpose as an organisation?

Sujay Sarkar: “In November 2019, we celebrated Olam’s 30th anniversary. Over the course of these three decades we have become a leading company operating in the food and agri sector, with a unique portfolio, distinctive footprint and differentiated capabilities.

Sujay Sarkar

“OUR PURPOSE REQUIRES US TO FIGURE OUT WAYS OF HOW WE CAN HELP PRODUCE MORE FOOD, FEED AND FIBRE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF A GROWING POPULATION USING SIGNIFICANTLY FEWER RESOURCES” field, his roles prior to joining Olam being based in India.

He joined the firm at the height of the global financial crisis just over a decade ago, pointing towards the resilience shown at Olam and opportunities for growth in Africa as key to his decision to not only change jobs, but also continents.

14 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“We are proud to be known for sustainable agricultural production, origination and supply chain management of speciality, often niche agricommodities and ingredients, having significantly grown our own upstream and midstream assets, while our direct and indirect network of five million farmers has given us a global edge.

“Over the past 30 years, Olam has built a valuable portfolio of businesses that have achieved.

By simplifying our businesses across two distinct and coherent groups, each sharpens our focus and provides opportunities to capitalise on key market trends, while continuing to leverage the benefits of the Olam Group.

“Today, we are a ‘purpose-led company’, focused on reimagining global agriculture and food systems. Our purpose requires us to figure out ways of how we can help produce more food, feed and fibre to meet the demands of a growing population using significantly fewer resources.”

“Coming to Africa was a leap of faith for me in many ways,” Sarkar says. “It was a different continent, a completely different industrial segment of agri commodities and I would be part of a matrix reporting structure for the first time in my life. I had a young family and felt the time was ripe to get some international exposure outside my comfort zone.

“A decade later, I can confidently say it was probably one of the best decisions of my life. No matter what role, Olam teaches you to be a problem solver at heart and gives the operational freedom to grow, make mistakes and learn over time.

“In the last 10 years, I have lived and worked in Gabon, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and travelled extensively across Africa in countries where we have our operations. The region continues to offer unmatched headroom for expansion.”

As Regional CFO for West and Central Africa, Sarkar provides financial, legal and tax supervision over all Olam businesses within these parts of the continent. Together with these teams, they ensure the company observes all local and international compliance requirements and runs its business in a fair and ethical manner.

This involves partnering with the business, logistics, and agronomy players to fully harness Olam’s digital capabilities to help bridge Africa’s infrastructural challenges, while delivering leading solutions for all stakeholders including local governments, suppliers, customers and service providers.

“This has helped us build long standing relationships with communities across countries and enhanced our ability to serve the diverse and demanding needs of our global customer base,” Sarkar adds. “I, along with rest of the Olam team, am a custodian of this partnership built over the years and we hope to build on this platform to continue providing food, feed and fibre to the planet in the

FOOD & DRINK years ahead in a sustainable manner.”

The company’s African roots stretch back to Nigeria in 1989, when it began helping farmers to export cashew nuts to India.

Fast-forward to today, and Olam stands as one of the region’s most significant agri investors, operating in 22 African countries through procurement, exports, imports, farms, plantations, and processing activities, as well as packaged foods manufacturing and processing.

This amounts to 2.7 million smallholder networks. Last year, in West and Central Africa, the firm supported more than 590,000 farmers in 10 countries.

It is a huge operation, Africa being the only region where Olam produces direct-to-consumer brands with 39 major processing sites on the continent.

“Our integrated rice farm and mill in Nigeria is helping to reduce the

country’s reliance on imported rice,” Sarkar elaborates. “Our supply chain expertise and broad distribution network across Africa, complemented by government initiatives and favourable trade policies in recent years, have helped it progress as a hub of increasing manufacturing excellence.

“In our tomato and biscuit manufacturing in Ghana, we are focusing on nutrition and fortification which has also become key to feeding the African market. In 2018, Olam exceeded its goal of producing 40 billion servings of micronutrient fortified foods across Africa, manufacturing 44.5 billion servings.”

ANSWERING THE CALL This year, of course, has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Not only are the health implications obvious and immediate, the socioeconomic fallout could spark

what the UN is calling a hunger pandemic – it could double the number of food insecure people in low and middle-income countries by the end of 2020, unless action is taken.

The pandemic has created a shift towards consuming cheaper, less nutritious foods as households grapple with the multiple challenges of reduced income, supply chain disruptions and increased food prices.

Moreover, according to the World Food Programme July 2020 Situation Report, food insecurity is spiking and affecting livelihoods in West and Central Africa, with an estimated 57.6 million people to be affected in 2020, a 135 percent increase from previous estimates.

It is a big problem, especially as several countries are now also approaching their annual lean season when access to food is severely constrained and malnutrition rates peak.

OLAM INTERNATIONAL

CAST STUDY: IVORY COAST In rural Ivory Coast, the Sustainable Cashew Growers Programme (SCGP) links Olam directly with the farmers that supply the company.

Sarkar explains: “We are the only company participating in the entire value chain and in doing so, can gain insight into and respond to the social challenges faced by farmers and their communities.

“As part of Olam’s commitment through AtSource Plus, we carried out a comprehensive food security and nutrition study and surveyed 797 households in the SCGP to find out what kind of food they typically eat, how often they eat it, and where it comes from. The study found about 93 percent of households in the SCGP are food secure, meaning that, even during the lowresource months of the year, they can regularly access foods that give them adequate calories.

“But while these households are accessing enough calories, their diets are not very diverse. When it comes to women’s and children’s nutrition, the results were less

promising. About 27 percent of women of childbearing age (15-49 years old) and only six percent of children aged six to 23 months are eating what they need to.

Without adequate nutrients, women and children will not experience proper growth and development and are vulnerable to life-long consequences to health and productivity, which will affect future generations too.

“Key risks that may cause the food security situation to change were also identified. For instance, farmers primarily rely on their cashew earnings to access and afford enough food which increases their vulnerability to fluctuations in the cashew market. Insufficient food production is linked to several issues, including small portions of land being used to produce food. Within the last five years, 76 percent of households have converted land where they once grew food into cashew farms.

“Based on the study results, our cashew business is now working to reduce risks and improve the situation.

In their AtSource Plus action plan, there are specific strategies, such as providing food crop support, livelihood diversification and nutrition education, to mitigate the food security risks and improve nutrition.”

FOOD & DRINK

Smallholder farmers are expecting to suffer shortages in basic food and nutrition Sarkar points to an Olam survey conducted in July 2020 with around 2,400 smallholder farmers growing cocoa, coffee, sesame, cotton, and other crops in Africa and Indonesia.

The results showed that more than half are expecting to suffer shortages in basic food and nutrition due to movement restrictions, food price increases and insufficient stocks at home. Seven in 10 said their incomes had been reduced.

“The economic impact of COVID-19 has elevated the importance of food security and nutrition on our agenda,” Sarkar adds.

“We must avoid triggering any vicious cycle of reduced incomes, reduced consumption of nutritious foods, increased malnutrition, increased susceptibility to illness, or the continued spread of COVID-19 and its consequences. Olam recognises the key role it must play, especially in food supply chains like rice and grains, ensuring these staples continue to efficiently reach intended markets.

“Olam’s global teams are on the frontline supporting farmers and those in the communities where we operate.

We are working with our partners and government authorities to support the global fight against COVID-19 and have committed over US$5.7 million in financial and in-kind donations for relief and essential healthcare for farmers and rural communities.”

Such funding has supported numerous programmes.

These include national public awareness campaigns and distributing World Health Organization advice via digital channels. In the Republic of Gabon, Olam built a quarantine hospital, while it has also distributed medical equipment and PPE such as ventilators, masks, gloves, and hazmat suits for health authorities and hospitals across the region.

It is distributing food packages to local authorities, frontline workers and rural communities, including 50 tonnes of grains in Gabon, six tonnes of rice to healthcare workers and their families in

Cameroon, 30 tonnes of rice in Burkina Faso and two months’ supply of essential food items for an orphanage and children’s hospital in Senegal.

“We are also providing access to inputs and equipment such as seeds, fertiliser and tractors so that farmers’ liquidity challenges now do not jeopardise their ability to prepare and plant on time, helping to secure their livelihoods,” Sarkar says.

And securing livelihoods is what Olam will strive to achieve across all of its markets as it looks ahead to 2021.

It will be the second year of a newly structured Olam International, the company now operating as Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) and Olam Global Agri (OGA) in order to capitalise on key global consumer food trends and the growth in demand for food, feed and fibre in fast-growing emerging markets.

The move should help it to more effectively serve its purpose – to global agriculture and food systems around the world.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 17

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

18 | APAC Outlook issue 46

TECHNOLOGY

T

he current recorded global death toll for coronavirus stands at more than 900,000. But it is not just the human cost that is a cause for concern – the pandemic is also costing millions of people their livelihoods.

Major economies across the Asia Pacific region – such as Japan, India and Australia – have witnessed negative GDP growth in Q2 of 2020.

For example, Japan’s economy shrank an annualised real 28.1 percent from the previous quarter, according to a recently released government report.

However, as lockdowns across the world begin to lift, businesses are looking towards the future and hoping for recovery.

“It’s hard to believe that it took just about six months for the COVID-19 pandemic to cause significant loss of life, devastating industries and cause the crash of a relatively stable and prosperous global economy.

Critical vulnerabilities have been deeply exposed and, as the world starts to return to a level of normalcy, companies find themselves at an inflection point. How can they use the lessons learned from this to determine the path going forward?”

BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL Energy management and digitisation are two solutions which could help businesses across Asia recover from the impact of the pandemic Written by: Dani Redd

The question is posed by Tommy Leong, President of East Asia & Japan at Schneider Electric, a company that provides energy, automation and digital solutions to improve efficiency and sustainability. With 28 years of experience in ASEAN and Pacific business, Leong is perfectly placed to answer the question every business is currently asking: how can we adapt to the ‘new normal’?

“Companies must assess and address their gaps to protect themselves against future disruption,” he says. “This goes far beyond securing operations and protecting APAC Outlook issue 46 | 19

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

ECOSTRUXURE POWER AND REMOTE BUILDING SUPPORT Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Power architecture offers two solutions to support building operators and companies adjust to the ‘new normal’: REMOTE MONITORING SERVICES: Ensures that electrical distribution networks and associated control systems are running smoothly. Today, remote service bureaus monitor large fleets of networks and alert onsite teams of issues, or directly take corrective actions when required.

REMOTE MAINTENANCE SERVICES: If an engineer is onsite for maintenance work, remote service providers can use power analytics to add value in several ways. First, while accessing the monitoring system, the remote expert shares insights in real-time with the onsite technician, through phone, text, or shared image. With added augmented reality capabilities, the onsite engineer and the remote expert can collaborate in a shared virtual space. While remotely viewing the asset and its status, the expert will tell the onsite engineer the next steps or procedures to follow.

20 | APAC Outlook issue 46

sites; it is about a substantial shift in strategy that anticipates vulnerability and unpredictability.

“Innovation, digitisation, and purpose have proven more essential than ever in uncertain times.

Companies with a commitment to their employees, customers, and communities who have sought creative solutions amid crisis, and turned the challenge into an opportunity, are outperforming their peers.

“We believe that the future ‘business as unusual’ is powered by digitisation, and these unprecedented times have demonstrated the need for widespread adoption of digital tools.”

FUTUREPROOFING THROUGH DIGITISATION Schneider Electric is currently focused on supporting business continuity, helping companies improve their digital resiliency, cybersecurity tools and infrastructure, increase technical support for customers and work towards the remote management of facilities.

All of these factors are fundamental to improving a business’s agility and resilience.

In particular, COVID-19 has exposed the challenges of managing sites remotely. During lockdowns, personnel had limited access to properties, and thanks to social distancing measures, reopened

TECHNOLOGY

“ACTION ON SUSTAINABILITY BY ALL COMPANIES IS CRITICAL IF WE ARE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF GLOBAL CLIMATE GOALS BY 2030”

businesses may not be able to have the entire workforce reoccupying the space. These issues – and a potential loss of expertise due to redundancies – might make it more difficult to monitor and maintain infrastructure.

“Our advice would be to lean on digital tools during this period,” Leong says.

“Digitisation of electrical networks provides facility teams with new IOT-based architectures that can address these challenges. Sensors automatically send ‘big data’ to the edge and the cloud where power analytics applications can deliver insights and recommendations directly to the team.

“Cloud-based analytics can also enable remote services. Remote service teams complement and enhance the knowledge of the local facility team, ensuring that no risk or opportunity is missed to improve safety and resilience.”

Schneider Electric offers organisations an IoT-enabled, futureproof EcoStruxure Power architecture, which supports digitised power distribution and therefore enables enhanced connectivity, realtime operations and smart analytics.

One strand of this architecture is EcoStruxure Power Advisor, a proactive, analytics-based service that enables power management systems to become more reliable and resilient.

All ExoStruxure power solutions are also intended to improve a business’s energy efficiency.

KEEPING SOLUTIONS SUSTAINABLE While increasing digitisation is important, it is also necessary to be aware that during this economic downturn, many companies will be faced with increasing budget constraints, limited staffing and increased scrutiny among stakeholders.

“It is possible they may look for corners to cut,” Leong says.

“Sustainability should not be in this corner. Action on sustainability by all companies is critical if we are to contribute to the achievement of global climate goals by 2030. At the same time, government action and stimulus packages across the globe support sustainability, to help businesses act in the best interest of the environment.”

The regional President believes in the importance of businesses making emphatic, long-term commitments to reduce their emissions. The most effective way to do so is through

digitisation and data-driven management – not only will this cut emissions, it also improves business efficiency.

“In our experience, cutting energy consumption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generates financial benefits and stronger business performance by encouraging operational efficiencies, reducing material usage and lowering energy consumption levels,” Leong adds.

“These benefits can help support companies through major business interruptions, as we have seen in the past few months. Companies with a strong energy plan and staunch commitments to reducing energy usage can also generate a commercial advantage, as customers, partners and financial institutions demand further visibility of a company’s emissions exposure.”

In short, improving energy consumption helps businesses become more resilient in the face of volatile energy markets and an uncertain future. It also provides a company with long-term financial gains. Furthermore, when a business reduces its emissions it is not just futureproofing itself – it is also safeguarding the future of the planet.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 21

SMART CITIES

E

arlier this year, the world watched in horror as Australia’s summer bushfires raged uncontrollably, ultimately destroying around 5.8 million hectares of broadleaf forest in Victoria and New South Wales (around 21 percent of the nation’s forested areas).

Some people living in nearby towns struggled to evacuate due to smoke haze obscuring exit roads. There were shortages of fuel and food, as well as communications difficulties. For many inhabitants, the bushfires highlighted the fragility of their communities and the danger of the surrounding environment.

The world is becoming increasingly 22 | APAC Outlook issue 46

GETTING SMART Smart cities in Australia and New Zealand are pioneering innovative technologies to improve sustainability, quality of life and urban resilience Writer: Dani Redd volatile – temperatures are soaring, sea levels are rising, and unpredictable weather events are becoming more common. But it is not just environmental factors which will affect our cities and landscapes – human factors must

also be taken into consideration.

For example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics forecasts that Australia will have a population of 62.2 million by 2101 (it currently stands at 30.37 million). According to research by

TOPICAL FOCUS

Richard Weller and Julian Bolleter, many of Australia’s planning documents go no further than 2030, and collectively only account for another 5.5 million people.

Meanwhile, New Zealand is also experiencing population growth, thanks to a significant increase in immigration over the past decade. Between 2013 and 2018 net gain from migration was 270,000 people – a significant number when you consider New Zealand has a population of 4.82 million. The population spread is becoming increasingly uneven, with many flocking to the cities in the North Island, while villages in the South Island are becoming increasingly underpopulated.

These interconnected environmental and human challenges make it apparent that urban planning needs to be both responsive and futureproof. It is for this reason that we need smart cities.

DEFINING SMART CITIES Smart cities involve the effective integration of digital, physical and human systems in the built environment to improve residents’ quality of life, ensure environmental sustainability, and make cities more liveable, resilient and responsive to challenges.

Such processes are heavily reliant on technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT). IBM defines a smart city as “one that makes optimal use

of all the interconnected information available today to better understand and control its operations and optimise the use of limited resources”.

It is also important to understand that a smart city is not an end goal – it is a continual, dynamic process. Smart cities rely on IoT devices and sensors to gather and analyse information across various infrastructures. The information gathered can enable city authorities to improve transportation, reduce costs and increase efficiencies.

When it comes to smart cities, there is no “one size fits all” approach – each urban location experiences its own unique challenges and must respond accordingly.

SMART CITIES

THE PILOT PROJECTS DELIVERED

BY PERTH’S SMART CITIES COLLABORATION 1. OPEN DATA PORTAL: The real time publication of environmental sensor data, so public and experts can monitor pollution levels 2. A PUBLIC LORA WAN: A low power, wide area network of business sensors, Wi-Fi counters for events and marketing, and an IoT innovation enabler 3. A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMME: Support of STEM in schools and community groups through education sessions and more 4. A SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM: Resulted in water savings of 10 to 20 percent, reduced nutrient run off and efficient groundwater use 5. SMART CCTV ANALYTICS: Providing data on footfall and traffic movement, improving public safety and decisionmaking 6. SMART LIGHTING TRIAL: Resulted in a reduction of CO2 emissions, light pollution and energy expansion; improved fault reporting and operational efficiencies 7. SECURE IOT DASHBOARD: A dashboard curating and presenting a wide range of sustainability data

24 | APAC Outlook issue 46

PERTH, AUSTRALIA

HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND

The International Data Corporation (IDC) recently announced the 2020 winners of its IDC Smart City Asia Pacific Awards. The Australian city of Perth was joint winner of the ‘Civic Engagement’ Award for its Collaboration Market Place platform.

The platform has been designed as a space for citizens, researchers and interest groups to exchange ideas and data, in order to develop and scale technologies that will provide a range of solutions to problems in Perth. The final goal is to implement these solutions to improve liveability, workability and sustainability in the city.

Seven separate projects were delivered by local partners, all of which shared technical development resources, thereby reducing risk and ensuring efficiency of delivery. The successful delivery of these projects has kickstarted smart city planning in Perth, while highlighting the benefits of early and ongoing community participation.

Hamilton, in New Zealand, is going a step further than becoming a smart city – it wants to build a ‘smart society’ within the city and across the wider Waikoto region.

In Hamilton, a smart city is not solely about technological developments and digitising services. It is also about improving community interactions and creating an inclusive society that seeks to provide ‘smart’ benefits for everyone. The first step in such a process, the city believes, is to foster a ‘smart mindset’ among its citizens.

The city has developed a Smart Space where people can meet to put forward ideas and identify challenges. It also offers an exhibition space for public and industry partners to showcase innovative projects from the region. Visitors can currently learn how Hamilton council collects and use traffic data, find out more about the Raglan App (a community destination resource) and Cheong Ba-G, an innovative upcycling clothes project that

TOPICAL FOCUS

HAMILTON’S DEFINITION OF A ‘SMART MINDSET’ Hamilton’s smart mindset is centred around four pillars: CONNECTION: People and technologies working together, sharing information and resources INNOVATION: Taking risks, thinking differently and actively pursuing innovative ideas MAXIMISE OPPORTUNITIES: For collaboration and innovation, ensure projects and services are achieving full potential impact COMMUNITY-LED: In both outlining the problem and developing solutions

connects the new item to the story of the clothing’s past.

Other current projects run by the city include low energy LED streetlights (which have saved over $800,000 NZ dollars in the first two years) and an open data portal with data categories including district plans, property boundary lines and environmental datasets.

And it is not just the local authorities who are being innovative.

Local tech company Enlightened Designs recently won the 2020 Microsoft NZ Partner of the Year Award for its delivery of timely and complex solutions with Microsoft Azure. Upon realising that people in its community spent more than 10 percent of their income on energy bills, Enlightened Designs used Azure to create an automated retailer run by three people, which can pass on savings to families in need.

THE FUTURE OF SMART CITIES IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND The current COVID-19 pandemic might have caused some public sector projects to re-evaluate their budgets, but it has also highlighted the necessity of smart cities.

“COVID offers proof of the benefits of smart cities because cities with a digital platform in place, able to collect and analyse data, can more rapidly understand where adjustments need

applying,” explains Clare Wildfire, Global Practice Lead for Cities at Mott MacDonald.

In the future, datadriven solutions will become increasingly important. But with increasing digitisation it will be necessary to connect data solutions to the individual, ensuring equal digital literacy across all sectors of society.

Planners, architects and scholars will have to project even further into the future, taking into account both environmental and human factors, such as population rise. Weller and Bolleter’s research project at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre focusses on future settlement patterns. They advocate for avoiding megacities and focussing on ‘megaregions’ – constellations of liveable small cities and towns. There will need to be many more such projects as we work out how to create space for a growing population without further harming the environment.

It is unclear what the future holds.

But the importance of smart cities is integral to it.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 25

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Issue 46

MESINIAGA BERHAD

A mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Futureproofing businesses postCOVID-19

Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19, building on its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor

Danny Wilson, General Manager of Onsport, on the development of a new online sports arena in Australia development of a new online sports arena in Australia Danny Wilson, General Manager of Onsport, on the

standing and reputation as a go-to contractor despite the onset of COVID-19, building on its global Redpath Australia continues to secure work

COVID-19 businesses postFutureproofing

ELECTRIC SCHNEIDER technological story A mainstay in Malaysia’s

BERHAD MESINIAGA

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Tell us your story, and we’ll tell the world.

Issue 46

APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook are digital and print publications aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers, reaching an audience of more than 800,000 people around the world; spanning the full range of industrial sectors.

With original and exclusive content compiled by our experienced editorial team, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from across the globe.

Your company can join the leading industry heavyweights enjoying the free exposure we provide across both digital and print platforms with a free marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to help you grow your business.

Visit www.outlookpublishing.com/work-with-us for details on how your company can feature for free in one of our upcoming editions.

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHTS Welcome to our series of spotlights.

These reports dive into specific segments of economies across the region, featuring exclusive insight from associations and organisations in the know.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

PHILIPPINES EXPORTS

Special economic zones provide attractive business and investment opportunities in the Philippines, increasing the competitiveness of its economy

INTRODUCTION

Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

W

ith its increasing urbanisation, a growing middle class and a young population, the Philippines has one of the most dynamic economies in the East Asia Pacific Region.

Its economic dynamism is rooted in strong consumer demand. Notably well-performing sectors include business process outsourcing, real estate, finance and insurance.

Between 2010 and 2019, the country’s economy expanded at an average annual rate of 6.4 percent.

Improved wages have had a significant effect on household incomes, and poverty rates declined from 23.3 percent in 2015 to 16.6 percent in 2018.

Economic growth will significantly decelerate this year due to the impact of COVID-19, but is expected to rebound gradually in 2021 and 2022. This will be helped by robust domestic activity, including an increase in public investment.

28 | APAC Outlook issue 46

FACTS & FIGURES Type of economy: Newly industrialised Main products: Electronic products, garments, petroleum products, coconut oil Largest sub-sectors: Industry, services, agriculture GDP: $356.814 billion Annual growth rate: 6.04 percent (2019) Employment rate: 94.6 (2019)

Eleveted, night view of Makati, the business district of Metro Manila

I NITNRTORDOUDCUTCITOIN ON

PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC ZONE AUTHORITY (PEZA)

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 29

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Associations play a vital role in representing the interests of their members at an industry and national level. We asked Ms Charito “Ching” B. Plaza of PEZA to find out more about the current state of industry in the Philippines and what it is doing to advance its agendas Ms Charito “Ching” B. Plaza Director General of PEZA

A S S O C I AT I O N

P

hilippine Economic Zone Authority – more commonly known as PEZA – was created in 1995 under “The Special Economic Zone Act”.

This act established the legal framework to set up economic zones – such as agriculture, industry, tourism and banking – in various parts of the country, where highly trained workers and efficient services were to be made available to enterprises. PEZA was charged with managing this project.

In 2016, Ms Charito “Ching” B. Plaza was appointed as Director General of PEZA by President Duterte.

She reshaped PEZA’s vision and mission – the organisation’s new goal is to become the nation’s primary catalyst for development through the promotion of economic zones, promotion of developer investments and increasing ecozone linkages with local governments, communities, businesses and other stakeholders to spur growth of integrated townships and industry clusters.

APAC Outlook interviewed Ms Plaza to find out more about this fascinating organisation.

APAC Outlook (APO): Since inception, how has PEZA managed to fulfil its mandate, such as stimulating the repatriation of Filipino capital?

30 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Charito Plaza (CP): Since 1995, PEZA ceased developing the public economic zones, inheriting only the four public ecozones created under EPZA: the Baguio City Economic Zone (BCEZ); Cavite Economic Zone (CEZ); Pampanga Economic Zone (PEZ), and Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ). The Authority instead encouraged the private sector to develop, maintain and operate economic zones at no cost to PEZA or the government.

PEZA now manages a total of 408 public and private economic zones as of December 2019, with 4,587 locator companies as of March 2020. 284 of these are located in Luzon, 82 are located in Visayas, and 42 are located in Mindanao. These have evolved from PEZA’s 16 registered economic zones and 331 locator companies.

As of 2019, PEZA-registered ecozones have been directly employing 1,601,492 workers and indirectly employing a further 8,007,460 workers. In terms of capital, a total of $200 million in investments and $2.73 billion in exports were recorded in 1994 – by 2019, after PEZA took over management, this had leapt to $2 billion in investments and $54.6 billion in exports.

APO: What do you find most exciting about economic development in the Philippines?

CP: Economic development is exciting in the country because of the GSP+ granted to the Philippines by European Union (EU) Parliament on December 19,

PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC ZONE AUTHORITY (PEZA)

First Philippine Industrial Park

2014. The Philippines is the only country granted this privilege among its other ASEAN counterparts.

The country also enjoys zero tariff on its 6,274 products, with 40 percent of local content destined for Europe. There is also zero tariff on 3,500 products destined for the USA with the exemption of textiles and apparel, watches, footwear, work gloves, and leather apparel.

In an article published last April 29, 2020 by the CEO Magazine, the Philippines ranked seventh in the top 10 countries to invest in Asia post-COVID. This is attributed to the fact that the country is described as the tech hub of Asia.

APO: On the flip side, what are PEZA’s biggest challenges?

CP: There are two challenges that PEZA currently faces regarding investment promotion.

The first is that other ASEAN countries have

relatively better incentives and a lower cost of doing business. For example, the Philippines has the highest corporate income tax rate among the 10 ASEAN member countries (30 percent), and one of the shortest income tax holiday periods. It also is one of the few ASEAN countries whose government doesn’t subsidise electricity, meaning rates are higher.

The second challenge is that the Philippines’ ever-changing laws in the country create uncertainty among investors. Unfortunately, the impression among investors is that whenever we change leaders or administration, we also change laws. Therefore, it creates a feeling of instability.

PEZA has been advocating for reform in the tax system to encourage foreign investors and exportoriented businesses to the Philippines. In particular, it supports the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill, which will make fiscal incentives performance-based, time-bound, targeted and transparent.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 31

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Baguio Economic Zone 2

to continue to operate and export to survive in the international market. In the process, it is able to remit taxes and keep the jobs and other businesses that are dependent on its operations.

It is, furthermore, constantly attracting new investors to the country by conducting virtual forums.

In fact, PEZA’s FDI data for the first half of 2020 has increased by 26 percent from 2019, despite the onset of COVID-19.

This can be attributed to the planned expansion and development projects PEZA is running with export manufacturing and IT companies over a three-year period. In summary, ecozone investors are hopeful of a recovery in 2021, and anticipate the upturn of global trade and economic growth.

APO: What trends are currently transforming various industries in the country, and how are you responding to them?

A S S O C I AT I O N

Baguio Economic Zone 1 APO: How has COVID-19 affected the economy in the Philippines?

CP: COVID-19 was an unexpected hurdle that the whole world had to face, with different challenges arising as companies were forced to look for alternative means to sustain their business.

The pandemic has had a significant impact on the operations of companies in the Philippines as their day-to-day business activities have been interrupted.

Factors that have affected their business operations are the following: costly and insufficient accommodations; lack of workers to constitute the skeletal workforce due to LGU lockdowns; difficulty complying with social distancing in production areas; and lack of raw materials and cancelled orders. There was added uncertainty on the government’s plans and policies, and also whether companies would be approved under the Small Business Wage Subsidy Program (SBWS).

Despite the difficulties, PEZA’s ecozone locators are helping to keep the economy afloat as it needs

32 | APAC Outlook issue 46

CP: Economic trends in the recent decades have been towards digitalisation, integrated eco-towns and business-friendly urban planning. However, the Philippines must further improve infrastructure and digital connectivity as this is inequitably centred in the capital.

Furthermore, PEZA is steadfastly committed to environmentally friendly industrialization; we can actually industrialise without destroying the environment.

Thus, under PEZA’s new 10-point programme, we have included the creation of different types of economic zones according to land potential and resources. The programme to create different types of economic zones promotes smoke-free, drug-free, pollution-free, and smart economic zones including agro-forestry, aquamarine and island city ecozones.

Such environmentally-friendly ecozones will enable us to use our natural resources more responsibly.

APO: Have you got any projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

CP: Yes, I would like to tell you a little more about PEZA’s 10-point programme, which is set up to address the efficiency factors towards attracting and assisting investors, to create a globally competitive, sustainable, and environmentally friendly business environment in our economic zones, and to train and transform Filipinos into multi-skilled, knowledgeable and world-class workers. The 10-point programme includes everything from building new eco-towns and eco-cities in every region to establishing an

PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC ZONE AUTHORITY (PEZA)

online map of the different economic zones in the country.

We are also setting up several interesting initiatives, such as the DOLLAR Program, which caters to repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), unemployed workers and those rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOLLAR Program launched on July 29, 2020, with 69,081 jobs made available to these groups. It also provides an online training platform, which people can use to improve their skills and employability.

APO: How do you see the Philippines’ economy developing over the next five years?

CP: In terms of the country’s GDP growth forecast for 2020, NEDA predicts a negative growth forecast (a two – 3.4 percent contraction) due to coronavirus.

Our saving grace is that the Philippines is expected to perform better than many ASEAN and advanced economies that are badly affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to thrive in the future, we must aim to establish an economy that is production and export-driven rather than forever be an import and consumption-dependent economy. Strategic planning for creating various types of ecozones has been the trend in our ASEAN counterparts, and it has been proven to be effective. If they can do it, we can as well.

Laguna Technopark

APO: Are you optimistic about the future of the economy in the Philippines?

CP: We remain positive that PEZA and the country in general will be able to bounce back from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is true that the COVID-19 pandemic affected our economy badly. It’s now been reported that we’re in a recession, with the country’s GDP shrinking to 16.5 percent in the second quarter. Nevertheless, we at PEZA remain hopeful of bouncing back from this.

We have to treat this crisis as both a lesson and an opportunity. COVID-19 cannot stop PEZA in performing its mandate to register, manage, and operate public and private economic zones in the country.

PEZA continues to attract investors to come and invest to the Philippines despite the crisis and will continue to do so in the future.

Mactan Economic Zone 1

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) info@peza.gov.ph www.peza.gov.ph Mactan Economic Zone 2

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 33

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

KEY PLAYERS The following represent some important industrial and commercial hubs to be found within the Philippines

ANFLO INDUSTRIAL ESTATE (AEI) The Philippines Premier Agro-Industrial Hub, AEI, is a 63-hectare industrial Special Economic Zone registered under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. It is located strategically between two major economic hubs, Davao City and Tagum City, designed to further develop the vast potential of the agro-industry within the region. It is only 300 metres away from the Davao International Container Terminal, the largest in the region, which imports and exports large amounts of agricultural products.

St Frances Cabrini Medical Tourism Park Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park Central Technopark

34 | APAC Outlook issue 46

PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC ZONE AUTHORITY (PEZA)

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APAC OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent.

With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of the Asia Pacific region.

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Marketi ng Oppo rtunity

MINING

Issue 46

MESINIAGA BERHAD

A mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Futureproofing businesses postCOVID-19

Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19, building on its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor for large, complex projects providing peace of mind for clients Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold 2 | APAC Outlook issue 46

W

hen silver and lead became the first metals to be mined in Australia in the early 1840s, little did the industrialists at Glen Osmond know that they were about to kickstart an industry that would one day be responsible for 70 percent of the nation’s exported goods.

Sat on the outskirts of Adelaide, the

discoveries at Glen Osmond triggered a wave of mining operations in South Australia, the 1850s gold rush quickly placing Australia on the global mining map.

Fast-forward to today, and mining still stands as one of the country’s sturdiest economic backbones.

This financial year, the mining and resources industry is poised to

generate a record $264 billion in exports and represent more than eight percent of the Australian economy.

Staggeringly, since 2005 the sector has invested around $720 billion in the country, accounting for more than 40 percent of total investment over this period, in no small part thanks to sustained activity driven by multinational mining players.

CONTINUING TO DELIVER ON COMPLEX PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 3

Danny Wilson, General Manager of Onsport, on the development of a new online sports arena in Australia

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REDPATH AUSTRALIA

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor for large, complex projects providing peace of mind for clients Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold 38 | APAC Outlook issue 46

MINING

W

hen silver and lead became the first metals to be mined in Australia in the early 1840s, little did the industrialists at Glen Osmond know that they were about to kickstart an industry that would one day be responsible for 70 percent of the nation’s exported goods.

Sat on the outskirts of Adelaide, the

discoveries at Glen Osmond triggered a wave of mining operations in South Australia, the 1850s gold rush quickly placing Australia on the global mining map.

Fast-forward to today, and mining still stands as one of the country’s sturdiest economic backbones.

This financial year, the mining and resources industry is poised to

generate a record $264 billion in exports and represent more than eight percent of the Australian economy.

Staggeringly, since 2005 the sector has invested around $720 billion in the country, accounting for more than 40 percent of total investment over this period, in no small part thanks to sustained activity driven by multinational mining players.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 39

EPM as one of Australia’s most respected manufacturers can machine a wide range of precision parts using state of the art Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) technology and expertise. EPM has the capability to meticulously engineer virtually any component to the original specification while ensuring the highest standard of quality across a diverse range of ferrous and non-ferrous materials.

Refurbishment and replacement parts for your mobile mining fleet As well as manufacturing new components, EPM can also reproduce replacement parts for your mining and underground drilling and hauling fleet. All manufacturing is carried out in Perth, Western Australia. This way, clients do not have to source costly OEM parts with potential long wait times.

Services include: • Parts manufacture - EPM can guarantee an exact match or exceed the original component specification with the benefit of saving up to 50% in comparison to the OEM counterpart.

• Stock management - common replacement items are kept in stock for a range of Tamrock, Atlas Copco, Caterpillar and Boart Longyear equipment.

• CNC Machining and refurbishment of hydraulic cylinders and rig booms.

Peace of Mind - Reputation for supplying quality components for over 30 years Enhanced Parts Performance - Additional safety, durability & functionality Cost Reduction - Aftermarket parts pricing substantially lower than OEM spares Stock Holding Agreements - Arranged to meet your supply requirements

CAPABILITY DESCRIPTION Large capacity state of the art CNC machines• 5 axis DMU with 10 Pallet loader • 4 and 6 metre CNC lathes +10t • Sliding head swiss small parts machine • 4 axis Kuraki CNC mill 4m sq table x 2.5m high • Multiply CNC lathes and mills to handle most jobs • Faro Arm and CMM measuring capabilities • Solidworks and FeatureCam

1 Baldwin Street KEWDALE WA 6105 Phone: +61 (0)8 9353 3899

Email: sales@epm.net.au www.epm.net.au

REDPATH AUSTRALIA Underground mining services contractor Redpath is one such global operator.

Its operations in Australia are headed up by Managing Director and Queenslander Gavin Ramage, a decade-long servant of the company who was lured to the company because of its stellar reputation around the world.

“Like many mining engineers, I have picked up experience at a number of mining companies through the years, both on the client side and the contractor side,” he says. “I’ve covered pretty much all of it, but my attraction to Redpath was its global standing and scale.

“It is known for taking on significant contracts and, as a mining engineer, I wanted to be a part of a company that tackles large and technically challenging projects.”

“THE SECTOR HAS BEEN BUSY FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS NOW. WHEN COVID-19 ARRIVED IN MARCH, I HAD ONLY JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO GHANA AND, I’LL BE HONEST, I SAT AT MY DESK AND FEARED THE WORST” – GAVIN RAMAGE

42 | APAC Outlook issue 46

ABOUT REDPATH AUSTRALIA The company’s origins date back to 1968 under the names of Eroc, Pearson Bridge, Costain Australia and as part of Peabody Resources.

In September 2008, Redpath Mining acquired Eroc.

Today, Redpath Australia stands as a leading underground mining services contractor with offices in Brisbane and Perth. It prides itself on the provision of safe, economical and innovative solutions carried out by its professional and innovative employees, supported by effective business systems and processes, factors which underpin the company’s sustained success.

In its own words: • We strive to be the safest company to work for in our industry – our commitment is that all our employees return home unharmed every day.

• We establish long-term, stable relationships with our clients, providing a level of service exceeding industry standards, and are viewed as a continuing partner in their underground operations.

• We provide a supportive and rewarding work environment that attracts and retains employees who are valued and developed within our organisation.

• We aim to be the preferred contractor to mine owners and operators that seek to engage a contractor with similar values and is supportive of a strong safety culture.

To date the company has operated in several Asia Pacific markets, including Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

Redpath Australia has an uncompromising approach to health and safety

REDPATH AUSTRALIA Ramage, like many Australian students in the 1990s, pursued a degree in engineering before choosing mining as a specialisation in his second year. He follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, a Scot by birth who moved to Australia and worked in the coal mines.

The now-MD actually worked at Eroc prior to the acquisition by Redpath in 2008. He joined Redpath in 2010 following a tenure as an area manager at Newcrest Mining.

Since then, he has worked his way up the managerial ranks, becoming Chief Operations Officer in 2016 before assuming the Managing Director role in February 2017, a position he has held since.

“It has been a rewarding journey in an industry which continues to show promise,” he says. “The sector has been busy for the past few years now.

When COVID-19 arrived in March, I had only just returned from a trip to Ghana and, I’ll be honest, I sat at my desk and feared the worst. I thought there would be absolutely nothing for us to tender in three or four months’ time, with the industry dipping to a worrying low point.

“But it hasn’t worked out that way at all, and I am pleased to say that I was wrong to be so fearful. There are still multiple jobs coming in for tender – even now our estimating team have not stopped working because opportunities are still here in Australia.

MICON-Drilling MICON-Drilling GmbH is a member of the MICON Group, established in 1994 in Nienhagen, Germany.

With more than 25 years of experience, the privately owned company is specialised in design, manufacture, inspection and repair of drill string components, drill bits, sophisticated directional drilling systems and equipment. The main focus is on technical service for drilling applications in the mining, tunnelling, geothermal and HDD industries.

MICON‘s fleet consists of more than 150 directional drilling tools.

MICON manufactures drilling equipment for sale and for its own purposes in two independent facilities using state-of-the art CNC milling, turning and welding machines. Latest technology ensures a high degree of efficiency and quality.

An innovative engineering department and an established network with various european universities enable the continuous development of designs and products.

Conventional and unconventional approaches and implementation of German engineering allow a fast reaction time in designing specific equipment, improving existing and developing new equipment.

Improving the existing and designing new equipment for the Raiseboring industries is a core business and motivation for MICON. The wellknown RVDS drilling service for pilot hole drilling is one of our products which opens new fields of activities for the Raiseboring industries. With more than 170,000 metres drilled on more than 470 projects around the world, MICON-Drilling has proven its reliability and accuracy. On average the RVDS pilot holes deflect less than 0.08 percent on the drilling distance – even under the roughest conditions.

sales@micon-drilling.de

44 | APAC Outlook issue 46

BHA Equipment Diamond bits Core barrels Stabilizers Reamers Crossovers Drill collars Raise bore tools Additional services Coring service Directional drilling Borehole survey Rental stock Engineering Workshop Maintenance Im Nordfeld 14 29336 Nienhagen Germany T +49 5144/49360 E sales@micon-drilling.de

REDPATH AUSTRALIA “A big help in driving this is the government’s stance on the mining sector. It views the industry as essential and as soon as coronavirus arrived, that status was reinforced with mining personnel given the green light to continue working where other businesses were requested to stop.

“Our sector is viewed as one of the central pillars to recovery, and that is keeping the confidence levels high among financial institutions and investors. Infrastructure continues to be built, and projects continue to be operational.

“While I wouldn’t say it is boom time for Australian mining, the work certainly has not stopped.”

It is little surprise that the Australian government is determined to keep mining operations active.

With localised lockdowns concentrated in states such as Victoria and New South Wales, the main mining regions have not been as badly penetrated by the virus, although nothing has been taken for granted regarding employee safety at Redpath across its various projects.

Ramage describes the company’s new health management plan, a programme of initiatives designed to keep workers safe during these unprecedented times.

This involves implementation of a series of controls centred around distancing and hygiene, measures which have disrupted operations but not stalled them – every job Redpath has under its current portfolio is still ongoing.

“OUR SECTOR IS VIEWED AS ONE OF THE CENTRAL PILLARS TO RECOVERY, AND THAT IS KEEPING THE CONFIDENCE LEVELS HIGH AMONG FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND INVESTORS. INFRASTRUCTURE CONTINUES TO BE BUILT, AND PROJECTS CONTINUE TO BE OPERATIONAL”

Mining Health Solutions (MHS) is a specialist provider of emergency response services to the mining, resources and construction industries. MHS knows that not all sites share the same needs and ensure that the service they provide caters to the specific needs of the client. MHS focuses on providing medical, rescue and training services that fit your site requirements based on your risk profile.

MHS is made up of industry professionals who bring their extensive training, skills, real world experience and passion to everything they do.

MHS SERVICES INCLUDE: Medical support - Highly skilled and qualified paramedics, nurses and doctors are available to look after your onsite injury management needs. MHS staff are supported by a robust clinical governance framework.

Rescue services - MHS have rescue officers available for both short term and long term deployment. Whether it is a single stand by officer or a complete ERT team, MHS staff are handpicked for your project.

Training - MHS conduct onsite emergency response team training, from skills maintenance through to accredited mines rescue courses for new teams. MHS offers hands on and realistic training scenarios, tailored to your work site.

Risk management – MHS specialises in emergency response planning and readiness. MHS can develop a holistic approach to emergency response planning across your business by reviewing and actioning emergency response assets and resources.

With contracts in three states, MHS is well positioned to support your next project.

For a comprehensive overview of MHS’s capabilities and services visit: www.mininghealthsolutions.net.au

Tel: +61 498 724 138 tim@mininghealthsolutions.net.au

46 | APAC Outlook issue 46

24/7 EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Mining Health Solutions are at the forefront of Emergency Response and Risk Minimisation. MHS are focused on providing medical, rescue and training services to the resources and construction sectors. We ensure that the service we provide caters to the specific needs of our clients.

Medical • Fire and Rescue • Training • Wellness • Poisons Licence Administration

The MHS service encompasses more than just the Emergency Response Team responding to incidents. Our staff are proactive in engaging your workforce, building relationships with key stakeholders and ensuring we are utilised to our full potential.

More importantly, you recieve a service that represents value for your investment in MHS.

+61 498 724 138 tim@mininghealthsolutions.net.au www.mininghealthsolutions.net.au

REDPATH AUSTRALIA “The biggest disruption is that people in Australia are restricted in their travel between the states,” Ramage adds.

“Right now, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory have all but closed their borders to people coming out of New South Wales and Victoria, so the freedom for us to freely move around our projects like we once did isn’t there at the moment.

“That has caused disruptions to individuals on certain projects but, thankfully, we’ve been able to keep every job going and have worked through the difficulties presented to us. We’ve accepted that this will likely be the way for the next 12 to 18 months – areas will be locked down and we have to adjust to it as and when those events happen.”

PROJECT PROWESS Mine construction projects are diverse, and several examples highlight

Redpath’s credentials as a go-to for complex, large-scale underground mining services.

For instance, in 2018 the company took on what was its largest ever contract in terms of scope at Glencore’s Lady Loretta mine in Queensland.

A six-year project, it is a high grade lead-zinc orebody mined, crushed and loaded onto road trains by Redpath, is transported 150 kilometres southeast to Glencore’s processing plant at Mount Isa. And technology is also taking centre stage. Indeed, the Australian mining industry is described by Tania Constable, CEO of the Minerals Council of Australia, as having the unique characteristic of being both the nation’s oldest export industry as well as its most modern one, not least because of the embracement of new solutions.

Redpath embodies this statement at Lady Loretta.

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Total is determined to provide the best mining offer of products and services designed to assist customers reduce total cost of ownership. The company supports this ambition by providing services that complement its outstanding lubricant products, through reliable technical support, engineering and facilities, and strong key account management.

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G3 Engineering G3 Engineering is a one-stop shop for engineering and on-site solutions.

Specialising in custom one-offs to multiples and innovative manufacturing.

At our engineering facility, we are excited to be continually advancing with technology to provide precise and efficient engineering solutions to the market through the use of: • 3D scanning & drafting • Rapid prototyping & 3D printing • cutting-edge equipment • highly skilled labour Our on-site services include Installation & Maintenance.

G3 are extremely proud of the relationships established with our clients, including respected providers across a number of industries.

www.g3engineering.com.au

48 | APAC Outlook issue 46

MINING

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APAC Outlook issue 46 | 49

REDPATH AUSTRALIA

Brunner & Lay Brunner & Lay products are manufactured completely in Springdale Arkansas, USA, and designed to deliver competitive cost per metre outcomes for the end user.

Products are precision machined from high quality steel, then heat treated to insure strength and durability.

The extensive Brunner & Lay line includes – demolition tools for hydraulic hammers, shanks, couplings, carburised drill steel, hi-frequency hardened drill steel, and Rok-Bits™, available with standard, conical, ballistic, or parabolic inserts.

In-field specialists are available to help you with technical support.

Contact us at (03) 5336-3233

www.brunnerlay.com

“WE ARE PARTNERING WITH RCT TO DELIVER SEMI-AUTONOMOUS SOLUTIONS TO THE PROJECT. THIS INVOLVES USING RCT’S CONTROLMASTER GUIDANCE AUTOMATION ON THREE SANDVIK LOADERS TO OPERATE IN THE NARROW-VEIN UNDERGROUND MINE” “This project involves operating the entire mine with our whole skillset, which at various stages involves sophisticated technology,” Ramage says. “We have introduced analytical tools and automated loaders where operators can control them from the surface.”

A newer project at Rothsay, albeit smaller, also showcases the company’s innovative spirit.

Nestled in Western Australia’s Yalgoo Goldfield, the mine is owned

by Silver Lake Resources, which appointed Redpath Australia as its underground mining contractor in April this year, further proof that the industry is functioning close to normal during the age of COVID-19.

50 | APAC Outlook issue 46

The deflector gold-copper mine is around 85 kilometres from Rothsay and 300 kilometres from Perth, and produced its first gold in May 2016.

Redpath is responsible for the next four years of development production activities within the mine and once more technology is heavily involved.

“We are partnering with RCT to deliver semi-autonomous solutions to the project,” Ramage says. “This involves using RCT’s ControlMaster Guidance Automation on three Sandvik loaders to operate in the narrow-vein underground mine.

“We will be able to have a single machine operator manage the loader fleet from either the surface or secure work zones inside the mine.

Penske Australia Through the provision of world-leading Allison Series 6000 transmissions and OM Series 900 engines, Penske Australia proudly supports Redpath Australia’s operations across underground mining sites nationally.

With Allison transmissions installed in mining dump trucks, and OM engines powering hard rock mining equipment, the effective operation of these products is crucial to Redpath’s productivity.

Penske’s branch network and field service teams back Redpath with tailored service and parts support, working closely with Redpath ensuring engines and transmissions are maintained to industry-leading standards with premium service and genuine parts delivering optimal performance of Redpath’s critical assets.

www.penske.com.au

MINING

Brunner & Lay Mining & Construction Tools American made and Family owned since 1882

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Penske Australia Penske Australia proudly supports Redpath Australia’s operations across underground mining sites nationally.

Penske’s extensive branch network and field service teams back Redpath with tailored service and parts support, working closely with Redpath ensuring engines and transmissions are maintained to industry‐leading standards with premium service and genuine parts delivering optimal performance of Redpath’s critical assets.

penske.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 51

REDPATH AUSTRALIA

KEY SERVICES BREAKDOWN Redpath Australia is able to offer a range of services throughout the country and wider Asia Pacific region. These include: TRADITIONAL UNDERGROUND METALLIFEROUS SERVICES: • Development • Production • Specialised ground support (including mechanised cabolting and fibrecreting) VERTICAL DEVELOPMENTS: • Raiseboring • Shaft construction • Shaft equipping • Shaft rehabilitation CIVIL SERVICES: • Transfer tunnels • Roadway tunnels • Rail tunnels COAL SERVICES: • Drift construction • Underground roadway development • Conveyor installation and removal • Conveyor maintenance • Ventilation control device installation • Installation of services • Roadway construction and maintenance, including concreting • Installation of secondary support • Provision of outbye services

“Automation is an important innovation component of our business as it allows productivity to remain consistent across shift change and blasting times. The adoption of emerging technology such as this reinforces our commitment towards the implementation of our technology roadmap over the next three years.”

LOOKING AHEAD Crucial to this implementation will be the continued support of agile, innovative partners.

Ramage is quick to acknowledge this, explaining how the success of Redpath relies on a series of relationships with peers across the entire supply chain.

“Our suppliers are incredibly important to us, and we understand the value in building these partnerships,” he adds. “Implementing new solutions is always challenging, and working together is the only way we can achieve positive results.

Mixers Australia We have extensive experience in supplying specialty jobs for various customers such as hydraulic drive swing augers, solar powered eyewash, freestanding diesel drive mixers and more.

Our director, Luke Forbes, is a qualified heavy diesel mechanic and through his 40 years of experience has developed extensive knowledge in the field of mechanics and hydraulics as well as the manufacturing of transit mixers and replacement barrels. The experience and knowledge that Luke holds combined with that of all our staff here at Mixers Australia, ensures we bring you the right advice and products to suit your needs.

We offer both in house and onsite servicing, inspections and repairs with the added bonus of having an inspection/weigh schedule set up to suit the customers’ requirements whether it be quarterly, six-monthly or annually.

www.mixersaustralia.com

Northside Sandblasting & Painting Our aim is to provide quality commercial and industrial sandblasting and painting services to our customers, on time and on budget.

We can handle a range of different sized jobs. Our blast booth is 14m long x 4m wide x 4m high and we have three different sized paint booths ranging from 8m long x 3m wide x 3.5m high to 15m long x 5m wide x 4m high. Some of our past jobs include; underground machines, shipping containers, concrete agitators, gantries and lighthouse hand rails and platforms.

Northside Sandblasting & Painting is proudly Australian owned and operated. We look forward to assisting you with all your asset protection needs. office@northsidesandblasting.com.au

52 | APAC Outlook issue 46

MINING

Mixers Australia is the largest 100% Australian owned transit mixer manufacturing business in Australia. We have over 40 years’ experience in the manufacture of cement mixers and cement trucks for both mining and building industries in Australia and abroad.

We stock a range of spare parts not just for our cement mixers but also the specialty jobs we build and if we don’t have it in stock we will endeavour to source it as quick as possible for our customers.

CJD EQUIPMENT YOUR PARTNERS IN EXPERIENCE PROUDLY SUPPORTING

Supplying Volvo Construction Equipment to Australian markets for almost three decades, CJD Equipment has built a reputation as one of the most successful privately owned equipment distributors in Australia.

Contact us on 07 3267 0800 to see how we can help you today.

BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE www.cjd.com.au | 1300 139 804 | enquiries@cjd.com.au Facebook.com/cjdequipment

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Sunstate Fasteners

Supplier of All Fasteners and Fixings Only 10 minutes north of the Gateway Bridge and easily accessible from the Gateway Motorway, Northside Sandblasting and Painting has been operating for over 35 years.

Our business hours: Monday to Thursday - 7:00am till 3:45pm Friday - 7:00am till 12 noon CONTACT US office@northsidesandblasting.com.au or 0732670800 to discuss your requirements.

With over 80 Years of Experience in the Industry, Sunstate Fasteners is your chosen Supplier for all your Fasteners and Fixings.

Plus, Authorised Distributor of IRONCLAD KONG GLOVES

• Bolts • Nuts • Washers • Screws • Rivets • Threaded Rod • Masonry Anchors 12 Container Street, Tingalpa, QLD 4173, Australia T +61 7 3890 5599 E sales@sunstatefasteners.com.au www.sunstatefasteners.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 53

REDPATH AUSTRALIA

A BRIEF HISTORY

Mining in Australia Minerals began to be produced in Australia in large quantities from the early days of European settlement at Sydney Cove in the late 1700s.

The first metal mined was lead at Glen Osmond, in South Australia, in 1841. At the time, agricultural products were the country’s main exports, but metals such as lead and copper quickly became more lucrative commodities to sell abroad.

It wasn’t long before the goldrushes of the 1850s catapulted Australia onto the global mining stage – by this time it was producing around 40 percent of the world’s supply of gold.

In the 1870s, the country became an important producer of tin following a discovery at Mount Bischoff in Tasmania, with several of the great mines being established in the likes of Mount Morgan, Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie, to name but a few.

The early 20th century saw production volumes decline, the 1960s seeing a ramping up of exploration activities and discovery of various ‘new’ metals. Discoveries such as bauxite (the source of aluminium), nickel, tungsten, rutile (the source of titanium), uranium, oil and natural gas followed a resurgence of interest in Australia’s mineral resources.

Today, Australia remains one of the world’s leading mineral resources nations.

54 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“We’re at a stage now where we’re about to go back out to market and begin tendering on some of these partnerships and, being a contractor, we’re always looking for that edge that will help us boost our productivity and provide a superior service to mine owners.”

As well as successful delivery of projects, Redpath’s credentials can also be displayed through a series of awards and recognition obtained over the years.

In 2019, for example, it was shortlisted as a finalist in the National Safety Awards of Excellence for the SIBS Secondary Activation Innovation mechanism. Another safety related recognition came in 2017 when the company received the Queensland Mining Industry Innovation Award for the Safe Stop Anti Door Jam Unit.

At the 2015 Queensland Mining Health & Safety Conference, Redpath was a finalist in the Innovation Award category for its Agitator Sonar

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Discharging System, while in the same year the firm received a Highly Commended Award for the ‘Brighter Days’ Mental Health Initiative at the Queensland Mining Industry Health Program Awards.

The fact that many of these awards fall into the category of health and safety underlines Redpath’s dedication to the welfare of its employees.

It operates with the mantra that ‘employees are able to keep SAFETY FIRST, LAST, AND ALWAYS top of mind’, a statement which stands as true today as it did when the company was founded well over half a century ago. This revolves around central concepts, including a five-point safety system, internal responsibility systema and continuous dialogue between employees and management. Training is also critical to this end.

Such awards also highlight the company’s commitment to innovation.

Here, internal collaboration is hugely

important, the MD pointing to current innovations within the global Redpath group which are being rolled out across its divisions.

Internal collaboration is equally important, the MD pointing to innovations within the global Redpath group which are being rolled out across its divisions.

These include new HR and maintenance systems, the premise being to standardise quality and processes across the board, no matter what part of the world Redpath is operating in.

In terms of the prospects for the Australian business, Ramage remains in a confident mood about what the future has in store. Yes, COVID-19 will not be disappearing anytime soon, but the industry remains in relatively good health despite the disruption caused.

Looking ahead, he concludes: “In terms of COVID-19 and what that throws at us, we’re always looking to improve our safety procedures and

ensure our employees are as safe as possible.

“This will help ensure we grow our business in Australia in a controlled and manageable way that doesn’t result in any standards dropping. I would like to achieve a revenue growth of around 50 percent over the next couple of years and, given the activity in the industry at the moment, this is certainly attainable.

“The market is healthy right now, and the opportunities will continue to emerge. There will be competition for those opportunities, but Redpath is strongly placed to win our share.”

REDPATH AUSTRALIA Tel: +61 7 3868 5000 info.australia@redpathmining.com.au www. redpathmining.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 55

MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES

MINING

Mineral

Mastery Australia’s Mineral Technologies is a go-to for mineral processing solutions, its industry-leading products deployed around the world are the result of an innovation-driven company culture Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

The world economy in general is in a tough place with the full impact of COVID-19 still to be realised, and Australia is not exempt by any means as it heads into a recession.

Compounded by a poor manufacturing competitiveness index, it is tough to compete against the world’s larger manufacturing countries.”

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Alex De Andrade was casting a pessimistic light on Australia’s current industrial prospects.

Orator of these opening words, the General Manager of Mineral Technologies (MT) is actually something of a stout optimist, despite the obvious challenges that have been exacerbated throughout the course of 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic.

Indeed, for De Andrade and MT, what recent months have amplified is the reward to be reaped from innovating and thinking differently.

“A declining manufacturing sector coupled with a slowing COVID affected economy requires companies to focus on improving efficiencies and developing high quality products and

When I was approached to join Mineral Technologies, it was an easy career decision as it provided me with a perfect balance of hands-on operational management combined with strategic management

services – and these challenges make it a very exciting space to be working in,” he continues.

“High value niche products and specialised services require innovation and advanced skills, and this is an area in which Australia has real capability and opportunity.

“Government, businesses and the private sector need to collectively invest in technology, developing key skills and continuous improvement to drive Australia’s competitive advantage and to create the jobs and manufacturing technologies of the future.”

Mineral Technologies ticks all three of these boxes.

Recognised as a global leader in mineral processing solutions, the firm is part of the Downer Group, a leading provider of infrastructure services in Australia and across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand.

Having started out 80 years ago, MT has gathered formidable expertise across a huge range of minerals including iron ore, mineral and silica sands, coal, chromite, gold, tin, tungsten, tantalum and other fine minerals, its 250 staff spread across four continents in numerous teams.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 57

MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

ALEX DE ANDRADE Q: How did you come to pursue a career in the mining industry?

A: “My father had a precision metal works factory and from a very young age I was making gadgets and indirectly learning a trade which has helped me tremendously in my career. It was clear to me throughout my schooling years that mechanical engineering was an obvious transition for me. I was fortunate to get an apprenticeship with a company called Joy Mining Machinery (recently acquired by Komatsu), and through a very well structured programme I was exposed to all aspects of the mining industry including many long hours underground on longwall shifts through to servicing, designing and then managing product lines whilst being supported by some great mentors who are some of my best friends today.

These teams produce and deploy solutions covering metallurgical testing, plant design and equipment supply, transforming ore bodies into valuable commodities for customers at home and abroad.

It is renowned for its spiral technology-powered gravity seperation range of equipment, and OEM producing centrifugal, magnetic and electrostatic separation solutions which are manufactured in-house to high ISO9001:2015 quality standards.

“In addition, the company has a full scale laboratory and testing facility that can offer process guarantees to our flowsheets with a strong R&D and innovation focus, which brings to reality new technologies and innovations in equipment and plant design solutions such as compact easy to operate modular plants, mobile mining units, innovative surge bin technology and 3D printing,” adds De Andrade.

“When I was approached to join Mineral Technologies, it was an easy career decision as it provided me with a perfect balance of hands-on operational management combined with strategic management (being part of a larger corporate company). Designing, developing and manufacturing some of the world’s best mineral separation products and services with the greatest team of people who are keen to continuously improve is very rewarding.”

Alex De Andrade (left) with Thomas Romeijn

58 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Nut & Bolt Factory The Nut and Bolt Factory is an industrial fastener wholesaler that has been trading since 1988 supplying fasteners, tools and associated building products.

Supplying key industries such as: • • • • • •

Construction Manufacturing Steel fabrication Mining Local government Schools and theme parks

The company’s head office is in Yatala with a regional branch in Toowoomba.

Nut and Bolt Factory has had a working relationship with Mineral Technologies for over 10 years providing quality product and service at competitive pricing. Its experienced sales team and product knowledge can help solve any issue that may arise.

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MINING

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“Supported by front end business development teams globally who have metallurgy and process backgrounds, along with highly skilled customer service technicians and spare parts support in the field on the back end, this makes Mineral Technologies a preferred end to end choice.”

GOLD STANDARD The General Manager goes on to explain how MT’s portfolio of equipment and solutions has been subject to constant refinement, innovation and enhancement, a process of continuous improvement which, combined with regular releases of new products, keeps the company well ahead of the industry curve.

Its approach with customers is also entirely bespoke. After closely analysing a customer’s ground or ore body via its purpose-built metallurgical testing laboratory, MT will decide which smart flowsheet will produce the most cost-efficient

process before producing a compact plant layout that incorporates any bespoke equipment required.

And because everything is managed, manufactured and thoroughly tested in-house, it can offer customers peace of mind in terms of safety and financials.

“Every percentage of valuable mineral lost in a process circuit equates to many millions of dollars left behind over the life span of the mine,” De Andrade adds. “Furthermore, it results in additional digging up of earthly deposits and unnecessary impacts on the environment as mining efficiencies are not maximised due to substandard equipment performance.”

This would not be possible without the 250 dedicated employees that keep the MT machine running on a daily basis.

De Andrade is quick to praise the endeavour and skill within the company, what he describes as the most rewarding part of the job.

“Only last week we ran a morning tea feedback discussion with 12 people, and the collective tenure among them was 80 years, which shows that when people arrive here, they stay with us,” he says. “The knowledge base here is without doubt what makes MT innovative and able to create cutting edge products better than the rest.

“Investing in our workforce and teams is key. We support multiple apprenticeships each year and were awarded the ‘WPC Group’ recognition for Employer of the Year for our commitment in training and skills development two years ago.”

This is underlined by frequent and meaningful employee engagement, De Andrade pointing to regular surveys, mentorship programmes and meet and greats – these involve monthly sit downs where randomly selected employees are invited to have an open discussion. Another priority is to boost diversity within the company, APAC Outlook issue 46 | 59

MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES

especially in leadership roles where currently two of 11 roles on its advanced leadership training programme are currently filled by women.

Indeed, engagement (which also applies to customers), forms a key part of the lean principles which MT identifies itself with, another pull factor for workers being the company’s location on the Gold Coast.

“We’re located a couple of kilometres from arguably the most popular stretch of coastline in Australia,” De Andrade says. “We also offer flexibility in terms of hours, with some teams starting at 4am and they can be on the beach by lunchtime after a solid day’s contribution.”

PRODUCTS IN ACTION So, what are some of the specialised products that MT’s people are responsible for developing?

The General Manager highlights several innovations that are currently making waves in mines all over the world, the first being the Mobile Mining Unit (MMU) which is designed for sites where traditional dredging is either not physically possible or financially viable.

60 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DELIVERING FOUR MOBILE MINING UNITS OVER 30 MONTHS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF DIFFICULT TO REACH MINERAL SAND DEPOSITS, WHERE TRADITIONAL MINING METHODS DIDN’T STACK UP AS THE BEST BUSINESS CASE” MMUs are especially suited to sand environments that include organics such as tree roots, light clay and soft or friable rock, where they can reduce operating costs and heighten safety standards by eliminating the need for conventional truck and shovel mining.

These are currently being delivered for chemical company and MT customer Chemours, based in North America.

“We are in the process of delivering four mobile mining units over 30 months for the extraction of difficult to reach mineral sand deposits, where traditional mining methods didn’t stack up as the best business case,” De Andrade says.

“MT has designed, manufactured, delivered and commissioned three of the MMUs with the fourth unit due to be commissioned in Q4 2020.”

De Andrade also points to an

extension of the company’s flagship electrostatic separation range as an exciting product development.

“The new HTR400 delivers increased throughput and next generation technology along with the benefits of greater flexibility in configuration as well as improved usability and ease of maintenance,” he continues.

“These machines have been developed to offer additional sensor adoption and through IoT connected devices they can be set up to offer a live dashboard to the operator’s mobile device for key setpoint prompts and optimisation recommendation messages.

“Coupled with glassless composite material electrodes, the cost of spares and fragile damage in traditional electrodes is overcome and far safer to store and maintain without compromise to performance.”

MINING

SUPPLIER STRENGTH Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? ALEX DE ANDRADE: “As an international company with multiple global offices and factory locations, we have a very broad supply chain and procurement reach with global inventory consignments all over the world that need to be replenished on time to uphold critical mass levels for our customers.

“For this to succeed we have many strong vendor relationships which are more than just suppliers but actual partners to MT. In Australia we have proven polymer raw material partners that make special intellectual property protected recipes for our products. We have injection moulders as well high precision machining and fabrication partners in Brisbane and in Johannesburg.

“We also have a spiral factory partner in South Africa to support local projects and overflow from our Carrara facility, as well as our own customer service centre hub, carrying out wet high intensity magnetic refurbishments in our Richards Bay factory.

“We also have long standing fabrication and assembly partners in Brazil, India and USA. The value of these long-standing partnerships has really shown during COVID-19, as MT has been able to continue manufacturing all the way through without closing the factory, and the strong balance between local and offshore supply ratio has kept MT well stocked whist exercising new levels of social distancing and one-way traffic workflows in our factories.”

The third product example carries the name of its creator in chief.

Inspired by development team leader John Lyons, the Lyons Feed Control Unit (LFCU) delivers worldbeating feed control technology in the form of a smart surge bin, a solution which enables consistent slurry density at the LFCU discharge point.

“While these units were initially utilised to stabilise and control the feed to processing plants, we are now also finding application in stabilising tailings discharges and in desliming and upgrading fine heavy mineral feeds,” the General Manager adds.

“The stable density and feed control are benefits to the process, but the main benefit to MT’s customer is the fine particle separation with much less water than competing technologies require.”

In Western Australia, Mineral Technologies is currently fabricating 10 LFCUs for a world-renowned iron ore miner, one of several deployments of its equipment across the country.

Indeed, another cost-effective process solution comes in the form of MT’s new range of modular mineral plants.

Metallurgical testing

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 61

MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES Building on 80 years of engineering prowess, these are ideally sized for road, rail and ocean freight, meaning they can easily be transported to mining sites and are easily assembled (up to half the time taken for conventionally constructed plants).

Through an agreement with Primero, the company is also aiming to commence two major Australian mineral sands projects by the end of 2020, a development which should see the MT modular design segments

form the overall solution for the wet concentrator plant and mineral separation plant.

Away from Australia, in Senegal, MT delivered engineering services and equipment to the largest mineral sands plant in the world at Grande Côte Operations. Here, the company conducted the first metallurgical testing, designed the wet concentrator plant and delivered process equipment including gravity spirals and LFCUs, as well as a bespoke 7,000

‘AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA, IN SENEGAL, MT DELIVERED ENGINEERING SERVICES AND EQUIPMENT TO THE LARGEST MINERAL SANDS PLANT IN THE WORLD AT GRAND CÔTE’

62 | APAC Outlook issue 46

tph surge bin and tails densification modules.

Another mineral sands separation module (2,500 tph) is being delivered to a customer in South Africa near MT’s factory in Richard’s Bay, while chrome tailings recovery solutions have also been developed for the major chromite producers (including Samancor). The Samancor modular plants leverage the latest wet high intensity magnetic technology, a system which processes existing waste

MINING streams from current operations, essentially recovering what the conventional plants leave behind.

“Goes without saying as the world’s leading gravity separation product manufacturer that MT has also developed and improved multiple spiral models recently, as every percentage of separation efficiency equates to cash for our customers,” says De Andrade. “Spiral models include the CT1, CS1, LC1, HC34, WW7 and an automated range. Some of

which are currently undergoing final testing regimes globally and specifically in North America at some of the world’s largest Canadian based iron ore mines.”

REMAINING RELEVANT These are just some of the examples of MT’s solutions at work.

The company is proudly engaged in projects at various stages in India, Brazil, Madagascar, South Africa, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Vietnam, Egypt,

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, USA and Mozambique, the aim very much being to expand this global presence in Western Australia and Europe in the coming years.

Central to this will be keeping its offering fresh and relevant, something which its R&D team will continue to drive thanks to MT’s financial commitment to its work – each year between 15 and 20 percent of profits are channelled into these efforts.

De Andrade adds: “We have a clear

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 63

MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES technology roadmap, and currently our focus is on supporting the new products previously discussed, while also enhancing our existing equipment ranges with IoT connected sensors and feedback loops that offer an intelligent product service over and above just a high-quality performing product.

“This means products that offer the operator or owner a prompt message when its optimal set points have slipped or where optimisation is possible by adjusting a simple setting.”

Mineral Technologies is also determined to offer more employment opportunities in the fields of additive manufacturing and automated

Inspired by development team leader John Lyons, the Lyons Feed Control Unit (LFCU) delivers world-beating feed control technology in the form of a smart surge bin, a solution which enables consistent slurry density at the LFCU discharge point 64 | APAC Outlook issue 46

production systems, the development of industry skills also viewed as key to both the company’s and Australia’s standing as a global pioneer in mining technology.

For instance, it is mentoring various studies in collaboration with educational institutions, the idea being to yield faster development cycles and tap into skills that exist outside of the organisation. Internally, MT runs a series of projects under the label of ‘voice of the customer’, again ensuring it avoids slipping into being what De Andrade terms an organisation with a sell by date.

This leads the General Manager to outline his priorities for the coming year as the conversation draws to a close.

Although 2020 has presented enormous challenges in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, De Andrade is optimistic that numerous targets can and will be met, not least because several exciting mineral sands projects are expected to commence in Australia by the end of Q4.

Employee wellbeing, both physical and mental, remains the number one priority on site, in company factories and offices, and at home, with many staff having to work remotely. Virtual engagement will be crucial here, both in terms of internal communication and with customers, another aim being to maintain or even improve the amount of time spent engaging with customers.

MINING “MAINTAINING THAT BALANCE OF EXPERIENCE AND UP AND COMING MANAGEMENT WILL BE KEY FOR THE NEXT 80 YEARS OF MT”

And in a nod to the futuristic, Mineral Technologies will be utilising augmented reality and headsets linked to its latest equipment manuals and maintenance procedures for key equipment ranges.

This would not have been imaginable 80 years ago when the company was founded, De Andrade quick to remind us that MT and its employees have a tremendous legacy to uphold.

It is a fitting place to end, as the General Manager concludes: “We have several people who have been with MT for more than 40 years and are linked to some of our original product inventors, which I believe is something special. Hearing some of their stories is both fascinating and inspirational in many ways, and we are planning to make a book full of archive material to celebrate our past.

“Maintaining that balance of experience and up and coming management will be key for the next 80 years of MT. This succession planning, in combination with embracing industry 4.0 principles and innovation of new products, should create the winning formula for us moving forwards.”

MINERAL TECHNOLOGIES Tel: +61 7 5569 1300 www.mineraltechnologies.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 65

MESINIAGA BERHAD

66 | APAC Outlook issue 46

TECHNOLOGY

Helping Customers Succeed Mesiniaga Berhad has been a mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story – the company has been providing best-in-class IT products and services since it was established in 1981 Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 67

MESINIAGA BERHAD

M

alaysia’s IT sector is no small contributor to the nation’s economy.

According to a Gartner estimate, spending on technology products and services reached $15.5 billion in 2019, an increase of 4.6 percent on 2018 which is well above the global average (3.2 percent).

Malaysia’s National Industry 4.0 Policy is the country’s action plan for catalysing the adoption of emerging technologies to increase productivity and competitiveness across industry sectors, the vision being to elevate the country to a primary destination for high-technology industries.

A constant throughout the nation’s recent technological rise has been Mesiniaga Berhad.

“Mesiniaga was established on December 17, 1981 at a time when the country’s IT industry was still in its infancy,” explains Datuk Wan Mohamed Fusil, the firm’s current CEO. “The establishment was in response

Datuk Wan Mohamed Fusil, Mesiniaga Berhad, CEO

to the government’s aspiration to increase local participation in the technology industry.”

Fusil explains that a plan was developed to cultivate local entrepreneurial talent and involved utilising a pool of readily available talents in IBM, and incorporating a company that would serve as IBM’s sole dealer and agent in Malaysia.

“The team was headed by the late Ismail Sulaiman, who was formerly the General Manager of IBM Malaysia,” he continues. “With a team of 50 ex-IBM personnel, Mesiniaga became fully operational on January 1, 1982 with a paid-up capital of RM500,000 ($120,000).

“Since then, Mesiniaga has been in the technology business for almost four decades. What started out as a company selling IBM office products has now evolved into a multi-platform business solutions provider with a paid-up capital of RM60.4 million ($14.5 million).”

STRENGTH IN SUPPLIERS Q: How important are partner and supplier relationships to the success of your business?

Datuk Wan Mohamed Fusil: “We are proud and honoured to be continuously associated with the biggest and brightest brands in the market.

“I believe that it is important for Mesiniaga to have a strong relationship with our key technology partners that will allow us to be in a position to keep our engineers updated with the latest technical knowhow, and for our sales team to be able to iterate the various value propositions from these brands to aid in positioning the right solutions that will provide the best outcome for our customers.

Testament to our partnerships with known technological partners are our premier statuses among many of the brands, and the many awards that we have picked up over the past years.

“Aside from technology partners, a key component of how we deliver on our projects is our relationship with distributors, who play a key role in ensuring we balance our inventories by providing just-in-time supplies of equipment and goods required for a successful rollout. Among others, Netpoleon has been a reliable partner of ours, by supplying us with security solutions with admirable working relations. Other notable distributors that we work with include M.Tech, VSTECS and Glocomp.”

68 | APAC Outlook issue 46

TECHNOLOGY

“AS OF THIS YEAR, WE HAVE BEGUN EXPANDING OUR PORTFOLIO OF SERVICES TO INCLUDE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO ASSIST SMES”

that we have developed for the larger enterprises can be repackaged to provide comprehensive enterprise grade solutions at affordable prices for the SME market.”

ADAPTABLE AND AGILE Indeed, today the firm stands proud as an enterprise solutions integrator specialising in complex IT solutions and project management for its customers, along with postimplementation services and nationwide technical support to clients who have branch operations throughout Malaysia.

Key offerings include IT outsourcing services, ranging from total IT operations to cloud management and security services.

Mesiniaga’s technical expertise spans numerous categories such as in system infrastructure, security, enterprise and telco networks,

customised application development and change management, its current team standing at more than 1,200 people spread across the country. Key sites include its HQ at Subang Jaya and offices in Pulau Pinang, Johor Bahru and 22 other nationwide service locations.

“Traditionally we have been a technology company that serves the large enterprise and public sector market space,” adds Fusil.

“However, as of this year, we have begun expanding our portfolio of services to include technologies that will be able to assist SMEs, as we have realised that pockets of solutions

This year has also shown Mesiniaga’s ability to adapt to the unexpected.

With 2020’s agenda disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CEO explains how the company has had to accelerate adoption of more flexible and remote working, all the while being able to serve its customers without any drop in the level of service.

“As simple as the idea of working from anywhere may seem, the actual mechanisation of the processes, equipment, policies, culture, productivity measurements all had to be taken into account and finetuned to allow for operations to run smoothly,” Fusil explains.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 69

The Mindset Shift Felt ‘Round the World Data from the global survey The New Remote Work Era: Trends in the Distributed Workforce

A new global survey1 of 5,700 IT, HR and business decision makers conducted by Vanson Bourne, in partnership with VMware and Dell looked at how employees are adapting to remove work and the shifting attitudes that will dictate the future of the workforce.

Data from

The New R Trends in

Perk vs. prerequisite Prior to the global pandemic, the ability to work remotely was widely regarded as ‘nice to have,’ not something most employees would expect.

But having seen the benefits directly, many now consider a remote work option to be a crucial component of employee experience.

68 %

agree their stress levels have improved

76 %

The ‘Rou

Respondents who considered remote work to be a prerequisite (rather than a perk):

agree personal connections with colleagues have improved

59 minutes a day

average time saved commuting and getting ready for work

1. Global survey conducted between June and July of 2020. Survey included 5,700 IT, HR and business decision makers— conducted by Vanson Bourne, in partnership with VMware and Dell.

42%

A new globa conducted b looked at ho attitudes tha For Respondents in North America, the contrast was especially stark compared to respondents in EMEA or APAC:

Perk v

41% Prior to the g 23% was widely r employees w Prior to the pandemic directly, man Once businesses return to a normal working environment a crucial com 30%

Boomers embrace remote work

Mindset Shift Felt und the World Perhaps counter intuitively, older cohorts seem to be embracing remote work even more readily than their younger counterparts.

“Our IT is not equipped to manage a remote workforce”

the global survey

Meanwhile, respondents in government are more likely to cite technical challenges:

Central government

42%

listed in top 3 challenges

Local government

40%

listed in top 3 challenges

Average

32%

listed in top 3 challenges

Remote Work Era: Interestingly, these respondents in government also experienced some of the the Distributed Workforce most positive shifts in perception regarding the importance of remote options: Respondents who considered remote work to be a prerequisite (rather than a perk)

Central Local al survey1 of 5,700 IT, HR and business makers Average — governmentdecision government

by Vanson Bourne,Prior into the partnership with and Dell30% — pandemic 14% VMware 21% ow employees are Once adapting businesses can to remote work and the shifting return to a normal working 36% environment 42% 39% at will dictate the future of the workforce.

Change over time

22 points

18 points

vs. prerequisite

12 points

Despite experiencing some challenges in implementation, even the most traditional organizations are increasingly embracing remote work as the rule, rather than the exception.

global pandemic, the ability to work remotely A look future regarded astoward ‘nice tothe have,’ not something most would expect. But having seen the benefits It’s becoming clear that employees are experiencing the benefits of remote ny now consider a remote work option to policies. be work and may no longer be content with strictly office-based To compete in this “new normal,” businesses must offer employees the mponent of employee experience. flexibility to work where and how they’re at their best.

Learn more and download the full report at vmware.com/go/distributedtrends

MESINIAGA BERHAD

“Not to say everything is perfect at this stage; we are constantly in a state of improving and enabling a better experience for our employees, our partners, vendors and ultimately our customers to ensure that they are accorded an even better experience than before the pandemic when working with us.”

Although movement restrictions under the government’s Movement Control Order (MCO) are not as severe as they were earlier in the year, Mesiniaga is continuing to embrace flexibility, adopting a hybrid approach towards working with offices serving as collaboration hubs and most work being completed remotely.

Such a shift has required buy-in and commitment from the company’s 1,200 staff, who Fusil describes as the heart and soul of the organisation.

72 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“Recently, due to the shift in how we work because of the new normal, we have noticed individuals in the company that have delivered above and beyond expectations,” he adds.

“Senior management of the company has taken it upon us to recognise and deliver hand-written notes of commendation to those who excel during these trying times.

Other than this, we have always had recommendations from managers and given out respective awards or a token of appreciation to employees.”

To keep employees engaged with company leadership, Mesiniaga organises several activities including fortnightly tea sessions which occur on a rotation basis, the CEO recognising the challenge of maintaining this regular dialogue while enabling colleagues to work remotely.

“WE ARE CONSTANTLY IN A STATE OF IMPROVING AND ENABLING A BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR PARTNERS, VENDORS AND ULTIMATELY OUR CUSTOMERS TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE ACCORDED AN EVEN BETTER EXPERIENCE THAN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC WHEN WORKING WITH US”

TECHNOLOGY

To keep employees engaged with company leadership, Mesiniaga organises several activities including fortnightly tea sessions which occur on a rotation basis, the CEO recognising the challenge of maintaining this regular dialogue while enabling colleagues to work remotely

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 73

ESG: AI leaders with advanced servers outperform laggards.

According to an ESG survey, organisations that run artificial intelligence workloads on modernised IT with advanced servers improve business results, grow revenue and outperform competitors that do not.

Read full ESG report

“AI-mature� organisations reap significant advantages in business intelligence, analytics, cybersecurity and more.

AI maturity depends on hardware and software being integrated seamlessly into a modernised data centre for speed, accuracy and efficiency. AI-mature organisations are:

3.3x

More likely to outperform competitors in digital marketing effectiveness*

3.1x

More likely to outperform competitors in customer experience and support*

Modernised IT improves the value of AI. AI leaders with AI-optimised compute are nearly 8x more likely than laggards to say AI is very effective at driving value in their organisations,* with results such as:

2.3x

More likely to outperform competitors in product development*

18%

Average improvement in customer spend*

21%

Average reduction in business risk*

19%

Average improvement in decision speed*

Servers optimised for AI improve the revenue impact of AI initiatives.

AI leaders drive more than

AI leaders are

10%

6.6x

of revenue from AI*

more likely to say all revenue from AI is incremental*

What advanced technologies are AI leaders using?

Organisations seeing the most success with AI have fundamentally more modern IT environments and use advanced compute technologies with these key capabilities:

Modern servers with extensive automation Accelerators like GPUs or FPGAs Converged/hyper-converged infrastructure

Drive AI value with advanced servers from Dell Technologies.

It’s clear: modern technologies separate AI leaders from laggards. Whether you are embarking on your AI journey or taking next steps, PowerEdge servers — with extensive automation and embedded support — can help you achieve your AI goals.

Read full ESG report

*Based on ESG Research Insight Paper commissioned by Dell EMC and Intel, “Three Transformational Compute Technologies Veried to Accelerate AI and Business Value,” November 2019.

Based on a survey of 750 global IT decision makers. Actual results will vary. Full paper: https://www.dellemc.com/en-us/collaterals/unauth/analyst-reports/products/servers/esg-three-transformationalcompute-technologies-veried-to-accelerate-ai-and-business-value-en.pdf

MESINIAGA BERHAD

Lenovo Putting employees first and elevating your company’s work from home model The global pandemic has abruptly forced many companies to quickly adjust to working remotely despite the Movement Control Order ending.

Notwithstanding the implementation of SOP and modifications in workplaces, Lenovo continues to focus on providing a positive employee experience while working remotely.

“ANOTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ENHANCING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS THROUGH MANAGING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION... WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED MULTIPLE INITIATIVES THAT ARE AIMED AT IMPROVING SERVICE DELIVERY AND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CUSTOMER NEEDS” HELPING CUSTOMERS SUCCEED Maintaining a motivated, dedicated team will be critical for Mesiniaga moving forward in its mission to Help Customers Succeed.

This drive, for Fusil, is what enables the company to stand apart in the field.

“Technology trends constantly evolve, resulting in innovation fluidity with how companies do business,” he says. “Across the board, companies these days are always on the lookout for solutions that will give them an edge over their competitors. As such, Mesiniaga strives for ways to provide our customers with an experience that will allow them to achieve their business goals.

“This is the reason we have made 76 | APAC Outlook issue 46

it our mission to Help Customers Succeed, by delivering technology and business solutions to improve customers’ business efficiency, productivity and competitive edge, as well as to create new business opportunities for them.”

Client understanding and engagement is crucial to this end, Mesiniaga basing its customer interactions around professionalism and empathy at all stages of projects.

“Another important element in enhancing customer experience is through managing customer satisfaction,” Fusil adds. “Hence, we have implemented multiple initiatives that are aimed at improving service delivery and our understanding of customer needs.

Many employees who were not accustomed to working remotely are still finding it difficult to stay focussed and productive, especially if introduced to new company-owned devices and software programmes with limited accessibility to the company’s IT helpdesk. Here are several options to help employees overcome challenges and provide a positive experience: 1. Educate. Providing virtual trainings on new software or hardware that they received for a thorough technical understanding.

2. Support. Consider easing the workload of your IT staff and help bolster your IT helpdesk capabilities with Lenovo Premier Support.

3. Engage. Encourage business meetings and team meet-ups by video conferencing that allows actual face time with one another.

4. Protect and Secure. Secure and manage endpoints beyond the office walls with Lenovo’s ThinkShield that combines innovation, processes and partnerships to protect businesses against digital security threats.

5. Reflect and Plan. Lenovo Services has curated a list of work from home solutions that you may also find helpful to not only support your devices, but configure, deploy and manage them cost effectively.

Companies that use this time to implement initial tools and processes that move them closer to digital transformation, will be better positioned to make more concrete steps in the future.

MESINIAGA BERHAD

Netpoleon Netpoleon Group is a Value-Added Distributor (VAD) of Network Security products, headquartered in Singapore with various full-fledged offices across APAC. Netpoleon began its journey in 2000, and has constantly reinvented itself to keep abreast of the dynamic needs of the evolving IT landscape. In the process, Netpoleon has established itself as a regional player and a leader in the Southeast Asian Network and Cybersecurity Industry.

Through its strong partnership with channel partners, Netpoleon has gained a strong foothold in several highly demanding industries namely the financial services sector where data protection is a key competitive edge for the businesses, the telecommunication sector which is a critical information infrastructure and also the public sector where highly secure and protected environment is required to protect governmental classified information.

“...THE CENTRAL THEME IS TO CREATE AN OFFERING REVOLVED AROUND HELPING SMES TO ENTER THE DIGITAL WORLD IN A WAY THAT IS EASY TO ENACT AND AFFORDABLE” “Our people are already acknowledged as having superior technical skills, mainly because we actively encourage them to pursue or upgrade their professional certifications. They also undergo numerous soft skills training sessions in order to improve their understanding of customer requirements and how best to meet them. The end objective of these initiatives is to give our customers full confidence to deal with Mesiniaga.”

And such customers are likely to include more small and medium-sized enterprises, a priority for the coming year very much being to serve a 78 | APAC Outlook issue 46

greater range of customers.

This has involved developing a range of products and services suitable for the SME market. Here, the central theme is to create an offering revolved around helping SMEs to enter the digital world in a way that is easy to enact and affordable.

For example, among the products primed for such clients include XyberGuard, Mesiniaga’s all-in-one cybersecurity solution. Another example is Chup, a reservation management application for any business premises, while Lele serves as a digital enablement application for food and drink retailers.

Partnering with major leading technology vendors, Netpoleon continues to value-add the vendor’s offering through pre-and post-sales services, as well as professional advisory services on cybersecurity to its channel partners across the region.

Netpoleon continues to look forward, to aim to be one of the most trusted partner (MTP) to its vendors, resellers and customers.

Further strengthening the company, Netpoleon entered into another phase of growth in 2017, where Macnica Networks Corporation entered into an equity partnership with Netpoleon.

The equity partnership with Macnica, a leading value-added distributor of network security solutions in the Japanese and the world markets, has elevated Netpoleon into the international arena, where it can engage with global market players from its offices in APAC.

www.netpoleons.com

Jul

2000

Established as Value Added Distributor (VAD) since July 2000.

ABOUT NETPOLEON Leading VAD for Network and IT Security Solutions and service in the region.

Regional presence in APAC

Netpoleon Group is a Value-Added Distributor (VAD) in network and security solutions, headquartered in Singapore with various full-fledged offices across APAC region.

Selective of our products & focus on best-of-breed solutions

24/7 Technical Service Support and Advanced Hardware Replacement

Certified Engineers

01

Provide POC & Architecture Design

02

04

WHY NETPOLEON 03

Provide Installation, Implementation, Migration, Commissioning and Reconfiguration

7

05

Certification and Customized Technical Training

06 Regional Growth Opportunity with Netpoleon's Regional Coverage

ADAPTIVE NETPOLEON MALAYSIA SDN BHD Unit 210 & 211, Level 2, Lobby 5, Block C, Damansara Intan, No.1, Jalan SS20/27, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Tel : 03 7118 1818 Fax : 03 7725 5787 Email : my.marketing@netpoleons.com Website : www.netpoleons.com Singapore . Australia . Cambodia . India . Indonesia . Malaysia . Myanmar . Philippines . Thailand . Vietnam

MESINIAGA BERHAD

The company holds start-up programmes and seminars specically targetting SMEs to demonstrate the value of products digitisation solutions

Whether for smaller or large clients, Mesiniaga is also acutely aware of the potential to develop products and services based on how it runs itself as an enterprise.

This is another priority for the CEO moving forwards. “We feel that the expertise and capabilities that we have built throughout the years can be capitalised on in the form of developing in-house systems and 80 | APAC Outlook issue 46

applications to serve the market better,” Fusil says.

“Our approach is to develop better and more affordable digitalisation, monitoring, security, network and infrastructure tools suitable for the different segments of the Malaysian market.”

The CEO cites several examples that will be introduced in the near future, the first being NetSys Care, a

predictive IT infrastructure and device monitoring and maintenance software solution.

Workforce+ is another product due for launch, this being a system that allows remote engineers to be assigned jobs on the go, refer to a knowledge base and create job reports in quick time.

In the area of cloud computing, MB Cloud and Mesiniaga EverGreen are

TECHNOLOGY

“OUR APPROACH IS TO DEVELOP BETTER AND MORE AFFORDABLE DIGITALISATION, MONITORING, SECURITY, NETWORK AND INFRASTRUCTURE TOOLS SUITABLE FOR THE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE MALAYSIAN MARKET”

Mesiniaga-managed cloud services that adapt a hybrid cloud framework to deliver the lowest total cost of ownership for every enterprise’s computing needs.

Finally, Mesiniaga will also offer cybersecurity monitoring as-a-service via its Security Operations Center, recognising that demand for integrated security services will always be a high priority for the company’s customers.

These far-reaching developments leave the CEO full of optimism regarding the next chapter of Mesiniaga’s development, the conversation coming to a close with Fusil looking ahead to what the upcoming year has in store, both in terms of its offering and how this is communicated to the market.

He concludes buoyantly: “To offset the decrease in demand and to offset potential losses in some business segments, Mesiniaga will strategically focus on technologies that may surge during and after COVID-19.

“We will be strengthening our product and service offerings to take advantage of opportunities in the migration of a traditional to a mobile and remote workforce, in ecommerce, in data analytics, in cybersecurity and in cloud services.

“In order to achieve a foothold into the market with our products and services, we have embraced digital

marketing as a means to create greater awareness among those who might not have been familiar with the products and capabilities that we bring to the table.

“We also conclude that our marketing and selling should be enhanced with digital marketing, including emails, SMS, instant messaging, radio, television and online media. This entails an enhancement of our capacity in content writing, to convince potential customers that we are the right choice and that we will ‘Help Customers Succeed’.”

MESINIAGA BERHAD Tel: +603 5635 8828 marketing@mesiniaga.com.my www.mesiniaga.com.my

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 81

QUANTRICS

82 | APAC Outlook issue 46

TECHNOLOGY

People Powered Having opened its doors in the Philippines four years ago, Quantrics has become known for its empowerment of employees, a company culture that has enabled it to thrive commercially Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

S

afeguarding the wellbeing of employees has never been more important.

In a year which continues to be shaped by the coronavirus pandemic, organisations across the region in all industries have invested huge amounts of time and resources into making sure their workplaces are safe for employees.

In the Philippines, the welfare of people has always been top priority for Quantrics, a leading IT development (including business intelligence, web and mobile applications), shared services support and customer experience specialist.

Having opened for business four years ago in Taytay, it now operates from three sites in the country, the other two being located in Naga and San Mateo, bringing the total employment count to over 4,000.

Victor Loo’s remit as Vice President of Human Resources very much covers employee welfare and empowerment.

“What makes Quantrics special and unique in the Philippines is our company culture,” he says proudly.

“We are ‘People Powered’ and believe in the power of the individual to create a better future for our customers, our

communities and ourselves.

“At Quantrics, everyone’s voice matters. We are not hierarchical in any way. We embrace diversity and operate with full transparency. We are protective of this culture and operating framework because we firmly believe that our most critical asset is our people – this fact was further underscored throughout the pandemic as we made conscious decisions to support our employees, their families and the communities in which we operate during these challenging times.”

Indeed, the company ensured all staff were paid at least 80 percent of their salary, with those continuing to work as part of a skeletal operation being renumerated in full. The firm also provided shuttles and food to employees working on site, and provided a generous internet allowance which enabled most of its teams to safely work from home.

Loo himself splits his time between Canada (where Quantrics’ parent company is based) and the Philippines, the pandemic creating obvious difficulties in terms of travelling between the two countries due to lockdown restrictions.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 83

QUANTRICS

CAREER SNAPSHOT

VICTOR LOO “I started my career in recruitment of highly specialised technology personnel. You can say I was thrown in the deep end early on in my career as I was a political science graduate and didn’t have any background in engineering or computer science at all.

“However, I am a very curious person and I certainly wasn’t shy or afraid to ask all the stupid questions. I knew it would be challenging, but I felt that if I immersed myself in the environment with the top engineers in the business, I would very quickly learn how things work, how the business would evolve and what good talent looks like in that particular space. I was speaking like an engineer in no time!

“Specifically, I recruited for network engineers, data centre specialists, cloud computing specialists, business intelligence, security consultants and highlevel sales executives at the B2B enterprise level. I simply loved recruitment and the thrill of seeking out talent in a particularly competitive sector. I really enjoyed the challenge of finding top talent, selling the opportunity to prospective passive candidates and picking the best ones for business leaders within the organisation.

“This love and passion for technology allowed me to expand my interest to state-of-the-art HR technologies and other industries like insurance and animation, where technology in those spaces is also very different.”

However, while 2020 has not been straightforward, he continues to be as impassioned by his people powered role as he was when he first joined the firm in 2018.

“I decided to join Quantrics because I felt it was a phenomenal opportunity,” 84 | APAC Outlook issue 46

he recalls. “I always wondered what it would be like to work overseas – I’m an avid traveller and an adventure seeker, and thought this would be a great experience, and it certainly has been great on many fronts, both personally and professionally.

“I also felt that if I put myself in a situation that was outside of my comfort zone and being away from friends and family, it would present a tremendous opportunity to grow and be exposed to areas of HR other than recruitment, and to have an opportunity to lead and partner with some of the best in the business.

“Quantrics has been and will continue to be an outstanding organisation. I feel that the Philippines is just starting to discover and hear about Quantrics, despite the fact that we have been around for a few years.”

Loo’s role is integral to making sure Quantrics continues to get the most out of its people, and therefore provide the best possible service to its customers.

With no two days the same, the Vice President of Human Resources is in constant dialogue with departmental heads and his own leadership team, admitting that he is a stickler for detail when it comes to using measures and reports to judge the progress of various policies and strategies.

Indeed, Quantrics is always thinking about how it can maintain a competitive edge, Loo being proud of that fact it continually challenges the status quo.

“Empowering our employees is critical to this end,” he says. “It is who we are. What I find interesting is that new employees from other more regimented organisations joining us have shared how surprised they are with the Quantrics way of life.

“Many are surprised that we do not require team members to wear uniforms or follow a dress code, and they are impressed with our benefits offers, which are very family friendly.

“The fact is that we spend a lot time and resources to develop our staff professionally, including programmes for career development, job shadowing, intern opportunities and tuition reimbursement for upskilling.

We also empower them with tools to improve their overall physical and

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APAC Outlook issue 46 | 85

QUANTRICS mental health and to be a contributing member of their community through our Qcares corporate social responsibility initiative.”

Loo is also extremely passionate about advancing the role of women in the technology industry.

He points to the fact that across many Asian nations, a disproportionate amount of business leadership positions are held by men, a trend which Quantrics is actively tackling within its own organisation.

This is being coordinated through the Women in Q programme. A firm believer in equality and diversity, the

company has already has achieved gender parity at the VP level, with many other women in positions of management, and wants to do more to drive gender parity throughout every level of the organisation.

The Women in Q programme is designed to encourage more women to pursue career advancement at Quantrics, providing a forum through which they can engage and inspire each other.

Another empowerment initiative is being rolled out in collaboration with Women Who Code Manila, the two parties joining forces to offer

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

THE SEVEN FUNDAMENTALS Based on two decades of experience, Victor Loo highlights seven fundamentals which help to define a good business leader: • They love working with people • They guide but don’t control • They know that their success comes from their team’s success • They are agile in how they lead • They know how to properly delegate • They are a motivating or inspiring force • They take calculated risks “I believe that leadership is like chess or poker,” Loo says. “You may know how to play the game and say all the right things, but your professional development in leadership never ends. You are always learning how to become a better leader.

“People often use the word leader and boss interchangeably – in fact, they are quite different. From my experience, the most engaged teams that provide 110 percent in effort and produce the most long-lasting results are those that are led by leaders, not bosses.”

86 | APAC Outlook issue 46

workshops, networking, training and recruitment services.

Collaboration with the education sector is also critical to Loo’s recruitment activities at Quantrics.

“We believe that it is essential to influence the next generation of Quantrics employees at the grassroots level, especially at high school, college and university,” Loo adds.

“Today, we are working closely with a number of institutions like the University of the Philippines and College of San Mateo to influence what is being taught and covered at the schools.

“We share with these institutions the type of work graduates would be engaged in when working at Quantrics and the importance of upskilling in specific areas. We have also started to introduce academic scholarships and bursaries to reward academic excellence at these various institutions.”

TECHNOLOGY

Quantrics makes no secret of the fact that its success is down to the empowered people who work for the company This prompts Loo to highlight the importance of collaboration more generally to the success of Quantrics to date, not just in the field of recruitment and employee empowerment, but also up and down the supply chain which keeps the company’s operations ticking over smoothly.

“We have a phenomenal procurement team at Quantrics who help us manage our supplier relations,” Loo continues.

“Our suppliers and partners are crucial to our success on all fronts. Any issues in the

reliability of our vendors can have serious impacts on how and what we can deliver as an organisation. The team here at Quantrics go through a very rigorous but fair process when choosing suitable partners – there are too many suppliers or partners to list here to thank, but we look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationships.”

And relationship building, be it with suppliers or employees, will be vital as

Quantrics continues to grow and gather momentum in the Philippines.

Its newest branch in San Mateo saw more than 1,000 new hires join the organisation earlier this year, and it is these people both there and at the company’s other sites that will chart the next chapter in what is still a relatively young journey. We, for one, are excited to see what’s in store.

www.quantrics.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 87

ONSPORT

PHOTOGRAPHY: TONY ZANNINO 88 | APAC Outlook issue 46

RETAIL

Game On: Inside Australia’s Rapidly Expanding Sports Marketplace Onsport is catapulting the development of the Aussie online sports arena, its everexpanding product range and host of customer experience-driven programmes representing a vibrant hub of activity Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 89

ONSPORT

I

f 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic have taught us anything as a society, it is the imperative of living a healthy lifestyle.

Disproportionately impacting people with underlying health conditions, COVID-19 has provided a stark reminder that we cannot take our health for granted. Indeed, the vast majority of healthy individuals, including those in older age brackets, will not suffer any serious symptoms from the virus, with many not even realising they have contracted it at all.

The closure of sports facilities as part of wider community lockdowns has not helped – however, the situation has brought out the best in our ability to improvise and adapt.

Homemade gyms and home-based exercise activity have exploded in popularity, with consumers turning to online retail as a means to buy the equipment, clothing and accessories they need to lead a healthy life at home.

For Australia’s leading sports

e-retailer Onsport, 2020 has been by far its busiest and most hectic year of operation to date.

“The sports, health and fitness space right now is a very exciting category to be in and is simply going off!” comments Danny Wilson, the company’s General Manager.

“COVID-19 has impacted this market in a very positive way as many people couldn’t access gyms or venture too far with lockdown laws in place, so what better way than to fit out your own home with gym and sports related products.

“Further to this, competing retail stores were forced to close their doors one by one and online shopping took to a new form and, simply put, exploded within Australia.”

Wilson also identifies a shift in mindset among the traditional sports retail supply chain, with brands traditionally reluctant to deal with online-only stores and preferring to see their products in physical shop windows on high streets and in retail parks.

ONSPORT – THE BASICS Onsport is an Australian-owned ecommerce retailer that houses more than 250 sporting, fitness and apparel brands, including Fitbit, Garmin, 2XU, adidas fitness, Nike, Speedo, Running Bare, Brooks, Mizuno, New Balance and more.

It was founded in 2010 by two founding members of the Macquarie Bank credit card division who shared a strong passion for sports and customer loyalty programmes. Since founding, Onsport has evolved into an omnichannel player with plans to open its first physical store in the pipeline.

The firm currently employs 22 staff across sales, customer service, operations, warehousing and logistics, management, accounts and its offshore IT development team, this figure expected to more than double inside three years based on current growth projections.

Currently Onsport has 75,000 customers on its database and access to over 18 million reward-based customers through its partners’ loyalty channels.

Vision: Onsport strives to be Australia’s leading loyalty sports retailer, offering our customers the largest range of quality branded products for improved health and outdoor activities.

90 | APAC Outlook issue 46

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ONSPORT However, that dynamic has changed, and once more Onsport is supremely well placed to take advantage.

“Since March, many of these suppliers have approached us to range their product on our own ecommerce website as well as through many of

Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO KEEP ADDING NEW BRANDS AND FRESH PRODUCT LINES INTO YOUR OFFERING? Danny Wilson: “This will be one of my personal focal points within the business as it’s exceptionally important that we continue to evolve and become more exciting and relevant in the retail sporting world. We will do this by continually bringing on new brands and being first to market products, ensuring we are always ahead of the curve.

“Our supplier expansion pipeline has over 180 more brands that we will continue to focus on in the next 12 months prior to the Onsport Marketplace launch.

Moving forward our business will predominately consist of direct supply and drop ship partnerships, however, as we integrate marketplace capabilities into the site, we envisage an explosion of new and exciting additional brands and products will become available.

“We are actively seeking expressions of interest from brands that are looking for new and incremental sales channels to promote their product via Onsport.”

92 | APAC Outlook issue 46

our loyalty channels,” Wilson continues. “This has created a very positive impact on the business and has assisted us greatly in gaining access to some major brands that have been saying no to us for many years.

“Many wholesalers and brands are investing in their own direct to consumer and ecommerce capabilities which, historically, retailers have not been happy with.

“However, due to the unique mix of sales channels we offer our customers – many of which we are exclusive suppliers to – we have something different to offer brands that are now limiting access of their products to new players in the online retail space.”

The General Manager’s observations are backed up by numbers.

Today the company houses more than 250 sporting, fitness and apparel brands, while online sales in Australia generally now make up an estimated 10.7 percent of total retail purchases in the country. But this is by no means the ceiling of the market’s potential – in the US, for example, online shopping accounts for around a fifth of retail expenditure and the online penetration rate has accelerated during COVID.

It is a shift which has no doubt accelerated in recent years, Wilson himself spending two decades in tech and computing retail, much of this with Australian retail giant Harvey Norman.

His first contact with Onsport came during his time heading up a new B2B venture with Harvey Norman which involved selling technology into education, commercial and governmental sectors, the online sports retailer being a standout client.

“The Onsport business model fascinated me as it had some notable points of difference compared to other traditional ecommerce businesses,” Wilson recalls.

“Loyalty rewards with major Australian partners, coupled with its retail omni-channel strategy, stood out to me as a unique business model in this space and that was when I decided I needed to get involved and help take it to the next level.

“In addition to the sound business model, health and fitness has always been a lifetime passion of mine, so it made sense to pick up all my existing retail and business management skills and drop them into this exciting new space.”

RETAIL

“ONSPORT IS CURRENTLY CREATING A DEDICATED SPORTS AND OUTDOOR MARKETPLACE THAT WILL BRING HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF SPORTING AND OUTDOOR BRANDS TOGETHER...”

BUILDING A LOYALTY-BASED COMMUNITY The loyalty reward marketplace angle is something which greatly excites Wilson, and for him is a major differentiator between Onsport and other online sports retailers in Australia.

It operates direct partnerships with some of the country’s largest reward schemes, including Velocity Frequent Flyer (Virgin Australia), Qantas Frequent Flyer, Medibank Live Better Rewards and Commonwealth Bank Awards, programmes which combined reach tens of millions of consumers.

“Prior to COVID-19 we had in the pipeline a further roll out and integration of another nine loyalty and reward programmes for integration,” Wilson adds. “These will come to fruition once

there is a lot more certainty in the market and the consumer appetite for such initiatives reappears.”

The numbers, then, look set to grow, both in terms of loyalty scheme participation and Onsport’s brand portfolio.

Of the 250-plus brands on its books, 55 are additions made in the last three months. Another 180 are in the pipeline for launch over the course of the next 12 months, including many from the likes of the US, Europe and Asia, Onsport renowned for its ability to capture a first-to-market position with many sought after products.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing since Wilson arrived in 2019.

Back then it was at a crossroads in its development, a major threat to the longevity of the business being

available cashflow as the company continued to consume money as it swelled in size.

“The business was sound, it had plenty of customers, plenty of suppliers and access to loads of products – however, it never had enough runway to scale at the pace it was certainly capable of,” Wilson says.

“The very first step was to find a major private investor that had a strong appetite for such a unique business and someone that was capable of injecting a significant amount of capital that could be used to increase resources, improve systems and customer experience and purchase inventory that the business so desperately needed.

“In September of 2019, a very successful young private investor who owns one of Australia’s largest online retail digital photography businesses, DigiDirect, invested over $3 million of capital and took on the majority shareholder role. We then moved into the DigiDirect’s 2,000 square APAC Outlook issue 46 | 93

ONSPORT

Q: WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, MAKES A GOOD BUSINESS LEADER? Danny Wilson: “A good business leader focuses on recruiting the right talent, identifying and leveraging different motivational approaches that maximises productivity and performance.

“They derive high levels of satisfaction in taking talent under their wing, coaching, mentoring and developing them to become high-performing leaders that not only reach their own potential, but also help the business to fully realise its market value.

“Furthermore, they need to truly understand the power and strength of a positively motivated culture, all coupled with the ability to maximise business potential through a keen focus of execution.”

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metre warehouse operation, located in St Peters in New South Wales, and started our journey of taking over the sports world!”

Moving into the new warehousing space greatly improved logistics capacity and sophistication with the likes of scan, pick and pack platforms being leveraged, while a new ERP system and improved company flow processes have also been enhancements made since Wilson arrived.

Indeed, the General Manager outlines an array of initiatives which have been implemented alongside the injection of capital from the new majority shareholder.

For instance, its brand presence has greatly improved thanks to a logo, colour scheme and website refresh, along with integration of online reputation tool Trustpilot, the company now boasting one of the best reputations in the Australian ecommerce sphere.

User experience has further been enhanced through the addition of live chat and four new payment platforms (with flexible payment terms), and marketing partnerships with other locally based brands have also paid dividends and enabled Onsport to reach even more consumers.

Qantas and Etihad have recently been added to the airline programmes on offer. Under the partnership with the former, Qantas Frequent Flyers who add their membership number to their Onsport account can earn and redeem Qantas points when shopping online with Onsport. This partnership has now also been extended to the Qantas Store marketplace supplying brands such as JBL, ASICS, Bianchi, Lacoste and adidas.

Indeed, adding more (and unique) brands has been key to Wilson’s strategy.

“We have a keen eye on finding products that have not yet entered the Australian market,” he adds. “We have managed to secure three brands so far that have rewarded our sales greatly – Quieton noise cancelling sleeping

earbuds, Airofit breath trainer and Skinners, the revolutionary sock shoe.

“At least another 25 new sporting related brands will soon be entering the Australian market only via Onsport or with some form of initial exclusivity.”

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Looking into the future, keeping the offering fresh and relevant forms the crux of the General Manager’s plans.

As part of its partnership with Virgin Australia, October and November 2020 will see up to three million Velocity Frequent Flyer Points given away to Onsport customers, one of the largest such promotions the airline has

RETAIL

“WE THEN MOVED INTO THE DIGIDIRECT’S 2,000 SQUARE METRE WAREHOUSE OPERATION, LOCATED IN ST PETERS IN NEW SOUTH WALES, AND STARTED OUR JOURNEY OF TAKING OVER THE SPORTS WORLD!” ever carried out with one lucky winner taking a million points.

Arguably the most exciting development on the horizon, however, is what Wilson refers to as the building of a combined sporting, health, fashion, outdoor and fitness marketplace, a first for the industry in Australia.

“Onsport is currently creating a dedicated sports and outdoor

marketplace that will bring hundreds, if not thousands, of sporting and outdoor brands together under the one roof, generating the very first onestop-shop for everything health, sport and fitness related,” he explains.

“We envisage the launch of such marketplace within the Onsport ecosystem will increase our existing 14,000-plus products to well over

50,000 products.

“The consumer is becoming more aware of the sheer range of product that is now available online both domestically and from overseas, so it’s important that we can meet that demand and go beyond what is available in a traditional bricks and mortar sports store where range is limited due to shelf space.”

A key component of the marketplace will be Onsport’s own-brand range of fitness products, named Onsport Fitness.

A direct consequence of supply chain disruption caused by COVID19, the company has handpicked, APAC Outlook issue 46 | 95

ONSPORT

“ WE DO NOW SEE AN OPPORTUNITY IN DESIGNING AND EXPANDING THE ONSPORT FITNESS RANGE INTO A MID TO ENTRY LEVEL PLAYER ACROSS A LARGE NUMBER OF CATEGORIES SUCH AS WOMEN’S AND MEN’S ACTIVEWEAR...” designed and branded its own Onsport Fitness portfolio.

This has involved working directly with factories in Taiwan and China, its first 40-foot container of products selling out within three weeks of being on sale. Wilson plans to increase the range to more than 60 strength, training and recovery products, the General Manager highlighting likely stock shortages in 2021 as extra incentive to ensure its own products can plug any gaps in the market.

“We plan to supply Australians with great value, great quality sporting equipment,” he says.

“We will, however, ensure these products are positioned to compliment all our existing big-name brands and safeguard, not cannibalise, the sales and relationships we hold very dear and attribute our business’s total success too.

“Selling the major brands will always continue to be our focus as a business – however, we do now see an 96 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“We’re especially looking at social media and how it is allowing us to reach specific audiences with specific messages” opportunity in designing and expanding the Onsport Fitness range into a mid to entry level player across a large number of categories such as women’s and men’s activewear, sporting equipment and the already successful fitness accessories.”

Wilson also identifies the importance of enhancing the consumer experience alongside growing its product ranges.

Here, Onsport is in the midst of a project designed to offer customers ‘sports fan experiences’ directly via its platform and future marketplace.

This will enable users to access one off opportunities with their favourite sports stars and teams, all while being able to use their loyalty points as a means of payment (or accrue points through purchasing these experiences).

All of this will be heavily promoted, another ongoing priority for Onsport being the development of its digital marketing platforms.

“We’re especially looking at social media and how it is allowing us to reach specific audiences with specific messages,” Wilson adds.

“We’re also keen to see how other digital marketing technologies, such as voice search, evolve over the next year or so and what opportunities these will bring to reduce friction for online shoppers and enrich the customer experience.”

RETAIL BUILT ON CULTURE A physical store presence is the final piece of the experience puzzle that Wilson is eagerly exploring.

Although COVID-19 has brought about dramatic drops in footfall to bricks and mortar shops all over Australia, the General Manager is a firm believer that Onsport’s future involves a balance between online and physical footprints.

He envisions a boutique style experience offering the major brands in the Onsport portfolio, with options to click and collect for marketplace customers, including those buying through third parties.

This will require new expertise to enter the company, which prompts Wilson to describe what he believes is his most important duty as General Manager – getting the best out of the company’s people.

“As the leader of the business, I feel it is ultimately my responsibility to create an environment for the success of the team,” he explains. “However, I also believe each team member is responsible for ensuring that they step up for their own personal success.

“I believe Onsport provides such an environment and is built primarily on these empowered individuals and

Onsport stocks a variety of leading brands and is often first to market with many product lines

notice regularly that if any employee feels they truly own their role, they are far more engaged in their workday and require less management.”

And this has been exacerbated by the unprecedented circumstances witnessed in 2020 to date.

For Wilson, it has highlighted the importance of trust in positive staff to management relations, especially as many employees are now working from home and given more autonomy in their roles.

The General Manager is therefore confident about what lies ahead, concluding the conversation with another important lesson that has emerged from the coronavirus challenge.

“These past six months have shown

me how important it is to demonstrate vulnerability and truth to the team,” he says.

“There was a significant amount of uncertainty back in March and if honesty wasn’t shared with them to the extent it was, we could have gone off course in a very significant way and in turn potentially pushed back the business’s growth by several years.

“Corporate culture will always be my internal compass. If I’m getting it right, it will drive the right behaviour and actions required of the team and in turn manifest into the sales results we achieve.”

ONSPORT Tel: 1300 351 461 contact@onsport.com.au www.onsport.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 97

GRAYS

GOING, GOI

The ecommerce market is booming in Australia, and Grays is enjoying significant growth, receiving 12 million website visitors in the past few months Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

98 | APAC Outlook issue 46

RETAIL

ING, GONE!

E

commerce is a rapidly growing industry. In Australia, online marketplace searches are increasing on average by 46 percent year on year, with a massive 84 percent growth between January and July 2020.

“The ecommerce industry is the future of any industry in Australia and throughout the world. It is the perfect platform to challenge the normal traditional industry rules and

enhance them to make them better for all stakeholders; customers, vendors and buyers,” explains Chris Corbin, CEO of Grays, Australia’s leading multi-channel ecommerce marketplace.

Corbin further explains that ecommerce platforms are rapidly becoming a requirement for businesses; not only to help them scale up, but because digitisation is something customers increasingly expect.

GRAYS “WE LAUNCHED REAL ESTATE IN JULY AND ARE CURRENTLY SELLING MORE THAN THIRTY PROPERTIES PER MONTH. THE REASON BEHIND THIS WAS SIMPLY BECAUSE OUR CUSTOMERS WERE ASKING US TO GET INTO REAL ESTATE” – CHRIS CORBIN, CEO

The coronavirus pandemic has also proven to be a catalyst for ecommerce by stimulating demand for online shopping. This is not only because shopping moved online due to safety concerns, but because many Australians used the time in lockdown to start their own small online businesses.

In Australia, after a temporary slowdown during March and April, many ecommerce platforms experienced a huge uptick in sales and engagement. Grays’s website received 12 million visits in the past three months.

“The pandemic not only increased traffic to our marketplace by 26.4 percent but also expedited growth in our database,” Corbin adds.

It also altered the ecommerce landscape, creating a higher reliance on virtual inspections and home delivery for larger items such as cars and industrial assets. In order to comply with local regulations, Grays needed to supply more hand sanitising stations and masks for customers and staff in its warehouses and depots, as well as educating them on social distancing and hygiene awareness.

“The coronavirus also really brought forward our tech advancement experiences for our customers along 100 | APAC Outlook issue 46

the journey we were already heading,” the CEO adds.

For example, the company ran a campaign to reach out to customers who had little ecommerce experience by making a return to newspaper print advertising. The adverts incorporated QR codes, which customers could scan on their mobile devices to access the website – 20 percent of new visitor registrations were attributed to this campaign. Grays also updated its UX (user experience) by improving its product listings pages.

SPEARHEADING ECOMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA Technological advancement and seamless home delivery service is expected from Grays, as it is an ecommerce leader in Australia.

The company began trading in 1922 and moved its first auction online as early as 2000. Now it is the largest multi-channel ecommerce auction marketplace in Australasia, offering a huge range of industrial, auto, commercial and consumer products directly from manufacturers.

Grays has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth and Wagga Wagga – collectively accounting for 50,000

Australia Post GraysOnline exceeded two million unique monthly visitors for the first time in June, as buyers flocked to online channels amid the movement restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perhaps best known for auctioning home products and oversupplies of wine, GraysOnline has been in eCommerce for twenty years now.

Even still, chief executive Chris Corbin, suggests “COVID-19 has really brought everything forward to an online disruption, and it’s now the new normal.”

According to Corbin “Our demand is heavily up and whatever we put online is selling really, really well. Stock is going out the door a lot quicker.” He notes that selling through its database of buyers has increased by 30 percent during the pandemic and notes, “We’re definitely expecting this to be our new base level to continue for growth.”

With lockdowns and social distancing forcing many businesses to close or restrict trade, GraysOnline has been clearing more stock across all of its categories. “When their other channels stop, our vendors tend to give more volume to us,” says Corbin.

Australia Post collects and delivers for GraysOnline ‘home and wine’ categories, to both metro and regional areas. The partnership is important to Corbin. “Australia Post is our last point of contact with customers,” he says.

“We need that to be professional, because we could do everything else right and if that’s a poor experience, then that’s a problem.”

Business is adapting. Whatever you never thought you’d be doing, Australia Post is here to help you navigate the changing market and continue delivering for your customers.

This article is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to be advice specific to your business needs.

www.auspost.com.au/business

“We’ve been online for 20 years. I never thought we’d grow like this.”

CHRIS CORBIN, GRAYS ONLINE How to get Australians shopping online? Grays Online has been working on that challenge for the last two decades. That all changed this year. With restrictions on retail, Australians are shopping online like never before. The new challenge is meeting that demand. A strong partnership with Australia Post helped Grays to scale up its sending volumes fast, with deliveries its customers can trust. Your business is adapting.

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Delivering for Australia

GRAYS square metres of warehouse space and 160,000 square metres of yard space – and over 38 smaller additional sites and depots. This enables it to provide full coverage across Australia and New Zealand, while an extensive international network means it can access buyers and sellers in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

“Our marketplace matches supply and demand for a range of categories and is not constrained by geographical borders,” Corbin says.

Indeed, sellers include everyone from individuals selling a couple of items to SMEs, manufacturers, insolvency practitioners and banks seeking to dispose of assets.

Grays has four main selling divisions: industrial; home; wine; and automobiles. The latter recently made international news headlines when the five most expensive vehicles in its July Classic Car Auction totalled A$816,527.

Topping the bill was the rare 1973 Ford Falcon XA GT Hardtop RPO 83 Manual

Topping the bill was the rare 1973 Ford Falcon XA GT Hardtop RPO 83 Manual Coupe, well-known as the Chicken Coupe, which sold for A$300,909

102 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Coupe, well-known as the Chicken Coupe, which sold for A$300,909.

The company has also recently added real estate to its online auction business.

“We launched real estate in July and are currently selling more than thirty properties per month,” Corbin explains. “The reason behind this was simply because our customers were asking us to get into real estate.”

There has been an enthusiastic response from vendors; Grays has a database of three million registered users, which enables it to advertise its properties to wider audiences.

Despite the growing popularity of ecommerce, Corbin believes Grays stands apart. This is partly due to its two decades of experience in the online industry, and also the ease of use of its transactional auction platform. The fact that the company permits either physical or virtual inspection of assets before purchase also stands it in good stead.

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To the CEO, the company’s staff and suppliers are also key to its success.

“Grays’ staff are the backbone of the business,” he says. “They have years of experience and have a great attitude, not just at work but in everyday life.”

He similarly stresses the importance of maintaining positive relationships with the supply chain.

“They are our partners not only in the supply chain; we also view them as an extension of our business,” Corbin continues. “At times they might be the only contact that customers have with Grays, and we want to ensure that they have a positive experience.”

Grays recently expanded its portfolio through the acquisition of Gregsons, a 91-year old business which is regarded as one of Perth’s most reputable organisations and valuation platforms. This allows Grays to combine its ecommerce knowledge with Gregsons’ local knowledge, relationships and valuation expertise.

“We’re excited to welcome

Gregsons into the Grays family,” Corbin says. “The integration of the Gregsons business will provide a larger vendor base to buyers in Western Australia, while vendors will benefit from the significant scale of the Grays marketplace, which receives over two million unique visitors a month.”

The acquisition exemplifies the mutually beneficial arrangement Grays enjoys with many of its partners.

LOOKING AHEAD As our conversation draws to an end, Corbin outlines the company’s ambitious plans for the future. For a start, Grays will be investing into its infrastructure and distribution network to keep up with growth.

“The focus is on scaleable enhancements to provide a better customer experience. We will also be working on improving our virtual inspections and our home delivery options,” the CEO says.

“The final way in which we will

increase our growth is through finding more partners, who wish to work with us to a common purpose.”

The company also wants to push ahead with technological innovation, in order to improve how items are purchased, inspected and delivered across all of its sale categories. Finally, Corbin outlines plans to build upon its recently established categories, real estate and boats, and to push into new markets.

With the Australian ecommerce market growing at an exponential rate, it is clear that Grays is set to enjoy an exciting next chapter of its development.

www.graysonline.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 103

BUTRA HEIDELBERGCEMENT

BUILDING BRUNEI

Ever since arriving in the country in 1996, Butra HeidelbergCement has played a critical role in developing infrastructure across Brunei, its high-quality cement products ensuring it is built on firm foundations Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

104 | APAC Outlook issue 46

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B

runei – a tiny Sultanate nestled on the northern coast of Borneo, this southeast Asian nation is something of a scenic and economic gem.

The quiet Darussalam, Arabic for abode of peace, has managed to preserve its beautiful wilderness with the country’s government embarking on ambitious plans to diversify its economy away from overreliance on hydrocarbon exports.

Its population is highly educated and benefits from excellent infrastructure, made possible by a well-developed and well-supplied construction sector, an industry which has welcomed enormous investment from multinational firms such as HeidelbergCement.

Indeed, the German building materials giant has been a keen investor in Brunei since it set up Butra HeidelbergCement (BHC) in 1996.

Since 2012, the organisation has

been led by Managing Director Marcelino Ugarte, an industry veteran with two decades of experience under his belt, and who has come to fall in love with the country.

“For the past 20 years, I have managed in a few countries across Asia,” he says. “The opportunity came in 2012 for a new challenge to manage the sole cement manufacturer in the Sultanate, and I must say the experience has been rewarding so far.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 105

BUTRA HEIDELBERGCEMENT “Brunei Darussalam is a small and beautiful country with a rich heritage and culture. It is a privilege to be managing BHC with my talented team.”

Today, the company operates a plant which, albeit smaller than most HeidelbergCement subsidiaries, produces more than enough cement to cater for the Sultanate’s needs.

This translates into around 500,000 metric tonnes a year of Ordinary Portland Cement and, since 2017, Portland Composite Cement (PCC) – bags are distributed to end users through distributor partners and the retail supply chain, with more than 100 hardware stores stocking BHC products.

The operation currently employs more than 65 people, a major challenge faced by all of the team in 2020 being the onset of the coronavirus pandemic which has impacted just about every region on earth from a health and/or economic perspective.

“Before 2020, we were privileged to be part of two megaprojects, namely the Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge and the development of Pulau Muara Besar,” Ugarte details.

“These projects helped spur the local construction scene immensely.

“But the current global pandemic certainly did not spare Brunei’s construction industry. We see the slowing down of major construction projects for the best part of 2020, and that is understandable. However, we are optimistic for the near future as the government has announced new major projects for the pipeline next year. We are excited for things to pick up again.”

BUILDING A NATION Indeed, BHC has been there through various periods of Brunei’s recent history.

The company is the second largest investor in the country outside of the oil and gas sector, a great source of pride for the Managing Director, who

also points to the sustainable nature in which the firm has contributed to the building of Brunei.

“Since commercial production began in 1996, BHC has built foundations for buildings, homes, highways, schools and many other vital infrastructures for the people of the nation,” Ugarte says.

“We practice a sustainable approach in our operations by taking on the responsibility of safeguarding our environment. We are diligent in our operations through resource optimisation, waste reduction and creating sustainable solutions. This approach is part of our corporate social responsibility initiative through the holistic Building a Nation programme.”

PARTNERSHIPS IN FOCUS

HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? Marcelino Ugarte: “Our distributors are critical to our operations. They have been supportive and loyal to us since the beginning. In a small country like Brunei, building trust is utmost to have a successful business relationship. We ensure we provide top-quality products while they ensure seamless logistical processes to reach our end users.

“We must also express our gratitude to His Majesty’s Government for their support since the beginning. They have been supportive in ensuring we have a conducive environment to thrive. We are especially grateful to the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ministry of Development for giving us the opportunities to sustain our operations in this challenging time.”

106 | APAC Outlook issue 46

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APAC Outlook issue 46 | 107

BUTRA HEIDELBERGCEMENT As well as contributing directly to Brunei’s GDP, the BHC effect ripples through to thousands of individuals through employment for contractors, suppliers, tanker drivers, freight services and many others directly and indirectly.

Within Butra HeidelbergCement, a Bruneianisation policy is paying dividends in many ways.

More than 70 percent of the 65 staff are Brunei nationals, the company prioritising local hiring and development in line with government directives

to build up skills within the native population.

The policy has led to a loyal, motivated and productive workforce which Ugarte is immensely proud of.

“The majority of our employees have been with us since the beginning,” he adds, “and our employee turnover is encouragingly low. We provide excellent compensation and welfare packages, and from 2016 to 2019, we have invested over $2 million in the development of our workforce. The employees are sent for training and development

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO STREAMLINE OUR OPERATIONS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY, AND PERHAPS LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPORT TO NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES. I AM EXCITED TO SEE WHAT UNFOLDS”

108 | APAC Outlook issue 46

programmes locally and overseas.

“It is important to note that we truly develop and nurture local skills, as more than half of the top management comprises of Bruneians. They serve critical management positions in HR, sales, production and logistics.”

Beyond employment, the company is actively in pursuit of a goal to uplift living standards through the Building a Nation initiative.

Ugarte continues: “We believe that growth can only be achieved by generating added value to the nation as a whole. Through this CSR initiative, we have designed a development programme with an integrated approach that focusses on three core components – social, economic and environmental. These three integrated components create

CONSTRUCTION

long-term socioeconomic added value to the community in Brunei Darussalam through substantial contributions and noticeable improvements.

“For example, we have contributed millions of dollars to projects that champion community causes, health programmes, economic activities and sporting events.”

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE And looking ahead, it is very much the priority for Ugarte and BHC to continue contributing positively to the upliftment of living standards in Brunei, both through employment and the comprehensive CSR programme.

In order to continue serving as a socioeconomic stalwart, the company needs to ensure its own longevity and viability operationally, and this means maintaining its motivated workforce and embracing new ideas where necessary to keep productivity levels high.

It also involves making a sustained effort to reduce its environmental footprint. Recent years have seen the introduction of the new line of Portland Composite Cement, a cement which is superior to Ordinary

Portland Cement in a number of ways, chiefly its greater long-term strength.

BHC has also experimented using fly-ash as a component of the cement mixture, which again has helped to improve the composition and provide a more sustainable solution with the environment in mind. At this stage, the production team is still researching and conducting more tests to optimise the composition of its PCC formula.

And such activities leave the Managing Director full of optimism about what lies ahead for Butra HeidelbergCement.

Concluding the conversation, he says: “We will continue to consolidate our operations and sales for the coming years.

“As I have already emphasised, we are optimistic about facing new challenges in the next few years.

We will continue to streamline our operations in order to improve efficiency, and perhaps look for opportunities to export to neighbouring countries. I am excited to see what unfolds.”

BUTRA HEIDELBERGCEMENT Tel: +673 2771395-8 bhz@bruneicement.com www.bruneicement.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 109

DBI DESIGN

CONSTRUCTION

Creating for Communities Australia’s DBI Design prides itself on creating spaces that enable communities to thrive, its vast and varied portfolio of projects at home and abroad being built up over four decades of craft Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

A

ustralia has faced more than its fair share of challenges in 2020.

From the bushfires that raged at the beginning of the year to the ongoing battle to contain the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, you could be forgiven for wishing to fast-forward into 2021 with the hope that brighter times lie ahead.

However, what this year has also shown is tremendous societal resilience and innovation in response to a crisis.

Aussies have rallied to do their bit for the greater good by complying with restrictions which in ordinary times would be unfathomable in an advanced democratic society.

Meanwhile, businesses have continued to operate in what are now newly normal parameters.

In the real estate development and construction sphere, there is certainly cause for optimism.

“We are seeing major interest from development companies both Australian and internationally owned, from New South Wales and Victoria in particular, wanting to purchase development sites,” says Raith Anderson, Managing Director of national architecture practice DBI Design.

“THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET IN SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND REMAINS STRONG WITH AN INFLUX OF PURCHASERS FROM THE SOUTHERN STATES LOOKING TO SECURE A MORE BALANCED LIFESTYLE”

“The residential property market in Southeast Queensland remains strong with an influx of purchasers from the southern states looking to secure a more balanced lifestyle. Canberra is another market that continues to perform extremely well, and we have a number of projects there that are being well received in the marketplace.”

Anderson and DBI are better placed than most to comment on the matter.

The company is an international multi-disciplinary design studio with a focus on design, able to deliver major projects anywhere in the world and with a proven track record for doing so.

Indeed, DBI houses the full spectrum of knowledge and skills, its architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, master planning, and procurement experts combining to present a truly catch all offering for its clients.

“A perfect example of this is our Etihad Towers project in Abu Dhabi,” Anderson adds. “We were the lead consultant responsible not only for the design of every element, but we installed all furnishings right down to the knives and forks for the hotel.”

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 111

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DBI DESIGN

DBI Design’s Jewel project on Australia’s Gold Coast This neatly parallels the Managing Director’s personal enjoyment in being hands-on in his approach to the creative process. An avid problem solver by nature, he got involved with DBI Design more than 24 years ago, lured in by the challenge of creating large-scale world-class projects and then delivering them around the world.

Back then the company was 16 years old and well established, 2020 marking a significant milestone of four decades in operation.

“It is an extremely proud moment for us,” Anderson says. “I myself am a third-generation owner of the business and we have in place the next generation of owners within the practice.

“The body of work that DBI has delivered over the years is amazing and we have been fortunate to be involved in numerous international and national award-winning projects during this time. It is a great story to sell when you are sitting down with 114 | APAC Outlook issue 46

a new client and you are able to walk them through our history and project experience. Looking forward, it is exciting to think what great projects DBI will be involved in over the next 40 years.”

JEWEL IN THE CROWN The past 14 of these years has seen DBI involved in what the Managing Director describes as one of the most complex projects the practice has undertaken.

Nestled on Australia’s Gold Coast is Jewel, a AUD$1 billion mixed-use development made up of three towers ranging from 34 to 47 storeys in height and inspired by the crystalline volcanic hook that forms the underlying structure of the area’s coastline and hinterland.

“It has been quite a journey,” Anderson says. “DBI has been involved in the project since the first developer amalgamated the site back in 2006 – due to the global financial crisis the project did not proceed at that time.

“The site was then purchased in 2010 by the Ridong Group, who began the journey to the project we have today, which is owned by AW Jewel Pty Ltd who are continuing to complete the development in keeping with the original vision, and their own exemplary standards.”

DBI secured the project in collaboration with Oppenheim Architecture as part of an international design competition run by invitation only, the company being responsible for architecture, interior design, landscape design and master planning of the development.

The central and tallest of the three towers, Tower 2, contains a five-star Langham Hotel with 169 rooms and 170 serviced apartments, with the remaining two towers housing luxury residential apartments (Tower 1 with 232 apartments and Tower 3 103 apartments) and all areas enjoying beach views. Extensive five-star facilities are contained on the ground floor and podium, with the podium to Tower 2 containing the residents’ facilities.

“The podium is central to Jewel’s success as an urban design outcome, and will have the most direct interface with the adjoining streetscape where its crystalline design and use of triangular metal and glass facets will be viewed in close proximity by pedestrians,” Anderson explains.

“The Jewel development is expressive and sculptural. It employs innovative materials and detailing for a project of this type, ensuring the Jewel towers will become an important urban landmark and make a significant contribution to the Gold Coast’s cityscape.”

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Issue 46

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DBI DESIGN

PROJECT FOCUS

GASWORKS NEWSTEAD Another award-winning development is the AVEO Gasworks project, located in Brisbane.

It is DBI’s first vertical age-in-place tower, the 19-storey building being placed over the existing Gasworks retail precinct. The new tower will include a residential aged care facility, assisted living units, and independent living units, along with extensive recreation facilities, a commercial office component, parking, and a commercial kitchen.

A range of accommodation options allow seniors the flexibility to move from independent living to residential aged care within the same building – this essentially means that they could transition within the same community as care levels or circumstances change, helping residents retain important connections and support networks.

“AVEO are extremely experienced in the Aged Care sector and worked closely with the DBI team through the design process to ensure all design considerations would benefit the residents by providing the flexibility, comfort and safety they need,” Anderson comments.

“The development provides an amazing range of facilities such as a gym, day spa, library, private movie theatre, restaurant and bar, business centre and beauty salon. A wellness suite with a GP and allied health services also provides residents and their families with additional peace of mind.

“One of the challenges of this project was building over the top of the original Gasworks retail precinct. It was a credit to the team to successfully complete the tower and still maintain full operation of the retail precinct below.”

The Managing Director, full of admiration for his team’s delivery of such a complex development, is also quick to highlight the importance of collaboration with key partner Multiplex.

“No single person is responsible for a project like this, and DBI worked closely with Multiplex’s construction team over a four-year period to deliver this outcome,” Anderson continues.

“It takes a full team starting with the client and their vision, the full spectrum of consultants, the builder, subcontractors, and authorities, to work together in realising the dream.

“There are an incredible number of consultants, sub-contractors, and suppliers that make up the team on the large complex projects that we like to be involved in, and every one of them is important in the successful delivery of the project.

“Successful business has always been about relationships and surrounding yourself with people that you can rely on to do an excellent job. It is never our intention to start a project with an end goal of creating an ‘average’ development. We need to push as hard as we can within the allowable parameters to deliver the best possible design outcome, and the people we work with understand this.”

CREATING FOR THE COMMUNITY This is certainly this case in Brisbane, where DBI is fully immersed in its largest urban renewal project at South City Square.

Located two kilometres from the city’s central business district, the company’s involvement dates back to 2012 when it was engaged in preliminary master planning with the client, a joint venture between Melbourne’s Pellicano and Perri Projects.

There are eight phases, three of which are already completed. Once finished (in 2024), it will serve as a mixed-use lifestyle precinct with 850 116 | APAC Outlook issue 46

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South City Square

apartments, a 140-room hotel, 1,500 parking spaces and 12,000 square metres of retail space including a cinema, supermarket, childcare facilities, markets, restaurants and shops.

“At the heart of the project is a public green square,” describes Anderson. “This central feature is the focal point for the commercial uses and provides an attractive outlook for those apartments that look into the development. It is a space that is intended for children to play, to relax in, and to be activated with the numerous restaurants, cafes, and retail outlets that front it.

“One aspect of the project that enables a smooth transition from the design phase into construction is that Pellicano are also the builders for the development.

“With both DBI and the client providing a range of inhouse skills with less external input, it enables for ease of communication and approval process resulting in the ability to deliver the project in a quicker and

more efficient manner.”

This bodes well for timely and successful completion of the eight phases by 2024, the South City Square scheme already on the receiving end of a number of awards.

Once more Anderson is eager to emphasise the commitment of the client and his team in ensuring the project remains on track, prompting the Managing Director to explain how DBI’s people are, without doubt, the company’s greatest asset.

“We are very team focused,” he says. “The projects that we work on are large and complex, and no single person delivers them. It takes a team of dedicated people, each contributing a different skillset that enables us to successfully create city building developments.

“Training and personal development is a combination of company focused goals, such as bringing everyone fully across onto a single software platform, and more individual based goals, such as assisting architectural graduates

in obtaining their registration, or providing the opportunity to develop into new roles.

“We are fortunate to have a dedicated group of professionals who enjoy what they do and the exciting range of projects that we get to work on.”

And such dedication to the task has been invaluable during what has been a challenging time both for Australia and the wider world.

Anderson realises that the timeframe for returning to some form of normality is uncertain, so when asked about his future priorities for the business, he is grounded in his response, simply stating that the short-term plan is to keep securing exciting projects that will enable DBI to deliver the best design outcomes possible.

The Managing Director also reveals goals to further expand its operations in New South Wales and ACT once provincial borders are opened up, with new ways of reengaging international clients being explored.

The difficult realities facing us all in 2020 provides an important moment for reflection, and it is here that Anderson chooses to end the conversation by reminding us why DBI exists, and why, ultimately, he continues to dearly love the work he does.

He concludes: “One of the great outcomes of what we do as designers in delivering large scale city changing projects is that we get to influence how people engage with the built environment that we create. It is extremely rewarding when you see the community interacting in the spaces we have created in the way they were intended.”

DBI DESIGN Tel: +617 5539 9788 info@dbi.com.au www.dbi.com.au

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 117

JERDE

PIONEERING PLACEMAKING JERDE continues to inspire places that deliver memorable experiences to people all around the world, the firm’s Asia Pacific portfolio looking especially vibrant despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19 Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

CONSTRUCTION

E

very year, more than a billion people visit places designed by JERDE. An international urban design studio established in Los Angeles four decades ago, today the firm stands as a true pioneer of placemaking, its portfolio containing 140 major built projects spread across six continents.

These include mixed-use, hospitality, and retail destinations throughout the world, such as Langham Place in Hong Kong, Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, D-Cube City in Seoul, and more recently the Grand Hyatt Resort Haitang Bay in Hainan, China, a MIPIM Asia Gold Award winner for Best Hotel & Tourism Development in 2018.

In Queensland, Australia, the company has master-planned the largest and most important urban regeneration project – Queens Wharf Brisbane, a half-kilometre long stretch connecting the central business district to Brisbane River.

And now, the firm is fully up and running in Singapore.

Opening a new office at the end of 2019, the ensuing months have seen JERDE establish new partnerships and pioneer new developments not only in its new regional home, but also in Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and other neighbouring countries.

Design Principal and Shareholder Ken Ho recently transferred to Singapore from JERDE’s Los Angeles headquarters, and will be supported by the Singapore design studio and rest of the LA and Asia JERDE teams on new design concepts for complex and innovative projects.

“It is exciting to see the physical growth of cities in Asia as rich culture and heritage are interwoven into the design of each project,” he says.

“My personal interest in the subject has brought me back to Singapore, making the rest of the region easily accessible. In each of these cities, it is evident that the placemaking concept is more important now than it ever has APAC Outlook issue 46 | 119

JERDE

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been before, as people are looking for more unique experiences in their day to day lives. What interests me are designs that are a reflection of the current socio-economic climate, and what we believe are the intrinsic needs of people.”

Ken has been with JERDE for two decades and carries with him an extensive project highlights reel.

These include Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, Waikiki Outrigger Retail Plaza in Honolulu, Palms Place in Las Vegas, and a new mixed-use TOD project in Kawagoe, Japan.

His work is also featured in the book Hypersurface Architecture published

by John Wiley & Sons from New York, while the Design Principal has been recognised in the Far Eastern International Digital Architectural Design’s 2000 Top 40, and HANSSEM International Design Competition for Housing and the Association for Computer-Aided 120 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Design in Architecture.

Phil Kim is JERDE’s Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region, the firm’s history here dating back more than 20 years. The difference now, however, is that JERDE has brought itself physically closer to clients with the establishment of the Singapore hub.

“While Singapore acts as the design studio for the Asia Pacific region, Shanghai serves as the hub for mainland China,” he says, who goes on to describe the company’s global footprint.

“With the philosophy to provide a more personalised service, the number of employees has been deliberately kept at approximately 100 globally. Increases in staff are planned nevertheless in line with any planned expansion into areas for which we operate on an opportunistic basis now, but have the potential to develop from emerging markets, to evolved ones.

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JERDE “Also, using a distributed network strategy, we have placed key architects in Shenzhen, Beijing and Seoul, and will continue to find opportunities to be closer to our clients, including recent requests for Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.”

THE JERDE WAY And it is this close interaction with clients which stands the firm apart in the field, a factor which will become even more pronounced with the opening of the Singapore office.

PORTFOLIO SNAPSHOT

ASIA PACIFIC JERDE’s portfolio is ever expanding. Among the new and current projects ongoing across APAC are: • Haitang Bay, Sanya, China • Hengqin Village, Hengqin, China • D-Cube, Seoul, Korea • KL Eco City (KLEC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Bukit Bintang City Center (BBCC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia • Jaya Ancol Development, Jakarta, Indonesia • Gaysorn Village, Bangkok, Thailand • Phu Quoc Casino & Resort, Phu Quoc, Vietnam Legacy projects include: • Roppongi Hills • Namba Parks • Canal City Hakata

122 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Despite being a global player, it is determined to continue with its boutique and personal approach to business – indeed, this time and attention given to each individual project is what has enabled it to become a pioneer in the concept of placemaking.

“JERDE placemaking is the art of making places where people want to go,” Kim adds. “We prioritise the spaces between the buildings, where people connect and share a complex and real urban experience — where they experience the ‘place’.

“This approach seamlessly blends architecture, landscape, interiors, environmental graphics, programming, lighting and water features into a layered sense of discovery.

“We have created projects throughout the world that provide lasting social, cultural and economic value and promote further investment and revitalisation. For over 40 years, we have partnered with developers, city planners, and local officials throughout the world to achieve astounding results.”

The creation of these complex environments is, as Kim describes, all down to co-creativity.

Whether it’s designing a small-scale individual building or master planning an entire city, JERDE assembles and directs a hand-picked group of specialty consultants that add depth and richness to the narrative of the place, often working closely with branding and communication experts to assure consistent messaging at every stage.

Such contributors include writers, artists, inventors, cultural experts and industry thought leaders, with the client sitting at the heart of these collaborative dialogues.

Another standout feature of the JERDE approach to urban design is its deep concern for sustainability.

“JERDE has long been a leader in smart, sustainable design, with the belief that truly sustainable design goes far beyond green building

practices,” Kim explains. “Our core design principles create projects that not only provide long-lasting benefits for communities, but projects that promote and create communities.

“We are different in the sense that we design experiences – the architecture is important, but for us, the key success of a development is how the user experiences the project and the choreography of such space.”

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This unique modus operandi partly explains the fact that JERDE is one of a very small number of architecture practices to be awarded with six Urban Land Institute Global Awards for Excellence, in addition to many of the industry’s other highest honours and recognitions. For instance, the company was named Best Architecture/Design Firm by the Los Angeles Downtown News in 2019.

PROJECT PRIDE In Kim’s Asia Pacific region, JERDE has completed a tremendous number of landmark and lifechanging projects, the Managing Director citing two that particularly stand out.

In Jakarta, Indonesia, the Bintaro Jaya development is one of the first fully integrated, mixed-use, transitoriented developments. It combines retail, entertainment, culture,

residential, office, hotel, and public space into one scheme, the project representing a new standard in urban land use for the region.

“JERDE’s conceptual masterplan incorporates key urban design principles to connect the mixed-use Bintaro Jaya district to the adjacent university, creating a district geared toward the intellectual and innovative – a creative community concept that forms the APAC Outlook issue 46 | 123

JERDE

gateway and identity of the entire Bintaro development,” Kim elaborates.

“Built into and enhancing the topography of the site, the design creates a natural transformation of the property into a public urban park complete with sculptural landforms, terraces of the tropical landscape maintained by recycle rain and grey water, trails and play areas, event spaces, interaction of outdoor and indoor pedestrian activities. The unique glass towers rising out of the urban oasis serves as an architectural signature and presence within the city.”

In the Japanese city of Kawagoe, around an hour from Tokyo on the train, JERDE has inspired the 12-storey 124 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“WE ARE OPTIMISTIC IN MARKET HYBRIDISATION; IN THE DEEP DIVE STUDIES OF RETROFITTING PLACES, RESPONDING TO THE GIVEN CHANGES TO HOW WE SHOP, WORK AND LIVE” mixed-use development known as Kawagoe Nishiguchi.

Launched this year, it spans around 30,000 square metres and houses a hotel, offices, retail and transport facilities, what the company describes as much more than a new part of city – rather, it is viewed as more like connective tissue.

“Locals and visitors alike are

exposed to the various components of project, such as the porous ground level, green walls, street landscaping, and rooftop festival space, Kim says.

“Coming together like a big puzzle, each piece is connected to parts of the city that visitors may not have been to previously or now see in a new light, creating a new form of placemaking for the entire community.”

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LOOKING AHEAD Such achievements and project delivery have not arrived without a fair share of disruption in 2020, however.

A year defined by the coronavirus pandemic, JERDE has not been immune to the disruption caused around the world and has prepared itself accordingly to adapt to changes in behaviour both from clients and internally with regards to remote working and embracing new collaboration technologies.

The company is also realistic when it comes to forecasting the fortunes of the real estate market in Asia over the next year, a stance which in turn has led to more modest ambitions

for growth than would have been anticipated before the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Our outlook is cautious but stable due to the global environment and an extremely volatile economy,” Kim says.

“We’ve been surprised at the strength of our pipeline this year, but have strategies in place for the disruptions we expected to enact in 2020, and a world next year which inherits the complications of COVID-19 that is lasting longer than hoped.

“We’re also prepared for a rapid evolution and drastic changes of developments within the imminent issues of use and changes of programs, targeted audiences, demographic and behaviours, re-positioning and technologies – movement that was already occurring the past five years which has accelerated by a factor of 10 due to the global pandemic and the adaptations to society and existence that we must accommodate.

“Looking ahead, the real estate market is likely to remain soft in most of Asia for the rest of the year and into 2021 due to lower demand in the traditional sectors. JERDE’s target for growth should be realistic with the possible scenario of improvement in market conditions in the second half

of 2021.”

But Kim is also resolutely confident, ending the conversation on an upbeat note.

He concludes: “We are optimistic in market hybridisation; in the deep dive studies of retrofitting places, responding to the given changes to how we shop, work and live.

“These are soft strategies that had occasional use in past years but are now primary to how we address client questions about what to build, how to build, when to build.

“This may mean revisiting the original intentions of a development brief in close conversation with our client teams, and reformulating the uses or how to work more closely with cities and government officials to offer public experience and realm benefits to citizens, resulting in a responsive expression of placemaking relevant to real needs.”

JERDE Tel: +65 6970 8733 caryn.tan@jerde.com www.jerde.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 125

CPRW

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAMUEL HARTNETT

126 | APAC Outlook issue 46

80 Not Out

Generator, Britomart Place

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Having reached its 80th birthday in what has been a tumultuous year, New Zealand’s CPRW is looking ahead to the next chapter in its development, one defined by agility, resilience and a willingness to explore new ideas Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

While being in business is both exciting and challenging at the best of times, this particular juncture has reminded us that you never know what lies around the corner and to take nothing for granted. It has also reinforced the importance of preparation and contingency planning.”

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is to expect the unexpected. When the first mutterings of the coronavirus outbreak emerged out of Wuhan province in China towards the end of 2019, few expected its impact to be reverberating almost a year later.

What’s more, it is likely that 2021 will be equally defined by what is now a full-flung global pandemic.

The above words are spoken by David Morgan, Director at Aucklandbased architecture and spatial design specialist CPRW. A well-seasoned and well-travelled industry professional, Morgan is better placed than most to comment on the ins and outs of the building scene in his home country, New Zealand being praised for its decisive and effective containment of the COVID-19 virus.

However, such action brought with it inevitable consequences and the construction sector was not immune to the impact of a nationwide lockdown of services deemed non-essential.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 127

CPRW

Inzide At Inzide, everything we do seeks to minimise our impact on New Zealand’s environment.

From the brands we supply to the New Zealand market, to processes we follow, we are committed to maintaining and improving our standards. We believe strongly in the circular economy and practice this ethos through the Ministry for Environment accredited ReEntry recycling scheme from Interface in Australia, among other great initiatives such as Toitu’s Carbonzero programme which allows us to track, reduce and offset our carbon footprint.

David Morgan, Director, CPRW “Prior to COVID, the construction and infrastructure sector in New Zealand was estimated to represent somewhere in the region of NZD$50 billion per annum,” Morgan explains.

“However, reports have suggested that the June quarter saw an almost 26 percent drop of activity in our sector.

“We are fortunate that the diversity of CPRW’s client base means the ongoing potential risk and fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has been spread out, although still felt.

“In May 2020, as New Zealand moved into our COVID response Alert Level 3, one of our projects, a $17 million upgrade of the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North received approval to proceed. In the process, this opened the door for about 100 jobs as work got underway.”

Other CPRW clients, especially those reliant on tourism and travel, have had to scale back investments, with deferrals on capital spending decisions adding to the air of uncertainty which Morgan, co-director Wade Jennings and their leadership team have had to contend with.

But the response has been 128 | APAC Outlook issue 46

pragmatic. “As a business we have made a point of identifying those things which we have the ability to control or direct – no matter how small – and focus our attention on those, while being there to support clients and collaborators in whatever capacity we can,” Morgan adds.

A MILESTONE YEAR, IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE The Director, who joined the firm in 2016 with business partner Wade Jennings, is equally determined to ensure the unprecedented events of 2020 do not detract from what has been a major milestone year.

“It is an extremely proud moment for all of us to play our part in what is a landmark year for CPRW,” Morgan continues.

“Celebrating a milestone like this for a business is not something very many people get to be part of during their working lives. That said, we must also acknowledge the contribution of those who not only laid the foundations for CPRW to begin with, but also those who have been a part of the team along the way.”

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CPRW enjoys an excellent design philosophy and seeks continuous improvement in all its endeavours.

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Street, A

CPRW This prompts Morgan to highlight the work of one of the company’s founding partners, Horace Massey, who set up the business in 1940, known then as Massey Beatson Rixx Trott Carter & Co. Massey was a prolific architect and well-known throughout New Zealand, the post-war building boom of the 1950s seeing the company quickly develop into a national leader before being renamed Curtis Penman Read Williams in 1974, and then CPRW in the 1980s.

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

CENTRAL ENERGY TRUST ARENA The Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North is New Zealand’s largest multipurpose sporting complex, hosting more than 2,000 diverse events every year.

CPRW has been contracted to provide architectural design services for a $17.1 million upgrade to the site, work which will be completed in two stages. The first stage involves a detailed masterplan and the initial enabling works to allow further development and placement of new spectator and indoor sports facilities.

“The signature elements of Stage 1 include a new public entrance plaza and spectator bridge into the main outdoor stadium as well as a landscape focus on multi use overlays,” Morgan says. “Stage 1 is scheduled for construction early 2020 with design work underway for Stage 2. Both stages are expected to be completed by March 2021.”

130 | APAC Outlook issue 46

A $17 million upgrade of the Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North received approval to proceed To honour the 80-year anniversary, Morgan and the CPRW team have been busy enacting a rebranding exercise to be launched before the end of the year, the new-look CPRW representing a practice which looks ahead to the future as well as acknowledging the past.

“The quality of design, attention to detail and the maintaining of the highest standards that Horace Massey instilled in the practice cannot be underestimated,” the Director says with pride.

“Those founding principles are ones which we strive to embody in the work

being done by CPRW now and in the future.”

Morgan’s own journey with the company, albeit relatively short, has brought about something of a change in strategic direction, one designed to unleash the firm’s undoubted potential and out of what he describes as a comfortable space.

Both he and fellow Director Wade Jennings had gained significant experience abroad in the likes of Europe and the Middle East before returning to New Zealand, the two design veterans in universal agreement about the scope of

CONSTRUCTION

opportunity presented at CPRW. “The firm had essentially evolved into a one client consultancy with a consistently steady workload focused on the retail, banking and financial services sector throughout New Zealand, with some projects also undertaken in Australia,” Morgan says.

“It had operated very much under the radar while furthering its reputation for producing high quality design and documentation services as well as first rate levels of client service.

“When we joined the practice, with the support of the wider CPRW team – several of whom had been with the

practice for in excess of 35 years – we immediately began to implement a strategy that included both growing and diversifying the client base.

“Another key part of the strategy was to ensure that team members, present and future, feel that the opportunities to work on a variety of project types and continued professional development are integral to support the growth in client base.”

Indeed, CPRW now works with an extremely broad base of clients spanning sectors which include tourism, sports and recreation, local government, housing, commercial

property owners and developers, and real estate professionals, as well as professional services firms.

“But, at the end of the day, none of this change would have been possible without the support and encouragement of our clients and the wider CPRW team,” Morgan states proudly. “To a person, they have embraced the new direction taken by the practice and continue to make it possible for us all to take CPRW into territories which are mutually beneficial for us, our clients and collaborators, both new and old.

“While 80 years is undoubtedly a APAC Outlook issue 46 | 131

CPRW

very significant milestone, we want to make sure that we do all that we can to ensure that CPRW is able to celebrate well into its second century while making a positive contribution to our built environments and the communities they support.�

A NEW CHAPTER Another key consideration for Morgan and Jennings back in 2016 was finding 132 | APAC Outlook issue 46

the right balance between revolution and evolution for CPRW – in other words, the speed at which to embrace new technologies and ways of working.

This has been especially the case in relation to solutions such as building information modelling (BIM) and virtual reality (VR), and such technology can be used to facilitate early engagement with clients and project teams.

In relation to the latter, CPRW has created its own platform called VRTUE (Virtual Reality Touchstone for User Experiences).

It provides animated VR experiences which assist in the analytical evaluation of the design, function, future flexibility, and capacity of new built environments, what Morgan terms a next level use of the technology in the architecture and spatial design fields.

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PROJECT SNAPSHOT

88 SHORTLAND STREET Standing at 125 metres in height, 88 Shortland Street is one of Auckland’s premium CBD commercial buildings, with almost 20,000 square metres of NLA throughout 15 floors of office space.

“Our VRTUE animations provide an intelligent, interactive platform for the observation and analysis of how future environments might perform and how users will likely behave,” he adds.

“This enables the many and varied stakeholders, each with a different perspective, to provide informed and constructive first-hand feedback on any proposed design.”

The benefits of this advanced

information and feedback gathering mechanism are numerous and measurable, the overall impact being a much closer, collaborative relationship with clients across the design process.

An example of virtual reality in action can be seen at a project in Auckland for client Generator and its workspace in the city’s central business district – Generator Britomart Place (GBP).

CPRW is providing a full design and delivery scope for this ‘Asset Transformation Package’ that encompasses a ‘front door to back door’ strategy, including: new public entrance from Fort Street, the re-plan and re-design of the primary entry lobby (L9), the business centre, gym, and EOT facilities (L8), as well as new lifts, and full re-clad of the rotunda. It also includes base building upgrades to typical office floors and core areas.

Initiated in 2017, the project is slated for completion in May 2021.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 133

CPRW Here, CPRW utilised VR throughout the design process to aid and inform both planning and aesthetic related decisions with the client. Further, the Generator marketing and sales team were able to give prospective residents an exciting taste of their future workplace via a virtual tour.

It is a project which instils a deep sense of pride within Morgan and the CPRW team, not only because of the successful deployment of VR, but the results it has helped to achieve.

“We completed concept design in December, full production information

by March, and the co working space opened in June,” the Director says.

“Our client teams from across many projects, but especially Generator, were genuinely appreciative and embracing of the opportunity to climb into the VR environment and achieve almost instantaneous buy in of the proposed concept and planning strategy. This also allowed Generator to use the technology as a sales and marketing tool to enable leasing of

space before the physical product was completed.”

The project itself involved the repurposing, repositioning, and regeneration of 3,000 square metres spread over three contiguous floors.

“We facilitated this through the design of a unique, premium coworking environment, a new level of sophistication and user experience in an increasingly competitive sector, populated by a variety of providers and offerings,” Morgan continues.

“Generator Britomart Place needed to provide the level of agility and flexibility necessary to support a diverse range of residents and external users, while remaining true to the co-working ethos.”

The aesthetics of the development included solid oak flooring, recycled fishing net floor tiles, bespoke leather and timber wall panels, bronze tinted mirrors and hanging gardens, to name but a few features. CPRW also added a bistro to offer a new dining experience.

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAMUEL HARTNETT

The project for Generator, as with all CPRW developments, demonstrates the strength and importance of collaboration between CPRW and its suppliers and partners.

“Partner and supplier relationships are an integral part of everything we do,” Morgan states. “From software licensing to round table working sessions with main and sub-contractors, plus everything in between, each stage of a project’s lifecycle relies on the integrity of these relationships and the clear, open communication that supports them.

“Our supplier partners are also able to provide valuable insights as to how and where we as a business might be able to achieve operational efficiencies as they view our workflow and outputs from a different perspective.

“And importantly, when something does not work or breaks down, they ensure that we and our clients are able to maintain a ‘business as usual’ status

Generator, Britomart Place

BUILT ON COLLABORATION

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PROJECT SNAPSHOT

JUCY This Auckland development will see the transformation of 6,000 square metres of commercial building into a mixed-use space for offices, accommodation and hospitality. Once finished, it will be the biggest backpacker’s hostel in New Zealand, and will offer a unique combination of compact, individual ensuite rooms and personal sleeping pods within various sized dormitory rooms.

Stage 1 involves working on the structure and the refurbished envelope of the building and is currently being completed on site. Stage 2 is the internal fitout, including all hotel and hostel rooms, and is planned to commence in February 2021, with completion set for October 2021.

Morgan adds: “This development will provide a new focal point in this area of the city. The existing building was in a poor state and had no relationship to the street or pedestrians. The busy city corner will be transformed by the new use, with guests and locals using the hotel, office space and food and beverage offerings, bringing the building to life and improving the streetscape.”

by providing the same level of support and service that we in turn are ready to provide to our clients.”

Indeed, this network of partnerships will be critical moving forwards as CPRW seeks to build on its 80-year foundations, a key priority for Morgan being to ensure that quality is not compromised and attention to detail is maintained through these uncertain times.

This is another reason to ensure cooperation up and down the supply chain remains resolute, with dialogue between employees and clients also paramount if all parties are to successfully navigate the challenges which lay ahead.

But Morgan is optimistic. Concluding the conversation, he looks ahead to the next chapter of CPRW’s story.

“We remain positive about our future project pipeline, but cognisant of the fact that we must (as always) continue to identify and develop new opportunities and relationships,” he says.

“At the same time, we need to demonstrate sensitivity and understanding in relation to the position others might find themselves in and the fact that decision process will invariably take longer than it might in more normal circumstances.

“There is an abundance of wellknown quotes which bear relevance to the situation we find ourselves in at the moment, not to mention the opportunities that might present themselves from known and unknown quarters. Regardless, it is exciting to know that there will be better days ahead for us as a sector, a country and a global community.”

CPRW Tel: +64 (0)9 303 4514 hello@cprw.co.nz www.cprw.co.nz

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 135

MIN DHAMA STEEL STRUCTURES (MDSS)

M Tower

136 | APAC Outlook issue 46

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STRONG M AND STRUCTURED GROWTH How Min Dhama Steel Structures is providing support to infrastructure projects in Myanmar and beyond with its fabricated steel structures Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

yanmar is a country steeped in tradition, known for its golden stupas and ancient pagodas.

But it is also a country that is modernising rapidly; working to develop vital transport, telecoms, energy and building infrastructure in hopes of boosting its economy. According to a 2018 study by McKinsey, the construction industry employs approximately 500,000 people in Myanmar, a figure that has increased fourfold since 2010.

In 2018, the construction industry was valued at $9.5 billion. This is a share of around 16.5 percent of the country’s GDP and a major economic driver. Furthermore, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates the infrastructure gap between now and 2030 to be worth $120 billion.

It is therefore easy to see why steel is of vital importance to the country.

One company that is pioneering in this growing market is Min Dhama Steel Structures Co. Ltd. (MDSS) – a firm with the aim of supporting rapidly growing infrastructure development in Myanmar, with additional production capacity to meet structural steel requirements on the wider Asian market.

Dr Michael King has been with MDSS as Vice President – International Business since 2018. A Malaysian citizen of mixed parentage, he spent a decade in Japan studying for a degree in Civil Engineering, followed by a master’s degree and a PhD from Kobe University. He initially pursued a career in the construction industry in Malaysia, before moving overseas and eventually ending up at Surbana International Consultations Pte. Ltd in Singapore.

“It was with this company that I had the opportunity to serve as the Tender Manager for a major PPP project in Myanmar where Mottama Holdings Group was my client. Mottama Holdings Group is the holding company for Min Dhama Steel Structures.

After successful completion of the PPP tender, I was invited by Mottama APAC Outlook issue 46 | 137

MIN DHAMA STEEL STRUCTURES (MDSS) Holdings Group to join their property development team,” he explains.

“From there, I switched position to be the Vice President – International Business to serve the Mottama Holdings Group in dealing with international business opportunities with various international companies.”

AN INDUSTRY IN ITS INFANCY According to Dr King, Myanmar’s steel industry – and the economy in general – has been growing steadily, although it has experienced a drastic slowdown since the COVID-19 crisis. However, it is beginning to pick up again.

“Being termed ‘the last frontier economy in Asia’, I have very positive feelings that the country will keep on growing and prosper once the COVID19 scare has worn off,” the VP explains.

“A young and hardworking workforce, a large population base and a growing economy are just the right ingredients to propel this country upwards.”

However, working within Myanmar’s steel industry is not without its challenges. For example, as a new

MDSS’S PRODUCTION LINES MDSS has three main production lines in its facility: RH-LINE: This production line is for the fabrication of hot-rolled H beams.

BH-LINE: For the fabrication of built up H beams with 800-millimetre flange width and unlimited height.

BOX-COLUMN LINE: For the production of 300-1,500-millimetre square box columns, using ElectroSlag Welding (ESW) technique.

138 | APAC Outlook issue 46

industry few government regulations have been introduced. Companies such as MDSS must compete against cheaper imported products, thanks to a lack of tariffs on such activities.

Due to the lack of industry standards, MDSS has been using internationally accepted norms such as AISC since inception. This means it has the capacity to supply most international projects, while the company also continues to advocate for change within Myanmar’s steel industry.

“We are actively working with other industry players and Myanmar Steel Association (MSA) to forge a better and regulated environment and acceptable local industry standards,” Dr King says. “This is part of our commitment to contribute to the industry.

“We have been able to compete and survive under this competitive environment and this has made us into a strong and cohesive unit.”

But despite internal cohesion and its adoption of internationally accepted standards, Dr King believes that there is a perception that companies from Myanmar do not have the production capabilities or market insight of other international companies.

It is a perception he is intent on changing.

“I have been receiving many foreign visitors to the factory during the last two years and more than 95 percent of our guests are amazed to find such an established fabrication facility in this part of the world,” the Vice President explains.

A COMPANY ON THE RISE MDSS was founded in 2014 and is located within the Shwe Pyi Thar Industrial Zone in the north-eastern part of Greater Yangon. It can fabricate any type of steel structure used in the construction industry. This includes factory buildings, high-rise offices or residential buildings, spatial roof structures for stadiums and airports, steel bridges, and commercial shopping complexes to name a few.

Jotun Myanmar Jotun is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of decorative paints, marine, protective and powder coatings. The Group has 64 companies and 40 production facilities around the world and more than 9,800 employees.

Jotun is represented in more than 100 countries through its own subsidiaries, joint ventures, agents, branch offices, and distributors. With a head office in Sandefjord, Norway, Jotun has structured its global organisation into seven regions. This ensures the operational responsibility of business in all regions in the geographical area.

Seen as having a growing financial potential, Jotun Myanmar was registered in 2012 as a services company in Yangon. In 2014 a factory in Bago began construction and was finished in 2016. Today, it boasts a production capacity of five million litres per year.

Commencement of commercial operation began in July 2017, supplying three quality paints to customers. These are: decorative, protective coatings and marine coatings.

We are proud to supply paint and high perfomance coating solutions to many of the top projects in Myanmar: • M Tower, the tallest steel structure office tower in Myanmar.

• Myanmar Aquarium, the first global standard national aquarium.

• Sembcorp Myingyan Power Plant, Myanmar’s most efficient power plant and one of the largest CCGT facilities in the country.

• PSW Oil Terminal, Jetty and Storage Tanks, Myanmar’s first automatic process-controlled fuel distribution terminal.

• Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Port by Japan’s Toyo Construction Co., and JFE Engineering Corp.

• HAGL Myanmar Centre, the first and most modern complex building that includes a large shopping mall, office towers and premium condominiums.

• Times City, the most luxurious retail complex in Yangon, comprising of a grand hotel, high class offices, modern residences and a shopping mall.

MIN DHAMA STEEL STRUCTURES (MDSS) “We start by designing steel structures, produce shop drawings – which indicate how each steel part is to be fabricated – purchase steel plates or hot-rolled steel members and cut and weld them to form the required shapes and sizes. We are

STRENGTHENED

BY SUPPLIERS HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? DR MICHAEL KING: “The supply chain forms the backbone of all our operations. We depend heavily on a reliable source of materials to be able to meet our customer demands.

“Currently, we heavily depend on imports for most of our supply, ranging from steel plates and welding consumables to industrial gases. We also rely on overseas support for our machinery spare parts.

“These items require very close cooperation and planning between all parties due to the relatively long delivery times. Any mistake will have a huge impact on our delivery schedules.”

140 | APAC Outlook issue 46

currently the largest local user of Tekla® software, which is especially suited for producing steel structure shop drawings,” explains Dr King.

MDSS’s main products are built-up H beams and box columns, which are the basic building blocks used to assemble and form steel structures.

It can produce up to 4,000 metric tonnes of finished products per month and aims to ramp this up to 6,000 metric tonnes by next year.

STANDING APART Dr King believes there are several important ways in which MDSS can distinguish itself from its competitors.

For a start, it is a part of Mottama Holdings Group, which has 3,000 fulltime employees and a 22-year track record working in Myanmar. It has subsidiaries in construction material trading, ready-mixed concrete supply, construction, property development and logistics support.

“This allows us to provide a more holistic and turnkey solution to our clients with the strong support of our upstream and downstream subsidiaries,” the Vice President says.

“It is this strength that sets us apart in the local market. We can get feedback from our group subsidiaries to further innovate and improve ourselves. To showcase this, our group tagline is actually ‘Innovation through Experience’.”

According to Dr King, the quality of MDSS’s machinery also stands it apart. It uses state-of-the-art CNC and semi-automatic welding machines procured mainly from Italy, Taiwan, and Japan.

“Our founder and Chairman, Mr Yang Ho, had the foresight to invest in the required technologies from the beginning to develop our capability to be on par with competitors in the region. I believe that our machinery and production facility is one of the biggest and most sophisticated in this region,” he says.

Thirdly, Dr King is proud of MDSS’s

box column line, which has the capacity to produce 800 metric tonnes of products per month.

Domestically, there is limited demand for box columns, something which the firm is looking to address.

“Not many are aware of the potential of such products, especially for use in seismic-resistant structures.

We have extensively used box columns in our own developments such as M Tower and Harbour Trade Tower to promote this product locally,” he explains.

In Myanmar, then, MDSS is working hard to educate people and promote its box columns. But seismic-prone countries such as Taiwan and Japan are already very much aware of the benefits offered to structures by these – MDSS sees a strong potential to export box columns to these countries and other developing markets.

A fourth way in which MDSS can distinguish itself from the competition is through its strong supply chain.

MDSS strives to form good working relationships with its network of suppliers, thereby ensuring timely supplies without the need to stockpile.

An added advantage is that it can rely on its sister company, which deals with construction materials, to provide backup services in emergency situations.

The local supply chain ensures that MDSS can procure locally available items, including a reliable supply of high-quality paints.

It also relies on eight groups of subcontractors, who collectively provide around 400 subcontractor workers in its factory.

“We treat each and every labour force similar to our own staff as we believe that they are part of our extended family, working towards the same goals,” the Vice President says.

“Similarly, when we pursue new opportunities, we want to be treated as supply chain partners by our clients and customers as we strongly believe in creating lasting relationships

CONSTRUCTION

M-TOWER

between all parties. Our new project pursuits are mostly founded on close relationships rather than on random competitive bidding.”

HEIGHT: 111 metres

FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

GRADE: A Grade Premium Office Tower

There are several landmark projects which MDSS is proud to be a part of.

Topping the bill is the M-Tower, a landmark structure developed, built and fabricated by the subsidiaries within Mottama Holdings Group.

“The building height here in Yangon is regulated in relation to the height of the much revered Shwedagon Pagoda and as such, we had to limit the building to 26-storeys high,” Dr King explains.

The M-Tower has a diagrid structure, which protects the building from extreme seismic sources.

“Our founder and Chairman wanted to build this tallest steel structure building in Myanmar and show the industry that it is possible to build such a building with local capabilities, even though we are located in a seismic zone,” Dr King says.

The building’s interior is currently being fitted out, and it will be opened to its first tenants in April 2021.

Another flagship project is the Myanmar Aquarium, a concession awarded to Mottama Holdings

LANDMARK CASE STUDY

STRUCTURE: Diagrid steel design COMPLETION date: April 2021 ACCOLADES: Best Office Development Award in Myanmar Property Awards 2018.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 141

MIN DHAMA STEEL STRUCTURES (MDSS)

Terminal M

Group by the government. A curved, contemporary structure perched on the banks of the Kandawgyi Lake in downtown Yangon, it is the first of its kind in the country and will be a major draw for tourists once it opens in the first half of 2021.

“We had to collaborate with various international partners to bring this project to life as an aquarium requires substantial specialist knowhow.

Our steel structures are used for the roof structure of the main aquarium building while the annex restaurant complex next to the lake is a full steel structure building,” Dr King says.

MDSS is also working on several other building projects, including Terminal M – a commercial and lifestyle complex in Mingalardon – and the Harbour Trade Tower, a 22-story office building in Yangon. The company also supports infrastructure development projects by supplying the steel parts for building.

“Our contribution in this area is quite substantial as we are able to count projects such as the 225 MW Myingyan Power Plant, Naypyitaw International 142 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“WE ARE CURRENTLY IN CLOSE NEGOTIATIONS WITH A FRENCH PARTNER ON SOME SMALL OIL AND GAS RELATED SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SECURE A CONTRACT FROM THEM FOR A PROJECT IN SAUDI ARABIA” Airport’s roof structure, the Yakult factory, Carlsberg factory and Nissan motor car factory as records of our performance,” the Vice President says.

LOOKING AHEAD As with many industries, COVID-19 has led to an industry slowdown, especially within the private sector. However, there are still many foreign-funded infrastructure developments in the pipeline – MDSS is gearing up to support the construction of large steel bridges, intracity viaduct structures and industrial zone developments.

“We are pleased to be associated with Yokogawa Bridge Corporation as we are currently assisting them with works for two major bridges in Myanmar. This is the beginning of

our foray into this market segment.

With the track record and experience gained, we hope to secure more bridge projects soon,” Dr King says.

Over the upcoming months, MDSS plans to focus more on government infrastructure projects while waiting for the private sector to pick up.

The slowdown caused by pandemic has enabled it to restructure its organisation, reconfigure production lines and purchase new machinery.

However, it is also still pushing ahead with ambitious expansion plans – it has recently increased its land area from 70,484 square metres to 90,500 square metres by acquiring two additional plots. Its production area has therefore increased from 55,482 square metres to 77,500 square metres.

CONSTRUCTION “The objective here is to not only increase our production capacity but also to tailor the production lines to suit market demand and future projections. We will ultimately bring our monthly production capacity to 6,000 metric tonnes of finished products from the current 4,000 metric tonnes,” the Vice President explains.

Such expansion will continue – Mottama Holdings Group is currently negotiating with the government for the development rights on 64 acres of land in downtown Yangon.

“If this $2.5 billion development becomes a reality, it would further propel our Group’s move into the property development arena and indirectly provide MDSS with further avenues to showcase our capability to support huge projects,” Dr King says.

Increasing its production capacity

Aquarium

means MDSS will be producing more steel parts than are in demand locally.

Because of this, it is looking to expand into new markets. Such expansion plans are based predominantly on its existing customer relationships, rather than on market demands. For example, it has a strong relationship with a client in the Philippines, and so plans to continue exporting there.

The company has also begun exploratory talks with counterparts in Japan.

It sees particular potential in its box columns, which are widely used there.

Although initial forays into the market have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr King is optimistic that there will be a big market for MDSS’s products in Japan in the future.

“Another area that we are looking at is to supply for oil and gas related projects. We are currently in close

HL Tower

negotiations with a French partner on some small oil and gas related support structures and we hope to be able to secure a contract from them for a project in Saudi Arabia,” he adds.

All in all, MDSS appears to be a young, nimble and rapidly growing company with a promising future ahead of it.

Unsurprisingly, the conversation ends on a positive note.

“We have only started to actively promote our services overseas for the last two years, but the response has been very encouraging over this relatively short period of time,” the Vice President concludes.

“As such, we believe the future potential for us to grow bigger is definitely there.”

MIN DHAMA STEEL STRUCTURES (MDSS) Tel: (+95) 9965333666 info@mindhamasteel.com www.mindhamasteel.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 143

M R DAYAL GROUP

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CONSTRUCTION

F

A FRIEND

or any organisation, reaching an 80th anniversary is no small achievement.

In Fiji, the M R Dayal Group is celebrating this landmark, testament to its standing as a reliable, successful and caring corporate citizen which has supported industry and socioeconomic development across the country.

The group is something of a family dynasty, a source of immense pride for current Executive Director Jay Dayal, who is also Managing Director of the organisation’s newest venture, Dayals Steels.

“The M R Dayal Group was founded by my grandfather in his early days, and now stands 80 years tall in Fiji,” he says. “The pioneer businessman, Late Ram Dayal, whose father Mahadeo Singh was an immigrant from Bihar in India in 1900, was a social entrepreneur – he was very closely attached to giving back to the community.

The M R Dayal Group has been a pillar of Fijian industry and social contribution for more than 80 years, the most recent venture into steel milling providing yet more opportunities for growth Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joshua Mann “One of his notable contributions to his local area, Ba, was the supply of free water through pipes to over 300 residents when the government of Fiji was not able to provide facilities in those early days. With many charitable deeds, the family has earned a strong reputation and goodwill in Fiji and abroad, especially amongst those Fijian migrants settled overseas – everyone knows the Dayal family of Ba.” APAC Outlook issue 46 | 145

M R DAYAL GROUP Today the group consists of three subsidiaries – Dayals Quarries, Dayals Sawmillers and Dayals Steels – all of which hold leading positions within the Fijian marketplace.

Jay Dayal’s father, Prakash, co-founded the quarrying venture with his elder brother Brij, which serves as one of the largest civil engineering works, earthmoving and road construction businesses in Fiji.

The business is now managed by Jay’s uncle, Brij Dayal, and his two sons, and produces various concrete related products such as concrete blocks, pavements, culverts, roadside kerbs, quarry and crushed stones for roads.

It would seem a natural step for Jay to step into the family business, but he admits that this was not originally on his career radar, the Executive Director initially planning to enter the legal profession.

THE THREE DAYALS Today the M R Dayal Group operates three subsidiaries: DAYALS QUARRIES: Produces various concrete related products such as concrete blocks, pavements, culverts, roadside kerbs, quarry and crushed stones for roads.

DAYALS SAWMILLERS: Fiji’s largest processor and exporter of plantation grown genuine mahogany lumber and ready to use decking and flooring.

DAYALS STEELS: The group’s newest investment, also based in Ba. It is Fiji’s largest and fully locally owned steel rolling mill and specialises in round reinforcement bars, structural purlins and roofing iron and accessories and mesh wire in various specifications.

146 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“I always felt that there were enough capable leaders within the family to steer the business,” he recalls.

“However, with the growth as it was, it required more close supervision and family involvement.

“When my father ventured into the sawmilling business in 1994, he asked me to extend my support to him – the company was poised to grow but required tight management of operations.

“Dayals Sawmillers Pte Ltd is now 25 years old and is Fiji’s largest processor and exporter of plantation grown genuine mahogany lumber and ready to use decking and flooring to many markets, including the USA, Central America, Dominican Republic, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China and South Korea.”

The Mahogany log purchase license with the Fijian government was negotiated by Jay in 2013, followed by its renewal in 2017, and the product markets introduced by him are currently benefitting the timber trade.

Alrite Steel & Services Alrite Steel & Services NZ Ltd (Alrite) is ‘your NZ steel distributors’ who supply high quality, cost effective and compliant steel products. Alrite was established in 2003 and has been operating in Auckland, New Zealand since.

Alrite has over 30 years of industry knowledge, commercial and administration skills. These quality assets have formed trusting customer relationships throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

Its client base ranges from owners and end users, engineers and consultants, building developers and civil contractors, heavy and light engineering manufacturing companies, steel fabricators and scaffolding companies.

A key competency Alrite prides itself on is the supply of compliant and certified materials on “Indent” direct to its clients. This is one of the many reasons Alrite Steel is one of New Zealand’s upcoming steel distributors.

STEEL – THE NEW VENTURE Today, Jay Dayal’s major responsibility lies in running the steel business, the group’s most recent investment which was founded in 2015 as his vision.

The foundation for this project actually arose out of water, Jay being a co-founder of a bottling business (Island Chill) in 2005 which enjoyed tremendous success before being sold in 2014, the profits being used to fund the emergence of Dayals Steels.

And it is an exciting time to be in Fijian industry right now – although there are challenges with bureaucratic red tape, a strong construction industry continues to drive up demand for building materials saw as steel, wood and concrete.

Dayals Steels continues to serve the sector as Fiji’s largest and fully locally owned steel rolling mill, specialising in round reinforcement bars, structural purlins and roofing iron and accessories and mesh wire in various specifications.

www.alrite.co.nz

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M R DAYAL GROUP

Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PARTNER AND SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR BUSINESS? JAY DAYAL: “We carefully select our suppliers after assessing their ability to meet our expectations in terms of quality, service and delivery. Most of our suppliers date back over 50 years. Dayals Steels is an ISO accredited business, and so we carefully examine our raw material suppliers’ quality systems to ensure they meet our standards.

This way, from raw materials to products to delivery, the quality system is intact.”

So far, the venture has received $35 million in investment, backing which enables it to produce 100,000 tonnes of steel product a year.

“With further due diligence into the overall local and export market steel demand, we increased our product lines by adding roofing iron in prepainted galvanised roofing sheets and Alu-Zinc with rainwater goods, heavy coated steel purlins, welded mesh wire products and galvanised strapping – all in multitude of specifications,” Jay says.

“Dayals Steels wishes to be a household name for steel products in Fiji.

Many other product lines are currently planned which will significantly boost 148 | APAC Outlook issue 46

the economy of Fiji in coming years.”

Such was the determination to establish the steel milling operation, the company had to install its own power generators to plug the gap in local electricity supply.

And today Dayals Steels helps other companies in regard to their own ecological footprint – its furnaces operate at around 1,300 degrees Celsius, allowing it to dispose of waste fuel and oil without doing harm to the environment. Further, its hot rolling process is internationally recognised with ISO 14001 for Environmental Management System accreditation.

The Managing Director is also quick

CONSTRUCTION

to praise the professionalism of his 130 employees at the steel business, a factor which he believes sets the company apart from the competition.

“With Dayals Steels producing a top-quality product, timely and exceptional customer service has been the hallmark of our success,” Jay adds.

“Our market share since 2018 has been continuously growing, and if we stay focused on our current growth trajectory, by the end of 2021 we should be the dominant player in the Fijian steel industry.

“With competition now extending to our retailers entering manufacturing, we will soon open retail outlets all

over Viti Levu to counter that move.

Our trained technical staff have a grip of the product quality standards and customer service.”

The same can be said of the 470 employees who work for the other Dayal companies, many of them being the third generation of their families who have all worked within the group.

It underlines the family’s standing as a key socioeconomic pillar in Fijian society, and leaves Jay optimistic that the group will be in safe hands for many more generations to come.

Concluding the conversation, he outlines his short-term ambitions for the ever-growing steel division.

“I stand confident that having not only created a $35 million steel venture for Ba but for the whole of Fiji, this business will become a leader in the Pacific very soon. We have many ambitious plans – some have been temporarily shelved due to COVID-19, but we will soon be back on track once businesses normalise in 2021.”

M R DAYAL GROUP Tel: (679) 6675605 info@dayalssteels.com www.dayalssteels.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 149

10 DESIGN

A proposal to Redefine the Hong Kong Harbourfront 150 | APAC Outlook issue 46

CONSTRUCTION

Celebrating a Decade of CuttingEdge Architecture 10 Design has been in operation for a decade, and is fast becoming known for its culturally sensitive, innovative architectural designs Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 151

10 DESIGN As we celebrate 10 years since establishing 10 Design, it is almost difficult to believe the extent of creative design and built work that has been accomplished during this time,” muses Barry Shapiro, Managing Partner – Asia at global architecture firm 10 Design.

Shapiro moved to Asia in the nineties from New York, and has since lived and worked in Jakarta, Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong, referring to it as one of the world’s richest and most diverse regions.

He has lived and worked through three decades of rapid development, moving from a time when there was no internet or email in the office to webbased meetings that span the globe.

“From a professional standpoint, the pace of development and construction in Asia is extremely rapid and fastpaced,” Shapiro explains.

“Projects that take years to design, deliver and construct in the west take significantly less time in Asia. The scale

A proposal for the New Terminal 4 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, Indonesia 152 | APAC Outlook issue 46

of the work is also typically very large.

In just the past decade with 10 Design, I have personally been involved in over 1,000,000 square metres of built projects which is extremely fulfilling.”

10 DESIGN’S KEY MILESTONES • Founded in 2010 • Established for 10 years • Growing to over 200 staff across seven offices and three design studios • Winning over 70 international design awards • Working on projects in over 60 cities across Asia, Europe and the Middle East • Recently establishing a new design studio in the United States

10 YEARS OF DESIGN EXCELLENCE 10 Design is an international architecture and masterplanning practice with its headquarters in Hong Kong and offices in Shanghai, Edinburgh, Dubai, London, Miami and Shenzhen, which collectively employ over 200 architects and designers.

Its main services include architectural planning and design, while it specialises in mixed-used developments (allowing it to draw on its expertise in large-scale mixed use development, retail, office, residential, hospitality, transport, education, cultural, and civic projects). The practice typically works on projects from initial concept to design development, although in certain cases will see it all the way through to tender stage.

“We established the practice in 2010 to create a studio that produces high quality, contemporary design, respectful of local cultures and rooted in maximising commercial value for our

CONSTRUCTION

FAÇADE CONSULTING

ACOUSTICS & AUDIO VISUAL*

LIGHTING*

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

*Photos by Brian Zhang

Barry Shapiro, Managing Partner, Asia

W | inhabitgroup.com E | contact@inhabitgroup.com | | |@inhabitgroup

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 153

10 DESIGN

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

GREATWALL COMPLEX WUHAN, CHINA (BUILT 2016) 10 Design created and delivered an exemplary development in Wuhan, which provides a world class workplace and retail, a vibrant public realm, and a highperformance and sustainable building. 10 Design tested many design options to provide maximum returnable value to the client, but in parallel to give a new civic space in the centre of Wuhan, both for tenants and surrounding residents.

The optimum solution defines a new civic space connected through a series of processional ramp to a new roof top garden on the podium. The ramp allowed all levels of retail to open up at a new raised ground level, thereby maximizing leasable value for the client. It also presents a unique pedestrian experience, benefitting from dining opportunities and public art, looking back across the city from a raised elevation.

Greatwall Complex was also recognised for its sustainable credentials and achieved LEED Platinum Certification for Building Design & Construction: Core & Shell. It has also received a number of international accolades including CTBUH Awards 2018, WAN Awards 2017, and MIPIM Asia Awards 2016, to name a few.

Greatwall Complex, Wuhan, China Photography: 10 Design 154 | APAC Outlook issue 46

CONSTRUCTION clients. Even more importantly, we have always strived to create a vibrant creative and diverse studio environment for our staff,” Shapiro says.

The Managing Partner believes 10 Design’s diverse global talent pool is central to its success.

“Our family of talent encompasses

more than 30 nationalities, speaking over 40 languages and dialects across seven studios. We see this as a unique cultural advantage in today’s shrinking world. Global talent has fuelled 10 and will continue to do so,” he adds.

It is part of 10 Design’s ethos to embrace emerging talent across the

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

AL SEEF – THE CONTEMPORARY AREA DUBAI, UAE (BUILT 2018) The Contemporary Area of Al Seef has been created as a complementary foil to the Heritage Area which forms part of the wider masterplan.

The Contemporary Area has activated 670 metres of the Dubai Creek waterfront with boutique food and beverage, retail, hospitality, and marina amenities over a total of GFA of 85,000 square metres.

10 Design’s scheme has broken down the retail and F&B amenities into a series of standalone pavilions fronting along the shores of Dubai Creek.

The pavilions fully open out onto the promenade, blurring the distinction between internal and external spaces, providing the canvas for exciting, active, and bustling retail and hospitality concepts.

To complete a holistic lifestyle offer, Al Seef accommodates two hotels by Hilton: the 200-key Canopy by Hilton and a 150-key Hampton by Hilton.

Extending from the hotels is the creation of separate F&B water pavilions that spill out and into the creek, stepping across a terraced, cascading landscape for a distinctive take on waterfront dining opportunities.

The project has won numerous awards at the likes of the International Property Awards 2019, MIPIM Global Awards 2019, and Middle East Architect Awards 2018.

globe – rather than a establishing a rigidly hierarchical workplace, it encourages a collaborative culture where ideas can be discussed and evolve. Furthermore, the practice’s global reach means it has the resources to quickly scale projects up or down as necessary, enabling it to work on projects ranging from individual building designs to the planning of an entire city.

Alongside its collaborative culture and talented staff pool, Shapiro believes that the company’s intimate knowledge of the region also stands it apart.

“Unlike many large international architectural consultants working within Asia that are based in the west and have branch offices within Asia, 10 Design was born and is headquartered within Asia,” Shapiro explains. “The partners have been living and working within Asia for most of their careers and we have a deep understanding of the unique cultures, processes and nuances of working within the region.”

This enables the practice to come up with designs that are sensitive to both the cultural and physical environment.

Shapiro also cites 10 Design’s relationship with partners and consultants as crucial to its success in designing over 200 projects in over 60 countries across the world, to high customer satisfaction.

Al Seef, The Contemporary Area, Dubai, UAE Photography: Rafael Vargas

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 155

10 DESIGN

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

INDUSTRIAL SERVICE CENTRE ZHUHAI, CHINA (BUILT 2020) The Industrial Service Centre (ISC) provides 54,700 square metres of office space for burgeoning startup companies and entrepreneurs to collaborate, establishing a dynamic incubation platform. The office campus also accommodates public facing government administration facilities, providing a combined synergy of tenants in the new Jinwan Aviation City Zhuhai, China.

Creating opportunities for interaction, collaboration and visibility is an important objective of our masterplan. The new office campus is conceived as a series of low-rise office spaces with direct access to a new central lake at the heart of the masterplan. The campus is designed around a central green space which promotes a sense of community and visibility connecting back to the public waterfront of the lake. As the office campus contains public accessible government facilities, permeability and visibility of the design were both important to the client.

Also, each of the series of lowrise office buildings has been designed as paired blocks with a central atrium. These central atriums provide shared entrances for the office buildings and contain shared meeting rooms and collaboration spaces to further increase transparency and interaction.

156 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Industrial Service Centre, Zhuhai, China Photography: Zhang Chao

Narra Residences Empire City, HCMC, Vietnam “These projects are developed with great local consultants and collaborators that provide unique perspectives on local cultures, regulatory requirements and local expertise. These partnerships allow 10 Design to efficiently balance our strengths in design with a deep understanding of the countries, provinces and cities that we work in,” he says.

LANDMARK STRUCTURES Over the past decade, 10 Design has worked on planning and designing projects in the hospitality, residential,

cultural, retail, commercial, education, aviation and railway sectors. Its global reach has enabled it to undertake projects across Asia and the Middle East. To date, it has won more than 70 international design awards and completed over 20 major built landmark projects, with many more under construction.

One landmark residential project is the Narra Residences, located in the emerging Empire City neighbourhood of Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. This 278-unit residence is formed of two towers and connected by a skybridge

CONSTRUCTION on the 20th floor, which provides the opportunity for resort amenities such as landscaped gardens, an infinity edge pool and unsurpassed views of the nearby Saigon River. 10 Design has also introduced the ‘Neighbourhoods in the Sky’ concept through installing a series of stacked apartment clusters or ‘vertical neighbourhoods’, which integrate courtyards, social spaces

and sky gardens to help instil a sense of community. Narra Residences won the Residential High-rise Architecture Vietnam Award at Asia Pacific Property Awards 2020, and Second Award of Housing Multi-Family at International Residential Architecture Awards 2020.

Meanwhile, KL Gateway is a mixeduse development in Kuala Lumpur,

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

CHINA RESOURCES’ MIXC MARKET HALL SHENZHEN, CHINA (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) Sungang MixC Market Hall, a new mixed-use development, is under construction in Shenzhen, China with anticipated completion by 2022. This lifestyle destination will provide an immersive gastronomic experience under one roof.

MixC Market Hall will mark an important milestone for the ongoing transformation of Sungang, acting as a catalyst to drive urban regeneration in the area. This new development is to break away from the conventional shopping mall design and instead draw inspiration from a more traditional market square, creating a central meeting place for public enjoyment.

The frontage of MixC Market Hall is marked by a stainless steel sculptural canopy which leads to a pedestrianised retail street, creating a new and dynamic boulevard for shoppers and diners to enjoy. The retail street is punctuated with the market hall entrance – the jewel of the landmark. It is animated by three floating box-shaped structures, the design of which is inspired by food truck containers. This will create a unique spatial experience to be discovered and explored, providing a richness of dining and other gastronomic experiences.

Malaysia, consisting of two office towers, five residential towers, a shopping mall and a series of gardens and plazas. The natural gardens derive their inspiration from the forested Malaysian landscape, while the undulating glass building façades emulate water. A landmark design element is a large glass ring that floats above the inner central courtyard, which becomes a lantern illuminated with LED screens and coloured glass panels by night.

Other fascinating developments include HK Harbourfront in Hong Kong, and Terminal 4 of Jakarta Airport.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS As with many companies, the COVID19 pandemic has impacted many of the markets in which 10 Design is active.

One of 10 Design’s key goals in the upcoming months is to explore the ways in which design can be futureproofed to help mitigate such risks. It also intends to expand its reach across Southeast Asia, while seeking out opportunities in the EME regions and Americas.

Despite the disruption brought about by coronavirus, the conversation concludes on an optimistic note, with Shapiro expressing his utmost confidence in the practice.

“With 10 Design’s strength in design, level of client service and experience with the region, we are very optimistic about our future. While a significant portion of our work over the past decade has been within China, we are looking to expand our reach into the rest of Asia. We are also looking to diversify our expertise into new sectors and markets to expand our capabilities,” the Managing Partner concludes.

Tel: +852 3975 2010 info@10design.co www.10design.co

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 157

IONICS EMS

158 | APAC Outlook issue 46

MANUFACTURING

Electronics Solutions Made Smart The Philippines’ electronics industry is globally renowned, but Ionics EMS is ahead of the curve when it comes to technological innovation and smart solutions Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

T

he electronics industry is one of the biggest economic growth drivers in the Philippines.

Comprised of semiconductor manufacturing services (73 percent) and electronics manufacturing service firms (27 percent), the sector accounted for 61.3 percent of the Philippines’ total exports in 2019 – a massive $32.22 billion.

But what explains this success?

For a start, there are several globally renowned multinational and Filipino firms based within the country, which are able to choose from a competitive talent pool of technologically adept employees. Many firms are also making substantial investments into R&D.

“In recent years, the industry has been transitioning to newer technologies and methods.

Companies are reinventing themselves and are getting more and more into digitalisation, smart manufacturing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. It is exciting to be part of the industry as it is fast-paced and always innovating,” explains Jay Chavez, COO of Ionics EMS. Ionics EMS is also continually transforming. Initially founded as a semiconductor and hybrid assembly company in 1974, today it offers unique vertical EMS solutions for the telecommunication, industrial, medical and consumer electronic sectors, among many others.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 159

IONICS EMS

CAREER SNAPSHOT

JAY CHAVEZ “Working at Ionics for more than 25 years has proven to be both challenging and fulfilling.

The company is a great place to work because of the culture of respect, integrity, passion and excellence. The vision of our founder and chairman, Mr. Larry Qua, drives us and keeps moving us forward – to put Ionics on the electronics map of the world.”

STANDING OUT IN A COMPETITIVE SECTOR In its current incarnation, Ionics EMS is a one-stop manufacturing services provider with 2,500 employees, serving clients from the US, European Union, Asia Pacific and Japan.

Its key offerings are printed circuit build assembly and box-build assembly, but it also offers a full range of turnkey solutions including labour, equipment and logistics.

Furthermore, it has a strong product design and development offering which includes concept development, electrical and mechanical design, firmware development, applications development, prototyping and product certification.

According to Chavez, there are many reasons why Ionics EMS stands 160 | APAC Outlook issue 46

out from other EMS firms in the Philippines.

“Half a century of electronics manufacturing experience, use of cutting-edge manufacturing technology, and the passion to provide value and service to customers is what sets Ionics apart,” he explains.

Another key reason for the company’s success is its effective management of its supply chain operation. In 2012 it established Ionics Supply Chain Management Center, a division charged with managing all supply chain management activities from planning to sourcing, purchasing, kitting and warehousing services.

“Supply chain excellence relies on having strong relationships with suppliers and partners. Choosing the right supplier or partner, creating a win-win environment and employing supply chain management best practices is how Ionics supports its turnkey business model,” the COO explains.

Finally, it is Ionics’ investment in cutting-edge manufacturing equipment and technology that really ensures it stands out.

It has been implementing a smart manufacturing strategy since 2015 and has steadily converted its legacy lines into smart production lines.

Each of these lines is connected to an enterprise control centre, “Ionics Enterprise”, which can conduct in-depth data analysis and make adjustments in real-time.

“Investing in smart technologies is nothing short of imperative,” Chavez explains.

“Implementing smart technologies has enabled Ionics to improve all aspects of our operations. When we converted our lines to employ smart technologies, we were able to surpass the performance of our competitors in terms of delivery, quality cost and service. The customers themselves attributed the significant difference in performance to our smart manufacturing implementation.”

Omega Global Technologies Omega Global Technologies Inc. (GTI) is an expert supply chain solutions provider with more than 35 years of experience in the field.

Supporting customers in the OEM and electronics manufacturing services sectors, the company works with clients to customise and optimise inventory management programmes, providing real solutions through robust marketing, distribution and reverse logistics.

This is delivered through several lines of service, including: • VMI • Excess • Kitting • NPI Engineering Lab • Global Sourcing • IRIS – Immediate Response Inventory System On top of this extensive range of services, Omega GTI also offers a complete range of products, including active components, drives, processors and memory devices.

The company also commands a global reach in order to effectively serve customers around the world.

It is headquartered in San Jose (CA, USA), with several offices in Asia, these being located in Shenzhen (China), Hong Kong and the Laguna (Philippines). It also has an office in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Omega GTI also carries several well-respected certifications. These include CCAP-101, RoHS compliance, and ISO 9001:2015. ITAR certified and AS9120 & AS6081 In process.

For more information on Omage GTI and its supply chain solutions offering, please visit the website.

www.omegagti.com

A Supply Chain Solution provider

WHAT WE OFFER • Kitting Service • VMI Solution • Inventory Management Software • Warehouse Solutions

(408) 225-8318

• Global Sourcing • Supply Chain Management • System Integration • Inventory Management Solution

info@omegagti.com

www.omegagti.com

IONICS EMS

162 | APAC Outlook issue 46

MANUFACTURING

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Ionics has also been developing its own smart products for various customers, such as smart gateways and sensors for home automation, smart building controls and smart lighting.

“Ionics has expertise in developing smart products and ecosystems tailormade for each customer use case,” the COO adds.

MOVING FORWARD Looking ahead, Ionics is committed to improving its offerings and expanding its capacity.

It recently opened a new facility, which has both SMT and box-build lines. Along with upgrading its existing facilities, Ionics has effectively expanded its capacity by 50 percent, enabling it to both take on new customers and to meet the increasing demands of its existing clientele.

However, as with so many other industries, activity was curtailed by the

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Soldering coronavirus pandemic.

Equipment Trading “The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing community quarantine and lockdowns in the second quarter of 2020 resulted in a dramatic reduction in production activities. However, Ionics was able to mobilise a skeletal force in order to continue operations.

We immediately implemented COVID19 protocols; as the lockdowns eased, we were able to return to full capacity by the end of Q2,” Chavez explains.

Ionics’ key priority over the next year is to adjust and adapt to this ‘new normal’.

To do this it is reinventing all its key processes, from human resources to marketing, supply chain management to manufacturing. This will make the organisation more resilient to disruption and is a testament to its agility.

However, there is a bright side to the disruption. More and more companies are realising the importance of

digitising their services. As a result, Chavez concludes the conversation on an optimistic note – the realisation that with its focus on smart technology, Ionics is very much headed in the right direction.

He says: “The current situation has also accentuated the use case for connected systems and smart technologies. Ionics, being a player in the industrial IoT space for over a decade, is well positioned to provide solutions for companies. We intend to expand our IoT offering to address the market needs.”

IONICS EMS Tel: (6349) 508-1111 / 543-0772 inquiry@ionics-ems.com www.ionics-ems.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 163

EXPRESS FOOD GROUP (EFG)

T

here is no sincerer love than the love of food, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw was once quoted as saying.

Food isn’t just about nutrition; it’s also a way of celebrating cultural identity and bringing people together.

Making memories through food is something that Martin Darby, Managing Director of Express Food Group (EFG), has long been passionate about.

“Dine-in has been the bedrock of the local F&B industry and with many local festivals and the important position of family, we see the dining experience continuing to grow and evolve, especially in our provincial cities,” he says.

Martin joined EFG in 2019 after an illustrious career in the industry, in the belief that the company is perfectly positioned to become one of the top F&B operators in Asia.

His optimism is easy to explain.

EFG employs over 1,500 people and has a strong operational presence in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

It is a partner of choice for leading brands in Southeast Asia – including several owned by Minor Food and Food Passion Group – as well as internationally known brands from the US, like Dairy Queen International and Krispy Kreme.

“We see our mission as understanding our customer needs and bringing them a portfolio of the best, most trusted local and international restaurant and kiosk brands,” Martin explains.

The Managing Director believes that EFG is able to stand apart as a partner of choice for F&B brands in the region thanks to its in-depth knowledge of local markets.

“We know our customers and markets intimately and therefore are able to work with our franchisors in developing innovative Instagrammable new food and beverage products,” Martin adds.

“Through local social media influencers and our number one 164 | APAC Outlook issue 46

A Passion for Good Food

EFG Group is helping bring people across Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos together through its internationally renowned food and beverage offerings Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

FOOD & DRINK

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 165

EXPRESS FOOD GROUP (EFG)

EFG’S BRANDS

Other franchised brands include:

Minor Food is one of Asia’s largest casual dining franchises, with 2,300 outlets across 27 countries.

EFG is a franchisee for three of its brands across three territories:

DAIRY QUEEN: Iconic soft-serve ice-cream treats, DQ is the fastest growing soft serve ice cream brand in Asia. EFG is a direct franchisee of Dairy Queen International, operating 19 outlets across Cambodia and Laos.

THE PIZZA COMPANY: A much-loved pizza brand specialising in chunky, wholesome toppings. EFG represents the brand across Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

BAR B Q PLAZA: This premium barbeque restaurant was developed in Thailand in 1987 by Food Passion Group and is going from strength to strength. EFG operates five restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

SWENSEN’S: An ice-cream parlour founded in San Francisco, Swensen’s arrived at Minor Food in 1986 and is a favourite brand that many recall from their childhood days. EFG represents it in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

TEXAS CHICKEN: Founded in Texas as Church’s Chicken in 1952, this is one of the largest quick-serve chicken restaurant chains in the world. It specialises in handmade battered chicken and honey-butter biscuits, and can be found in 1,500 locations across 23 countries.

EFG has two flagship restaurants in Vientiane, Laos.

THE COFFEE CLUB: Australia’s largest home-grown café group, offering a unique café-bar-restaurant experience. EFG operates The Coffee Club in Siem Reap Airport, Aeon Mall and Phnom Penh’s BKK district.

presence in the market, we can bring these brands to the widest possible audience.”

A key factor that distinguishes EFG from other Southeast Asian F&B businesses is its skill in relationship building.

“To us relationships matter, and we go out of our way to build close relationships with our franchise partners, our customers and our employees,” Martin says.

Franchise partners can be assured that EFG will maintain high standards of quality, service and cleanliness, and will invest on building their brands in the region.

Furthermore, EFG can be assured of the backing of its parent company, RMA Group, which provides procurement and logistics support to EFG from Bangkok, where most of its inventory is purchased. It operates an international benchmarked product recall and tracing system, with food storage in temperature controlled warehouses in Phnom Penh, Yangon 166 | APAC Outlook issue 46

KRISPY KREME: Hugely loved American doughnut brand sold across the world. EFG has opened multiple kiosks in Phnom Penh supported by a state of the art doughnut factory.

and Vientiane, ensuring products always remain fresh and at their best.

Furthermore, sourcing from within the region enables EFG to provide food at good value prices to customers.

Meanwhile, EFG also realises the importance of employee satisfaction, and invests significant time in staff development, training and wellbeing.

It offers a diverse set of careers – from

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EXPRESS FOOD GROUP (EFG)

restaurant operations to delivery drivers and support services like finance and supply chain – as well as offering brand-specific training by some of the world’s leading international F&B brands.

EXPANSION AND DIGITAL INNOVATION Over the next couple of years, EFG intends to push substantial growth of its physical stores, expanding into provincial cities and the suburbs of Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Yangon.

It is also working on opening multiple delivery-focused outlets of The Pizza Company over the next 12 months, the first of which was launched in March 2020. The Pizza Company is one of Minor Food’ 168 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“OUR LATEST PROJECT LAUNCHING IN 2021 IS AN INNOVATIVE CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAMME. OUR BRAND PORTFOLIO WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND A FORWARD THINKING, EXCITING AND CUSTOMER CENTRIC APPROACH IS GUARANTEED”

brands, which originated in Thailand in 2001 and has since established over 500 outlets across 10 countries.

Another notable project EFG undertook in April 2020 was the building of a purpose-built Krispy Kreme HACCP standard production unit in Phnom Penh, catering to ever-increasing demand for what is arguably the world’s most popular doughnut brand.

But then coronavirus hit. EFG’s countries of operation – Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – may have seen only a few cases, but its populations were still subject to strict lockdowns and, later, social distancing measures. However, Martin remains optimistic in the face of the pandemic.

T

he food and cold chain industry in Asian countries is expected to witness a significant growth in the coming years. With the increase of trade in Southeast Asia, the food and cold-chain industry is being seen as panacea for food wastage and a boost to the cold chain logistics industry. The growing urban population and changing consumer perception boost the demand for food and cold chain logistics, which is rapidly growing in Southeast Asia.

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented stresses on food supply chains, with bottlenecks in farm labour, processing, transport and logistics, as well as momentous shifts in demand. Most of these disruptions are a result of policies adopted to contain the spread of the virus. While the impacts of COVID-19 are still unfolding, experience so far shows the importance of an open and predictable international trade environment to ensure food can move to where it is needed.

In addition, E-commerce has given consumers access to goods and commodities that were previously out of their reach, from imported groceries to trendy cosmetics, including temperature-controlled food items such as chilled and frozen. The basic perception of the consumers regarding chilled and frozen food has been changing significantly, coupled with rapid urbanization, where frozen food is moving more online. “Under a joint venture between RMA Group and JWD Group, the logistics operation has been established to support the growth of EFG as well as other customers in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos cluster through providing the state-of-art logistics operation covering cross-border transport network from Thailand as a hub, freight forwarding, warehouse and cold storage, local distribution, etc. The integrated logistics solution has provided significant value proposition to support the business growth by creating an efficiency and costeffectiveness throughout the entire food supply chain.�

Tanate says.

Among the top food and cold chain sectors, Food services and restaurant is an important sector in many ASEAN countries and serves as an important food supply and distribution channels for all these countries.

Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for chilled and frozen food , as consumers around the world recognize an access to food during COVID-19. The implementation of cold chain logistics for food services and restaurant in the ASEAN region involves many challenges.

JWD Asia Co.,Ltd

|

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Mr. Tanate Piriyothinkul, Chief Commercial Officer JWD Group

|

www.jwd-group.com

EXPRESS FOOD GROUP (EFG)

CAREER SNAPSHOT

MARTIN DARBY “My first ever job was in the F&B industry as a teenager, washing-up in the kitchens of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s father’s restaurant. I loved the camaraderie, the pace and excitement of a busy Saturday night, and I was immediately hooked on the business. In the early 90s I had the chance to work with UK hospitality giant Whitbread, developing and rolling out family dining restaurants under the brand name Brewers Fayre. At the turn of the millennium I was honoured to be approached by Starbucks Coffee to help launch their now global coffee brand in the United Kingdom, before moving here to Asia in the mid-noughties.

“After a few years in other businesses I returned to F&B in 2018 as CEO of a familyprivate equity funded business, headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City. In February 2019 I joined EFG, initially based in Bangkok, before moving the operational headquarters to our fast-growing market here in Cambodia. I joined EFG because I shared the vision of our Founder-CEO and private equity partners that we are well positioned to build a fabulous #1 Asian food and beverage business.”

170 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“COVID-19 has affected the business in terms of temporary and localised disruptions to dine-in services, but has also led to customers seeking out trusted international brands where we have been able to play our part,” he says. “We have continued to open new stores and, unless required by government to close, have operated all stores throughout the pandemic.”

The COVID-19 outbreak has also led to EFG accelerating its digitisation strategy through a variety of services,

introducing contactless delivery, e-payments, e-menus and at-curb collection.

It is also in the process of rolling out its ecommerce delivery business, Hungry?™, which will soon cover all of Phnom Penh. Its key offering is HungryApp™, a revolutionary food and delivery app which will enable customers to select items from its multiple trusted brands in a single order. It also offers a free, 30-minute delivery, and will cater to

FOOD & DRINK

EFG represents many well-known brands across Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar a growing market for takeaway and home delivered food which has been accelerated by the pandemic.

“Our physical store presence will be complimented by a fast expanding ecommerce delivery business, the potential growth of more owned brands and the arrival of new international brands,” Martin comments.

“Our latest project launching in 2021 is an innovative customer loyalty programme. Our brand portfolio will continue to evolve and a forward thinking, exciting and customer centric approach is guaranteed.”

In short, the Managing Director is positive about the future of EFG. “We are long-term investors and remain positive on the future growth potential of each of the markets where

we trade,” he confirms.

This is in part due to infrastructure growth in the region. For example, the Kunming-Vientiane railway, scheduled to launch in late 2021, will open up provincial Lao cities and facilitate growth of F&B businesses.

The Cambodian government is investing in intercity roads and rail networks, and Myanmar cities such as Naypyidaw and Mandalay demonstrate fantastic growth potential.

“EFG is extremely well placed to take advantage of these growth

opportunities and has the portfolio of brands and now an ecommerce delivery aggregator business to meet the fast changing needs of local and expat customers seeking trusted brands,” Martin concludes.

EXPRESS FOOD GROUP (EFG) Tel: (+855)23887788 EFG.C@rmagroup.net www.efg.rmagroup.net

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 171

AIRPORTS VANUATU LIMITED

PARADISE PUSHED V

anuatu, despite its remoteness off of the Australian coast, has felt the shockwaves created by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

The volcanic archipelago nation is made of six provinces and 83 individual islands home to tropical conditions, white beaches, clear sheltered waters, and coral reefs, some of which harbour wartime US shipwrecks. It has, up to this past year, been a distant yet popular destination for holiday goers and scuba divers around the globe.

With no written history pre-colonialisation the islands’ prehistory remain rather obscure. Claimed by the Spanish during the colonial era, the largest of Vanuatu’s islands was renamed Espiritu Santo; a name that has survived to this day. Yet it was much later with the coming of the Second World War that the archipelago changed drastically.

172 | APAC Outlook issue 46

An economy reliant on tourism, the islands of Vanuatu have had to adjust to the economic downturn caused by the major obstacle facing the world in 2020 – COVID-19 Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Ryan Gray Australia had already stationed forces on one of the many islands to protect the mainland from a possible Japanese invasion, and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, the US made use of the archipelago to station soldiers, ships, and military planes in newly built airports as a military buffer against potential Japanese forces.

One of these airports, built on Santo, remains in the present as one of the three used by Airports Vanuatu Limited (AVL), founded in 2000 as a

government entity. Its other airports are based on the island of Tanna, and the nation’s capital Port Vila.

Airports Vanuatu, with its 250-strong team, provides flight services to and from Vanuatu to a number of closer locations, including New Caledonia, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, to those further afield such as Australia, and New Zealand.

As a secluded island chain, Vanuatu relies heavily on tourism as its primary industry. The tourism industry had made up 40-60 percent of the nation’s economy and so formed the spine of economic strength for the archipelago, prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Indeed, in the 12 months ending February 2020, prior to COVID-19 and border closures, Airports Vanuatu achieved a record throughput of 776,000 passenger movements, up eight percent on the previous period.

AEROSPACE “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our nation,” comments CEO Jason Rakau. “Vanuatu is one of the few countries in the world to be COVID-free, which is a blessing.

“However, following the closure of our borders in March and the declaration of a State of Emergency, our aviation industry has been impacted significantly and our international tourism industry has been decimated.

For AVL, overall passenger traffic for the September quarter is down 74 percent on a year ago.

“As we are COVID-free, domestic flying recommenced relatively quickly, in April. Domestic passenger movements for the September quarter are down 53 percent on a year ago. International air travel continues to operate in a limited capacity under the direction of the National Disaster Management Office to enable humanitarian relief, repatriation and cargo flights. Just over 3,000 international passengers travelled during the September quarter, 97 percent down on a year ago.”

This has resulted in an understandable scaling back of operations across the three airports, with all employees working reduced hours and a number of capital projects put on hold.

However, the CEO is determined to kickstart air services to and from the nation once again.

“AVL has taken a leadership role in re-establishing air services to our nation, working alongside multiple

stakeholders in the policy and commercial space, to develop the regulatory and health protocols for safe travel as well as bilateral negotiations with other countries to enter into our ‘Tamtam Bubble’.

“As an island nation our number one objective is to ensure essential air services are maintained. Further, we are mindful that as a developing nation we must prioritise the health of our residents and be vigilant to ensure the best COVID-safe practices are implemented, as we consider welcoming back international visitors and recommencing sustainable tourism.”

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE Indeed, despite the obvious challenges AVL has been able to make progress on a number of developments and landmark projects.

At Port Vila, it has upgraded airport pavement (runway, taxiway, and apron) and airfield lighting infrastructure, a move which will allow it welcome wide-bodied jet aircraft in accordance with ICAO standards.

It is game changer for the country, which now has the potential to directly access new travel and trade markets such as Asia and North America.

Port Vila also has a new terminal precinct project on the cards, the largest element of a new masterplan which aims to secure the long-term future of the site.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS

JASON RAKAU Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in this industry and how would you sum up your journey with the organisation to date?

A: “I have always had an interest in aviation. Trips to the airport were exciting for me as a kid and I would always look up in awe as aircraft seemed to effortlessly soar through the skies above.

I decided at a very young age that I wanted to be a part of this industry. After completing a formal education in Aviation Management, I was keen to ‘get my hands dirty’ and get actively involved in the industry. Airports Vanuatu was the first to allow me to do that and I have been with the organisation ever since.

Airports Vanuatu has been good to me. It has allowed me to gain practical knowledge and experience in a wide variety of different areas within the aviation ecosystem and understand how they are interlinked and ultimately contribute towards making aviation the world’s safest mode of transportation.”

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 173

AIRPORTS VANUATU LIMITED

Vodafone Vodafone strives to be a worldclass organisation, offering telecommunications and ICT solutions to Vanuatu.

Its portfolio provides mobile solutions, Mobile Money Transfer (M-VATU), fixed-line telephony, fibre technology, WAN, LAN, IPLC solutions, VSAT, PABX and hospitality tailored solutions that are designed to fit business needs or individual customers. An exclusive call centre operates 24-seven to provide the best customer services. Core values rest on innovation, customer excellence, professionalism and quality of service.

VA N U AT U

Vodafone continues to explore new boundaries, bringing mobile telecommunications solutions to Ni-Vanuatu by delivering the next level of mobile innovation.

Vodafone connects people with technology through sport, music, health awareness programmes, building stronger and healthier communities.

The future is exciting. Ready?

THE ‘TAMTAM’ BUBBLE Vanuatu’s travel bubble with other nations has been named the Tamtam Bubble, reflecting the nation’s iconic slit drum which was traditionally used for communication, called a Tamtam. Vanuatu will engage in bilateral negotiations to operate air services across the South Pacific region. Initial discussions will be with other neighbouring Pacific Island nations and New Zealand where COVID cases are either non-existent or limited to returned travellers. Plans for air travel between Vanuatu and Australia will follow in time, as the COVID situation in Australia evolves.

“We recently completed airport masterplans for all three airports, detailing major infrastructure developments to be delivered over the next 20 years to safely accommodate anticipated demand for air travel based on our vision for growth at each,” Rakau adds.

174 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“Our next highly anticipated major infrastructure upgrade currently in progress involves the upgrades of air navigational aids across our three airports. COVID-19 has caused some delays in delivery of this important project due to our inability to get technical specialist teams into the country as a result of border closures.

However, we anticipate moving ahead very soon as arrangements are being finalised now to allow such teams to enter the country as part of the essential air services needed.”

Cooperation with the wider industry in the form of numerous partnerships is also an ongoing priority.

Rakau highlights the Air Transportation and Tourism Taskforce, made up of AVL, national airline Air Vanuatu and the Vanuatu Tourism Office, with the aim of stimulating growth in air transport and tourism throughout the next decade through heightened cooperation.

“Our gateway airport runway

upgrades have been completed, Air Vanuatu has placed an order for a new efficient aircraft fleet with the first aircraft due for delivery soon, and the Vanuatu Tourism Office has launched a new destination brand for Vanuatu which has been very successful so far,” the CEO explains, who also states how important collaboration is up and down AVL’s own supply chain.

“For me, establishing a relationship which consists of mutual trust is the key. We need to be confident that our suppliers always have Airports Vanuatu’s best interest at heart when delivering their products or services.

Given the very limited resources

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available to any small island developing state airport operator, we need to be confident that we are getting good value for our investment.

“Many of our current suppliers have continued to work closely with us on various aspects of improving the organisation because they have continued to deliver quality results and proven themselves to be a trustworthy partner.”

Such partnerships and sense of togetherness will be vital in ensuring AVL and Vanuatu’s air sector emerges strongly from the COVID-19 fallout over the next year.

Rakau ends the conversation in an upbeat manner, confident that visitors will once again be drawn to the beautiful paradise as more progress is made in combating the virus around the world.

“As a COVID-free nation, Vanuatu has every reason to be optimistic about the future growth of air travel,” he says. “Maintaining essential air services to enable movement of goods and people is our starting point and from there we plan to develop bubbles with our core markets for quarantine-free travel, as protocols can be agreed on a bilateral basis with each country.

“We entered the decade with a new vision that very much still applies – this is to build a sustainable hub in the South Pacific, to be the pride of Vanuatu, and to enable people to connect.”

‘Vanuatu Insurance Brokers Ltd are proud to be long term supporters of Airports Vanuatu Limited’

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 175

TRIDENT WATER SYSTEMS

176 | APAC Outlook issue 46

ENERGY & UTILITIES

The Water GUARDIAN Safeguarding the world’s most precious resource has never been more important, and Trident Water Systems is determined to impart sound, sustainable practice into industrial wastewater activities across Asia Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: David Knott

It is critical that proper wastewater treatment is implemented in every country and every industry to prevent pollution of our precious waterways, rivers and water bodies. Clean water is a finite resource, but with innovative technology and proper management and enforcement, it is a resource that can be rejuvenated and kept in abundance.”

Theron Madhavan and his company are on a mission to safeguard the world’s most precious resource – water.

As Founder and CEO of Singaporebased Trident Water Systems (TWS), the entrepreneur is emboldened and determined to play his part in ensuring that industrial wastewater is managed responsibly for the betterment of the planet.

It is a big responsibility, Madhavan all too aware of the size of the task at hand.

“The industrial wastewater sector is highly fragmented and enforcement and corporate compliance is still something that needs improvements,” he explains.

“However, it is heartening to see many initiatives and the adoption of

Theron Madhavan, Founder and CEO of Singapore-based Trident Water Systems (TWS) UN’s Global Compact Network and the Sustainable Development Goals by many industry players – it’s a good start and I believe that much more is to come.”

So, how is TWS positioned to help?

Established by Madhavan in 2017, the company today stands as a reputed specialist in industrial

wastewater treatment, with more than 150 of its systems installed across a range of industries, including oil and gas, textiles, electro-plating, food and beverage, fungicide, palm oil and ground water treatment, among many others.

This equates to a geographical footprint that spans Asia and Latin America, specifically Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, South Korea, China, India, Bangladesh, Colombia and Peru, its 60 employees spread between the first two countries.

Madhavan himself has been in the business world for around two decades, although not from a background that would suggest he was in line to set up his own wastewater treatment business.

“I started late in the commercial world,” he recalls. “My early years were spent in the Air Force as an Air Defence Artillery Officer.

“When I left the service at the age of 31, I joined an engineering company that provided various services to the oil and gas industry. I learnt a lot there – how to manage projects, how to handle staff from workers to managers. The time I spent in the APAC Outlook issue 46 | 177

TRIDENT WATER SYSTEMS military was useful in that respect.”

In 2003 he left Singapore to design, build and manage an oil sludge and slop reception and treatment facility in Indonesia, an experience which offered a valuable insight into how to commercially operate abroad.

In Bangladesh, Madhavan was a key driver in the development of the country’s first central effluent treatment plant based in Dhaka, the capital.

“I stayed on with that company until 2017 when I decided to branch out on my own and founded Trident Water Systems,” he continues. “By then, I had already built up a vast network of contacts as well as a deep knowledge

CORPORATE CITIZENT Q: TELL US ABOUT YOUR APPROACH TO CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THERON MADHAVAN: “This is an important part of our development as a responsible corporate citizen. We have adopted an orphanage on the outskirts of Jakarta that looks after around 40 children with ages ranging from four to 15.

“Every month we make sure that food supplies are adequate and our staff purchase all sorts of nutritional food and deliver it to the orphanage. We also help out in covering any school fees, repairs and ad hoc expenses that the orphanage may incur. More importantly, we organise regular activities so that our staff and the children can interact and learn a little from one another.

“We are hoping to expand this programme to adopt additional orphanages in the near future.”

178 | APAC Outlook issue 46

base on wastewater treatment technology. It was an easy transition.”

SUPERIOR SOLUTIONS The crux of TWS’s wastewater treatment offering centres around its own inhouse technology, known as the Electro-Contaminant Removal system, or ECR for short.

It is a chemical-free treatment process which utilises direct current and metal electrodes to trigger the coagulation and flocculation of contaminants from wastewater, a system which Madhavan proudly believes is the best available on the market.

“It is a superior technology that is also cost effective,” he adds. “The tech is extremely effective in removing colour, breaking oil emulsions and removing heavy metals like chromium, nickel and arsenic. It’s what makes us the default choice for many customers in the textile, oil and gas, and plating industries.”

CYAG Co. Ltd Sustainable Safe Water Supply, Chemical Free CYAG Co. Ltd, located in South Korea, has developed unique nano bubble technology and an OH Radical generating system. Nano bubble is around 70nm~110nm and generates OH Radical, measured by a research centre in the USA. The system is totally chemical free with the following success stories: 1. Dyeing waste water treatment with Trident Water System in Bago City, Myanmar 2. Removal of algae in lakes in the USA, and a fishpond in Singapore 3. Removal of As, Fe, Mn in ground water 4. Culture industry – soil culture, horticulture, hydroponics, shrimp farm and hatchery, RAS in Lab of University.

5. Advanced chemical free, oxidation process 6. Cleaning and washing 7. Cooling tower (on-going)

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ENERGY & UTILITIES

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APAC Outlook issue 46 | 179

TRIDENT WATER SYSTEMS

The ECR technology is housed in various products and models, including the Mobile Effluent Treatment System (METS).

These are 20-foot containerised units capable of deployment in remote areas in quick time, onshore Indonesian oil and gas drilling operations being a prime example of its use. “Any wastewater generated from the drilling operations are treated to meet the national discharge parameters,” Madhavan says. “Or the water is recycled for re-use in areas where a clean water supply is scarce.”

It is a highly innovative and practical solution, the result of a concerted and dedicated approach to research and development within the organisation.

“Innovation and technology is critical,” the CEO continues. “We are 180 | APAC Outlook issue 46

constantly investing in developing new technologies and enhancing the ones we already possess.

“A key partner of Trident is Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, known as NEWRI. It is one of the top research institutes in the world specialising in water and wastewater, and we collaborate with them to develop suitable and promising tech for commercialisation.

“For example, we are in the midst of rolling out an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) and ECR-Fenton.

These are really promising techs that are robust and will be able to handle a wide spectrum of wastewaters.”

This highlights the importance of collaboration with other organisations to TWS. As a relatively small operation, the

company relies on third parties in many areas, especially where it has to integrate other equipment into its own process solutions. Madhavan identifies South Korea’s CYAG as an example, the company supporting TWS with its OH-Radical Micro-Nano Bubbler technology that has been successfully deployed in several installations.

POWERED BY PEOPLE Although the CEO recognises that TWS is currently a small outfit in terms of its own number of staff, he is quick to state just how critical they are to its success.

“We want to go beyond just core competency,” Madhavan explains.

“We want to achieve core ingenuity.

The industrial wastewater sector is an immensely diverse area. We have

ENERGY & UTILITIES

to deal with SMEs that may need our help to meet discharge specifications, and also with MNCs that may have extremely stringent demands. Not just that – we operate around the world and have to deal with different cultures, languages and norms.

“Our people must be able to navigate these diverse and disparate facets. They have to be able to meet the client’s expectations through innovative and sometimes out-of-the box solutions.”

This means that academic credentials alone are not enough when it comes to recruitment at TWS. Attitude and mentality is equally if not more important to the CEO, the ability to think independently and the gumption to take on responsibility being key characteristics the company looks for.

Once onboarded, staff are provided with in-depth training, upgrade courses and mentorship from leadership. Crucially, TWS tries to employ locally wherever possible, helping to build up skills within communities and stimulate local economies.

Moving forwards, ensuring the right people are in the organisation will be critical to TWS realising its ambitious plans for expansion.

As the conversation comes to a close, Madhavan outlines his plans for the future, reinforcing the company’s mission as a water custodian.

“We are in the midst of a capital raising exercise to build up a war chest that will enable Trident to leverage on its position as a premier wastewater solution provider,” he says. “We will be

increasing our bandwidth significantly to move into new markets and also into the build, own, operate segment, which requires substantial up-front investment.

“Just as important, we will be investing in our people and R&D to further the vision of the company, which is to be able to provide a Trident solution for every drop of contaminated water in the world.”

TRIDENT WATER SYSTEMS Tel: +65 66340863 enquiries@tridentwater.com.sg www.tridentwater.com.sg

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 181

TOTAL SOLAR DISTRIBUTED GENERATION

Leading the Solar Charge

Total Solar Distributed Generation has doubled capital investment and ramped up revenues 30 times over the past 18 months, its economical and ecological off-grid power alternative proving a hit in many Asian commercial markets Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: David Knott

I

t is safe to say that 2020 has been far from a straightforward year.

From raging forest fires in Australia to the COVID-19 outbreak which has swept its way across the world, you could be forgiven for craving a return to some form of ‘normal’, a word which is being redefined on what feels like a monthly or even weekly basis.

For businesses in all industries, the safe haven of certainty has been wiped away in recent times. National and regional lockdowns, shifts in mindsets towards remote working and sudden changes in consumer behaviour have forced organisations to adapt in order to survive, the impact of the pandemic already having devastating impacts on revenues.

When Gavin Adda last spoke to APAC Outlook (then Asia Outlook) in March 2019, Total Solar Distributed Generation (DG) was poised to enter a phase of momentous expansion in Southeast Asia.

“We were braced for the worst 182 | APAC Outlook issue 46

regarding coronavirus but, thankfully, we’ve continued on our growth journey in a way that has exceeded my expectations,” he says.

“What we’ve found is that customers are choosing to accelerate their adoption of renewables. They may not be able to do anything in terms of the coronavirus situation, so perhaps they are asking themselves what CAN they do – installing our off-grid solar will provide crucial savings on energy with no upfront cost or capital investment required. Furthermore, the security gained from being more self-sustaining in energy needs and the message it provides to the market is invaluable.”

GATHERING MOMENTUM In a time of economic uncertainty and amid an overwhelmingly negative narrative, investments in green power offer not only the opportunity to share some good news, but also a chance to secure long-term energy and financial savings.

Royal Angkor Hospital

ENERGY & UTILITIES

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 183

TOTAL SOLAR DISTRIBUTED GENERATION For Adda, CEO for Asia at Total Solar DG, the past 18 months have been relentlessly busy with new projects taking off in several markets across the region. Indeed, 2020 so far has seen around double the level of business versus last year.

BRIEF BIO: TOTAL SOLAR DISTRIBUTED GENERATION – ASIA EX. CHINA Headquartered in Singapore and dedicated to developing solar energy across Southeast Asia, India and Japan, Total Solar Distributed Generation (DG) Asia is a wholly owned affiliate of Total SA. Active in Asia since 2018, it is one of the major international providers of fully integrated solar solutions for commercial and industrial customers in the region, and has more than 400 projects in development and operation.

Total Solar DG complies with the highest environmental, health, and safety requirements, delivering better performance and safer systems, using only top-of-the-range components supplied via a network of experienced local contractors.

With almost 50 years of solar experience, the Total Group is active across the entire photovoltaic value chain, from manufacturing cells to designing large-scale turnkey solar power plants. Total currently owns and operates solar projects with a cumulated installed capacity of over five GW globally.

184 | APAC Outlook issue 46

“When we last spoke, we had around four or five projects under construction – now we are in construction on over 50 projects simultaneously,” Adda says.

“That is a tenfold increase in activity, and we’re also seeing a much wider variety of projects in our portfolio. For example, in Cambodia we have just completed installing a solar rooftop at Royal Angkor Hospital, and are converting an entire island from diesel to solar battery power in what is the largest project of its kind.”

Indonesia has been a particularly bustling market for Total Solar Distributed Generation.

Here, the company is constructing the largest rooftop solar plant in the country for a global sportswear brand manufacturer, part of its plans to roll out renewable installations across all of its Southeast Asian footprint and convert 20 percent of its entire operation to clean power by 2025.

Having travelled to the US headquarters to meet the company, Adda and his team won a Vietnam tender in 2019 and then an Indonesian tender in 2020.

“The site in Indonesia alone employs around 30,000 people, and 15 percent of that operation will be running on solar power, so it is hugely exciting for us,” the CEO adds. “This is an eight MW system, which will avoid around 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually – equivalent to the carbon sequestered by around 79,000 trees.

“For the client, this is not just about

making some extra profit – they are here to invest in Indonesia and give something back to the local environment and community.”

This is just one of Total Solar DG’s 12 ongoing projects in the country.

Adda mentions several other developments currently under construction or in operation, including three sites for food and drink multinational Danone which are up and running, a new airport project in Samarinda, as well as an installation for Greenfields Dairy – the largest dairy company in South East Asia.

In the Philippines, Total Solar DG has more than doubled the number of sites it is working on with longstanding shopping mall operator Gaisano Capital – in October 2018, it announced plans to install solar rooftop systems for four malls across the country. In late August this year, the company increased its Gaisano Capital portfolio by six sites, taking it up to a total of 10.

With a combined capacity of 3.4 MW, the installations generate around 4.9 GWh of power annually, equivalent to planting 38,000 trees each year in terms of carbon footprint reduction.

“The Philippines adopted quite an aggressive lockdown strategy when COVID-19 arrived, and Gaisano malls often sit at the heart of communities, especially away from big cities and in the more rural towns,” Adda says.

“That’s where your doctor is and where you go and buy all of your

ENERGY & UTILITIES

“Our mission is to reduce carbon footprint 30% by 2030”

“Let’s make the world a better place together”

“The finest solar epc in south east asia”

SolarXell

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 185

TOTAL SOLAR DISTRIBUTED GENERATION essentials, so we’re delighted that they are continuing to place sustainability at the heart of their plans despite the obvious disruption caused by the pandemic.”

Vietnam is another active market, Adda explaining how many organisations have reached out to Total Solar DG as they look to establish manufacturing hubs outside of China.

SOLAR GETS SMART So, what explains this exponential rise in activity for Adda and his Asia division?

For the CEO, the past 18 months have been defined by an even more appetising cost proposition for customers.

Indeed, such is the viability of its off-grid solar installations, the firm is still able to undercut grid power despite numerous governments offering heavy energy subsidies to foreign investors.

“This is the big factor,” says Adda.

“We’ve seen modular prices drop by 15 percent over the past 18 months,

In line with the group’s innovative ambitions, Total Solar Distributed Generation installed 8,184 modules on Renault-Nissan’s property in Chennai, India. ​

“TOTAL SOLAR IS ON TRACK TO AT LEAST DOUBLE INVESTMENT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. I THINK WE WILL SEE MAJOR BRANDS INCREASINGLY SHOW THE WAY FORWARD - CUTTING COSTS AND DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR US ALL” while battery prices have dropped by as much as 30 percent. Things that were not possible and markets which just did not make sense are now open to us – the commercial viability is now present in many more countries.”

Another major perk is that solar power is getting smarter.

Adda points to an example with Bolloré Logistics’ Green Hub in Singapore, where the company’s solar system data has been interfaced with the building’s power monitoring systems. “This allows Bolloré Logistics to have a better, more integrated visibility on its consumption and to report better on its energy mix – more insights and understanding means that further steps can then be taken towards its carbon neutrality goals.

Bolloré Logistics is really leading the way on driving sustainability through the logistics sector.”

The CEO also highlights a major internal breakthrough with the adoption of Envision software, a result of a new joint venture with a similar solar solutions provider in China.

“This is a real-time monitoring program that tracks key elements on every project to identify potential areas of improvement and any potential warnings,” Adda continues.

“This is one of the most sophisticated solar software systems globally. It is extremely valuable, especially when you consider scaling up and being able to manage multiple sites and systems through a single interface and in an autonomous way.”

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Gaisano Capital Portfolio – 1.66 MW Rooftop Solar PV​: Gaisano Capital is a chain of malls and supermarkets with over 35 branches across the Philippines. Built on a foundation of diligence and philanthropy, Gaisano Capital is fudementally commited to being an institutional partner in caring for the environment. With this commitment, 1.66 MW solar photovoltaic systems are currently being installed on the roof of four Gaisano Capital malls This underlines the ongoing importance of partnerships to the future success of Total Solar Distributed Generation.

“Our relationships with our suppliers and partners have and will continue to

be critical moving forwards,” says Adda.

“We are always thinking about ways to be more proactive and efficient with procurement, working with partners to see how they can reduce their costs as well as ours. We like to bring loyalty to our suppliers and be a part of their growth journeys over the long term.”

And such loyalty between parties will be critical moving forwards, especially if the rapid expansion of the Total Solar Distributed Generation portfolio across the Asia region continues over the coming months.

This is very much Adda’s aim, the CEO finishing this year’s conversation by looking ahead to what the next year has in store.

“Total Solar is on track to at least double investment again next year.

I think we will see major international brands increasingly show the way forward – cutting costs and developing a sustainable future for us all. Whatever

happens on the COVID side, we want to help companies achieve those goals and show that they are still open for business!” he says.

“I think the market is also maturing rapidly. Customers are recognising the importance of working with long-term, stable developers. I think our ethical and loyal approach to business partners will ensure that we continue to be the partner of choice for the region. If we can say that we’ve helped our customers convert 10 to 20 percent of regional energy needs to solar, then we’re certainly doing the right thing.”

TOTAL SOLAR DISTRIBUTED GENERATION Tel: +65 68792200 www.solar.total.asia

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 187

MARUHAN JAPAN BANK LAO

A TRUE PARTNER OF LAOS

MARUHAN Japan Bank Lao is bringing all of its global expertise, resources and innovation to better serve its customers, who form the lifeblood of the nation’s economy Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Sam Love

L

aos has come a long way over the past four decades in terms of economic liberalisation.

During the second half of the 1980s, the country embarked on an ambitious programme of economic reforms; the New Economic Mechanism was established to gradually transform its centrallyplanned economy into a marketoriented economy.

This covered many components, including: incentives for private investment; institutional infrastructure to improve market economy operations; trade liberalisation and further 188 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Anthony Chin, CEO

specialisation; and the establishment of price stability through macroeconomic policy measures.

While the programmes – which in the 1990s included the creation of a two-tier banking system – have not come without their challenges, positive impacts have been felt both economically and socially.

It has also facilitated the arrival of foreign investment, one example being the introduction of MARUHAN Japan Group to the country’s financial sector.

Operating as MARUHAN Japan Bank Lao (MJBL), its aim is to use the MARUHAN Japan Group’s unparalleled resources, capacity, and expertise to revolutionise the Laotian banking industry (and further afield).

And, for CEO Anthony Chin, it is an exciting time to be in the country despite the disruption caused by the CoVID-19 pandemic.

FINANCE

Launch of first innovative virtual card in Laos by Deputy Governor of BOL

CEO presenting the first fully digital and paperless bank in the region to the press “Laos is probably one of the last frontier economies in the region with an exciting opportunity for growth and development,” he says. “The population is relatively small at seven million with a competitive banking landscape of 44 banks operating here, about a third of which are locally incorporated and fully licensed institutions – MJBL being one of them.

“However, there is still a sizeable market of untapped opportunity and access to finance in some section of main cities, second tier cities and villages. Laos has decent mobile penetration and more than three million internet and Facebook users.

The workforce is also young.

“With technology and digitalisation, I believe there is a unique opportunity for Laos and its people. As a young economy, there is not much in the way of legacy business systems and companies can move relatively quickly.

The pandemic has made it a necessity to accelerate digital adoption.”

Indeed, cutting edge technology, a wealth of industry experience and tailor-made services represent key components of MJBL’s offering, the group having been present in the region since 2008.

“In Laos, we have embarked on an exciting journey to strategically transform into a leading sustainable and innovative financial services provider,” Chin continues.

“MJ22 is our strategic vision and transformation programme leading up

BizGROW: First SME mentoring programme in Laos, officially endorsed by MOIC

H.E. Governor and senior leadership of BOL

Panel of speakers discussing ecommerce trends and opportunities in Laos

Signing ceremony of DOSMEP’s special SME funding programme with MJBL

MJBL Lao Handicraft Association’s Design Contest to support and promote unique Laotian fine crafts and design to 2022, premised on three key pillars: To build the most trustworthy bank in Laos; provide an awesome customer experience; and use digital-led technology to solve customers’ needs.”

A DYNAMIC LAOTIAN CITIZEN MARUHAN Japan Bank Lao has four physical locations in Laos – two in Vientiane, one in northern Luang Prabang and one in southern Pakse.

It offers a range of basic, digital and advanced products & services to its customers – a full-fledged bank encompassing retail, SME and corporate banking which, in the eyes of Chin, stands out from the crowd in four key areas.

First is the fact that MJBL operates as a truly hybrid bank both in physical and digital forms.

On the digital side it launched MJ Saduak, an innovative mobile banking and e-wallet app, in November 2019, with numerous features that are a first in Laos, such as chatbot, financial management tool, QR enabled and peer-topeer payments, self-generation of QR, and account linkage, to name a few.

MJBL also launched the first and only paperless and fully digital branch in Laos (and the region) APAC Outlook issue 46 | 189

MARUHAN JAPAN BANK LAO

BRIEF BIO

ANTHONY CHIN Anthony Chin has been in the banking sector for 23 years.

As well as his roles within the MARUHAN Group, which includes sitting on the Board of Director & Risk Management Committee of Sathapana Bank, Cambodia; he serves as the Chief Advisor to the Lao ICT Commerce Association to lead its fintech chapter and digitalisation division.

During his career, he has received numerous awards, including Best New Banking CEO by the International Finance Awards this year.

“I was both honoured and humbled,” he says. “I have a great team. It is always the team. I just so happen to be the leader and face of the organisation. The award is a true recognition that anything is possible if we put our mind to it, focus, work hard and never give up. Once we set our vision, believe and go for it. Hence, my relentless pursuit of building a great team, albeit a small one. There will always be challenges but we need to soldier on, onwards and upwards.”

– this features digital queues, digital account opening, facial recognition, e-signatures, and cardless ATMs, among many other pioneering innovations.

More recently, it just launched the first innovative virtual debit MasterCard with instant approval, 3D secure protocol and full control from the MJ Saduak app.

This dual approach has been vindicated in terms of results. The past year has seen MJBL more than double its customer base and recently growing its merchant network to over 1,500 and many strategic partners being onboarded during this time. It is also one of the first partner banks of LAPNet to connect to more than 90 percent of ATMs in Laos and has enabled ATM funds transfer in the country for the first time.

“Another standout feature is how we support start-ups and e-commerce with innovative solutions, and work closely with players to solve their payment and financial needs,” Chin adds. “We launched e-CASS, our e-commerce auto settlement solution, during the pandemic lock down – with our first partner customer LOCA, the first and prominent ride hailing app in Laos, whereby we provide drivers’ auto payment settlement with the company and vice versa, all through an app anytime, anywhere.”

BPC Founded 25 years ago, for BPC, Banking, Payments, Context is what defines the organisation.

The company has transformed over the years to deliver innovative and relevant solutions which fit with today’s consumer lifestyle when banking, shopping, or moving in both urban and rural areas, bridging the digital realm to real life.

With 280 customers across 90 countries globally, BPC collaborates with all ecosystem players ranging from tier one banks to neobanks, payment service providers (PSP) to large processors, large ecommerce to startup merchants, and government bodies to local hail riding companies.

www.bpcbt.com

Third is what Chin describes as a small but extremely cohesive, dedicated and dynamic team.

“We are ‘glo-cal’, bringing together the best of global and local talent and best practices,” he continues.

“Notwithstanding, we believe in local talent and have started a serious talent programme to groom them for senior roles in the future. There are eight nationalities in the bank, but we are all passionate and focused on advancing banking in Laos, for Laotians and our local community.

“We work closely with local communities in areas of education, woman entrepreneurship, gender equality, agriculture, handicraft and local tourism to name a few.”

SMES – LAOS’ ECONOMIC LIFEBLOOD Launch of e-CASS, the first ecommerce auto settlement solution in Laos

190 | APAC Outlook issue 46

The fourth differentiator is that MJBL is a major supporter of micro and SMEs. It has invested tremendous resources in building an ecosystem

FINANCE

Bridging real life to digital.

At BPC, we are bridging real life to digital by equipping our clients with the right technology to create payments services that fit right into the customers’ lives. Real life needs of people who make payments or do business transactions converge into digital services. Is it a traditional card payment, mobile wallet or an instant payment, is it initiated via a mobile, through an agent of embedded into an app via an API? It no longer matters; everyone wants it fast, easy and secure, and not having to think about it.

We have been doing this for 25 years, for more than 280 clients in 90 countries, using the model that best fits the business objectives – be it in house, managed services or complete outsource.

Banking

Commerce

Mobility

bpcbt.com underpinned by collaboration, shared infrastructure and partnerships.

As well as its own tailor-made products and services, MJBL is the first bank in Laos to launch an SME mentoring programme via BIZGROW, which involves mentoring and workshops. Further, the company is working with partners and 20 small businesses to train entrepreneurial skills over a three-month pilot scheme completely free of charge, an initiative which has been officially endorsed the Ministry of Industry & Commerce and Department of SME Promotion.

FAST (Fit All Stars Team) Day. Team engagement and fitness is actively prioritised at MJBL

Personal hand-written appreciation note

by CEO for all staff, in conjunction with World Mental Health Week

Such a vibrant hive of activities leaves Chin optimistic about the future and the role MJBL can play in empowering these businesses (and consumers) to drive Laotian development forward.

He ends the conversation here, underlining just how critical such support will be.

“SMEs are the backbone of the Laos economy, constituting 99 percent of businesses,” he says. “This directly contributes to productivity and output in the economy. More so, after the outbreak of the global pandemic, it

is important to support productivity versus consumption as a priority.

This generates jobs, cashflow and income for local communities and the country’s young workforce.

“I believe in working directly with entrepreneurs and relevant parties, including government agencies, to advance and support SMEs. Funding is a common requirement of businesses, but we go beyond that and we listen to their issues and pain points. We work with them to solve their challenges so as to enable them to focus on their core businesses.

“But I must stress we are a Bank for All. We may be small, but we have a big heart. In Laos, I always say ‘Thanakhannoy, teh-hua-jai-yai’!”

Tel: +856 21 411 777 www.maruhanjapanbanklao.com info@maruhanjapanbanklao.com

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 191

EVENTS

Telecoms World Asia October 27-29 | Online | www.terrapinn.com Intelligent Connectivity in Asia

27 - 29 October 2020 ONLINE - LIVE 1,200+ ATTENDEES 120+ SPEAKERS 6 CHANNELS | 3 DAYS BOOK NOW www.terrapinn.com/virtual /telecoms-world-asia

Three days of virtual collaboration TH E R E’ S N EVER been a better time for Asia’s telecom leaders to come together to share their thoughts, solutions, and expertise. We just can’t do that in person right now.

On this three-day virtual event, Telecoms World Asia will bring you insights from live presentations and panel debates across six channels by telco, tech and digital leaders. Join in 192 | APAC Outlook issue 46

live from wherever you are or watch the sessions on demand.

Meet and connect with those changing the face of telecom and technology across Asia. You will get full access to the attendee list and be able to book virtual meetings with interesting people live on our platform.

Establish connections with carriers, MNOs, MVNOs, ISPs, regulators,

consultants and vendors from all over Asia and beyond. Meet them virtually and extend your network. Featuring three days of dedicated and curated content from innovators and tech leaders of Asia’s telecom industry: Telcos, operators, 5G investors, cloud solution providers and more.

For more information, please visit: www.terrapinn.com

Intelligent Connectivity in Asia

27 - 29 October 2020 ONLINE - LIVE 1,200+ ATTENDEES 120+ SPEAKERS 6 CHANNELS | 3 DAYS BOOK NOW www.terrapinn.com/virtual /telecoms-world-asia

EVENTS 4

Last Mile ASEAN November 5-6 | Bangkok, Thailand | www.lastmileasean.com

05-06 November 2020 BITEC, Bangkok

Last Mile ASEAN is the One and Only Conference in Thailand addressing the Last Mile Delivery, Logistics and Distribution Centre Operations for Ecommerce, Retail, Post, Parcel, Express/ Parcel Delivery, Logistics and Warehouse Providers.

Exhibition Highlights Ÿ E-Commerce Companies (Fashion, Food &

Grocery, Electronics, Apparels, Books, Furniture Etc.)Retail Chains (Hypermarket, Supermarkets Etc.) Ÿ Brick and Clicks Stores Ÿ Logistics and Supply Chain Providers Ÿ 3PL and 4PL Companies Ÿ Post and Parcel Companies Ÿ Transportation Providers Ÿ Technology and Solution Providers Ÿ Advisor and Consultants

Exhibition & Sponsorship Sales

Supported by

Media Partner

Powered by

Produced by

Prashant Narain +66-923637143 prashantnarain09 Prashant@manchcommunications.com www.LastMileAsean.com

Solving long-standing logistical challenges TH E F O URTH edition of Last Mile ASEAN (LMA) 2020 aims to address and solve the long-standing logistics challenges faced by ecommerce, retail, logistics (2PL, 3PL, 4PL, 5PL), post, parcel, on demand delivery, warehouse providers and transportation providers from the ASEAN region over a cutting edge conference agenda 194 | APAC Outlook issue 46

covering various facets of last mile delivery leg of supply chain, from distribution centre operations to final delivery to customer over two days.

Attendees will also be able to discover the latest innovations by interacting with technology partners catering solutions to address current challenges such as labour shortage;

distribution centre automation; operational efficiency; cross border logistics; route and network optimisation; reverse logistics and returns; packaging; sustainability and many more.

For more information, please visit: www.lastmileasean.com

4

05-06 November 2020

BITEC, Bangkok

Last Mile ASEAN is the One and Only Conference in Thailand addressing the Last Mile Delivery, Logistics and Distribution Centre Operations for Ecommerce, Retail, Post, Parcel, Express/ Parcel Delivery, Logistics and Warehouse Providers.

Exhibition Highlights Ÿ E-Commerce Companies (Fashion, Food &

Grocery, Electronics, Apparels, Books, Furniture Etc.)Retail Chains (Hypermarket, Supermarkets Etc.) Ÿ Brick and Clicks Stores Ÿ Logistics and Supply Chain Providers Ÿ 3PL and 4PL Companies Ÿ Post and Parcel Companies Ÿ Transportation Providers Ÿ Technology and Solution Providers Ÿ Advisor and Consultants

Exhibition & Sponsorship Sales

Supported by

Media Partner

Powered by

Produced by

Prashant Narain +66-923637143 prashantnarain09 Prashant@manchcommunications.com www.LastMileAsean.com

EVENTS

Asia Warehousing Show December 2-4 | Bangkok, Thailand | www.asiawarehousingshow.com

The supply chain spectrum under one roof TH E STAGE for the 5th edition of Asia Warehousing Show is set and the show is ready to open doors for professionals of warehouse infrastructure, logistics and supply chain industry from December 2 to December 4 at BITEC, Bangkok.

This year the show is expecting the footfall of more than 7,000 business professionals from across Thailand and overseas.

More than just a trade show, Asia Warehousing Show allows industry professionals to gain market insights, explore entry to new markets and an opportunity to expand business network through industry conferences – Asia Warehousing & Logistics Summit along with concurrent events like Material Handling Equipment Asia, Robotics & Automation 4 Warehouse and Supply Chain Asia 196 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Zone’ with added features like business matchmaking and VIP buyer programsme.

“Factors like massive investment in transport infrastructure and relevant legal reforms in Thailand, growth across major industries such as automobiles, food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, FMCG and the emergence of organized retail have supported the growth of the warehousing industry in Thailand.

We bring you the right platform to network with industry stalwarts and gain insights on this evolving sector which can help your businesses grow,” comments Anuj Mathur, Managing Director – Manch Exhibitions Thailand.

For detailed information on the conference and fair schedule or for online registration kindly visit www.asiawarehousingshow.com

02 03 04

DECEMBER 2020 BITEC, BANGKOK

WA REHOUS E

International Intra-Logistics Industry Exhibition and Conference covering Warehouse, Material handling, Logistics, Automation & Robotics for Warehouse & Logistics Solutions

FREE

VISITOR ENTRY!

Visitor Pro le: 타 Logistics, Supply Chain, Warehouse/ Distribution/

Ful llment Centre, Operations, Engineering Heads from End user industries such as Food & Beverage, FMCG, Retail, Pharmaceutical, Automotive and Automotive Components, Cement, Sugar, Electrical, Electronics and Manufacturing.

타 Warehouse, Cold Storage Owners and

Operators 타 3PL, Freight Forwarders, Ful llment providers,

Ports and Airport 타 Warehouse Consultants, Architects and Advisory

companies

Products on Display

Warehouse Storage & Racks

Material Handling

IOT Solutions & Software

Packaging Solutions

Robotics & Automation

Infrastructure Solutions (PEB/Flooring)

Supported by

Exhibition & Sponsorship Sales Prashant Narain +66-923637143 prashantnarain09

Media Partner

Co-located events

Organized by

Prashant@manchcommunications.com Online Visitor Registration at www.AsiaWarehousingShow.com

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, MAKES A GOOD BUSINESS LEADER?

Marcelino Ugarte Managing Director, Butra HeidelbergCement “A good business leader requires many traits, but I think the one thing that stands out is being honest and clear with your team members. It is incredible what we can achieve when we are aligned with the same goal and purpose.”

Dr Michael King Vice President – International Business, Min Dhama Steel Structures “I think a good business leader would need to lead their team rather than give commands from a high ground position. They should have grassroots support and be able to work together with the team to strive for the common good of the organisation.

“In my particular case, even though I may not end up being a good leader, I was not an expert in the steel industry when I joined this organisation and I could not command due to lack of technical expertise. But I had a great team that had ample work experience with me. A good business leader should then recognise the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team. Based on this, the leader should then nurture, encourage and guide them to extract the best output from each of them so that we can achieve the common goals of the company.”

198 | APAC Outlook issue 46

Chris Corbin CEO, GraysOnline “A good leader in my view is a leader who empowers, supports and guides people around them to be all they can be, and is genuinely happy to see others achieve outstanding results.”

Danny Wilson General Manager, Onsport “A good business leader focuses on recruiting the right talent, identifying and leveraging different motivational approaches that maximises productivity and performance.

“They derive high levels of satisfaction in taking talent under their wing, coaching, mentoring and developing them to become high-performing leaders that not only reach their own potential, but also help the business to fully realise its market value.

“Furthermore, they need to truly understand the power and strength of a positively motivated culture, all coupled with the ability to maximise business potential through a keen focus of execution.”

Are you a CEO/Director with a company story to tell? Contact APAC Outlook now!

Continuing to deliver on complex projects in Australia...

REDPATH AUSTRALIA

MINING

See page

38 22 REDPATH AUSTRALIA

KEY SERVICES BREAKDOWN Redpath Australia is able to offer a range of services throughout the country and wider Asia Pacific region. These include: TRADITIONAL UNDERGROUND METALLIFEROUS SERVICES: • Development • Production • Specialised ground support (including mechanised cabolting and fibrecreting)

MAINTAINING MOMENTUM Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, its global standing and reputation as a go-to contractor for large, complex projects providing peace of mind for clients

CONTINUING TO DELIVER ON COMPLEX PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

VERTICAL DEVELOPMENTS: • Raiseboring • Shaft construction • Shaft equipping • Shaft rehabilitation CIVIL SERVICES:

MINING “Automation is an important innovation component of our business as it allows productivity to remain consistent across shift change and blasting times. The adoption of emerging technology such as this reinforces our commitment towards the implementation of our technology roadmap over the next three years.”

LOOKING AHEAD Crucial to this implementation will be the continued support of agile, innovative partners.

Ramage is quick to acknowledge this, explaining how the success of Redpath relies on a series of relationships with peers across the entire supply chain.

“Our suppliers are incredibly important to us, and we understand the value in building these partnerships,” he adds. “Implementing new solutions is always challenging, and working together is the only way we can achieve positive results.

Mixers Australia We have extensive experience in supplying specialty jobs for various customers such as hydraulic drive swing augers, solar powered eyewash, freestanding diesel drive mixers and more.

Our director, Luke Forbes is a qualified heavy diesel mechanic and through his 40 years of experience has developed extensive knowledge in the field of mechanics and hydraulics as well as the manufacturing of transit mixers and replacement barrels. The experience and knowledge that Luke holds combined with that of all our staff here at Mixers Australia ensures we bring you the right advice and products to suit your needs.

W

www.mixersaustralia.com

• Installation of secondary support

2 | APAC Outlook issue 46

operated and we look forward to assisting you with all your asset protection needs.

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 3

office@northsidesandblasting.com.au

CJD EQUIPMENT YOUR PARTNERS IN EXPERIENCE PROUDLY SUPPORTING

Supplying Volvo Construction Equipment to Australian markets for almost three decades, CJD Equipment has built a reputation as one of the most successful privately owned equipment distributors in Australia.

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Northside Sandblasting & Painting

• Roadway tunnels • Rail tunnels

discoveries at Glen Osmond triggered generate a record $264 billion in Our aim is to provide quality commercial and industrial COAL SERVICES: a wave of mining operations in South exports and represent more than eightsandblasting and painting services • Drift construction to our customers, on time and on Australia, the 1850s gold rush quickly percent of the Australian economy. budget.

• Underground roadway development We can handle a range of different placing Australia on the global mining Staggeringly, since 2005 the sector sized jobs. Our blast booth is 14m • Conveyor installation and long x 4m wide x 4m high and we have map. has invested around $720 billion in removal three different sized paint booths • Conveyor maintenance ranging from 8m long x 3m wide x Fast-forward to today, and mining the country, accounting for more 3.5m high to 15m long x 5m wide x 4m • Ventilation control device high. Some of our past jobs include; still stands as one of the country’s installation than 40 percent of total investment underground machines, shipping containers, concrete agitators, services sturdiest economic backbones. • Installation ofover this period, in no small part gantries and lighthouse hand rails and construction and platforms This financial year, the mining • Roadway thanks to sustained activity driven by maintenance, including Northside Sandblasting and Painting and resources industry is poised toconcreting multinational mining players. is proudly Australian owned and • Provision of outbye services

We stock a range of spare parts not just for our cement mixers but also the specialty jobs we build and if we don’t have it in stock we will endeavour to source it as quick as possible for our customers.

We offer both in house and onsite servicing, inspections and repairs with the added bonus of having an inspection/weigh schedule set up to suit the customers’ requirements whether it be quarterly, 6 monthly or annually.

• Transfer tunnels

hen silver and lead became the first metals to be mined in Australia in the early 1840s, little did the industrialists at Glen Osmond know that they were about to kickstart an industry that would one day be responsible for 70 percent of the nation’s exported goods.

Sat on the outskirts of Adelaide, the

Mixers Australia is the largest 100% Australian owned transit mixer manufacturing business in Australia. We have over 40 years’ experience in the manufacture of cement mixers and cement trucks for both mining and building industries in Australia and abroad.

BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE www.cjd.com.au | 1300 139 804 | enquiries@cjd.com.au Facebook.com/cjdequipment

Linkedin.com/company/cjd-equipment

Instagram.com/cjd_equipment

Sunstate Fasteners

Supplier of All Fasteners and Fixings Only 10 minutes north of the Gateway Bridge and easily accessible from the Gateway Motorway, Northside Sandblasting and Painting has been operating for over 35 years.

Our business hours: Monday to Thursday - 7:00am till 3:45pm Friday - 7:00am till 12 noon CONTACT US office@northsidesandblasting.com.au or 0732670800 to discuss your requirements.

With over 80 Years of Experience in the Industry, Sunstate Fasteners is your chosen Supplier for all your Fasteners and Fixings.

Plus, Authorised Distributor of IRONCLAD KONG GLOVES

• Bolts • Nuts • Washers • Screws • Rivets • Threaded Rod • Masonry Anchors 12 Container Street, Tingalpa, QLD 4173, Australia T +61 7 3890 5599 E sales@sunstatefasteners.com.au www.sunstatefasteners.com.au

16 | APAC Outlook issue 46

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 17

16 | APAC Outlook issue 46

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 17

office@northsidesandblasting.com.au

0732670800 to discuss your requirements. office@northsidesandblasting.com.au or CONTACT US

www.sunstatefasteners.com.au T +61 7 3890 5599 E sales@sunstatefasteners.com.au 12 Container Street, Tingalpa, QLD 4173, Australia

MOMENTUM Redpath Australia has told its story.

W MAINTAINING 2 | APAC Outlook issue 46

COMPLEX PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA CONTINUING TO DELIVER ON

• Provision of outbye services

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Thomas Arnold

reputation as a go-to contractor for large, complex projects providing peace of mind for clients Redpath Australia continues to secure work despite the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, its global standing and

Sat on the outskirts of Adelaide, the goods.

70 percent of the nation’s exported would one day be responsible for about to kickstart an industry that Glen Osmond know that they were 1840s, little did the industrialists at in Australia in the early the first metals to be mined hen silver and lead became

APAC Outlook issue 46 | 3

protection needs. assisting you with all your asset operated and we look forward to is proudly Australian owned and Northside Sandblasting and Painting

support • Installation of secondary

and resources industry is poised toconcreting multinational mining players. including This financial year, the mining • maintenance, thanks to sustained activity driven by platforms Roadway construction and gantries and lighthouse hand rails and sturdiest economic backbones. • Installation ofover this period, in no small part services containers, concrete agitators, machines, shipping still stands as one of the country’s installation than 40 percent of total investment underground high. Some of our past jobs include; • Ventilation control device 3.5m high to 15m long x 5m wide x 4m Fast-forward to today, and mining the country, accounting for more ranging from 8m long x 3m wide x • Conveyor maintenance three different sized paint booths removal map. has invested around $720 billion in long x 4m wide x 4m high and we have • Conveyor installation and jobs. Our blast booth is 14m placing Australia on the global mining Staggeringly, since 2005 the sector sized We can handle a range of different development • Underground roadway budget.

Australia, the 1850s gold rush quickly percent of the Australian economy. to our customers, on time and on • Drift construction a wave of mining operations in South exports and represent more than eightsandblasting and painting services COAL SERVICES: commercial and industrial Our aim is to provide quality discoveries at Glen Osmond triggered generate a record $264 billion in • Rail tunnels

• Transfer tunnels

• Shaft rehabilitation

has been operating for over 35 years.

Motorway, Northside Sandblasting and Painting Bridge and easily accessible from the Gateway Only 10 minutes north of the Gateway

we can achieve positive results. and working together is the only way new solutions is always challenging, partnerships,” he adds. “Implementing the value in building these important to us, and we understand “Our suppliers are incredibly entire supply chain. relationships with peers across the of Redpath relies on a series of this, explaining how the success Ramage is quick to acknowledge innovative partners. be the continued support of agile, Crucial to this implementation will

www.mixersaustralia.com

• Threaded Rod • Masonry Anchors • Bolts • Nuts • Washers • Screws • Rivets

and Fixings. chosen Supplier for all your Fasteners the Industry, Sunstate Fasteners is your With over 80 Years of Experience in

IRONCLAD KONG GLOVES Plus, Authorised Distributor of

and Fixings of All Fasteners Supplier

Fasteners Sunstate

& Painting Northside Sandblasting

• Roadway tunnels CIVIL SERVICES:

Friday - 7:00am till 12 noon Monday to Thursday - 7:00am till 3:45pm Our business hours:

Contact us on 07 3267 0800 to see how we can help you today.

Facebook.com/cjdequipment

Linkedin.com/company/cjd-equipment

Instagram.com/cjd_equipment

www.cjd.com.au | 1300 139 804 | enquiries@cjd.com.au BIG ENOUGH TO TRUST SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE

Now, why not tell yours? Our bi-monthly magazine APAC Outlook is essential reading for • Shaft equipping

• Shaft construction • Raiseboring

VERTICAL DEVELOPMENTS: cabolting and fibrecreting) (including mechanised • Specialised ground support

be quarterly, 6 monthly or annually. the customers’ requirements whether it inspection/weigh schedule set up to suit with the added bonus of having an servicing, inspections and repairs We offer both in house and onsite

advice and products to suit your needs.

Australia ensures we bring you the right with that of all our staff here at Mixers knowledge that Luke holds combined replacement barrels. The experience and manufacturing of transit mixers and mechanics and hydraulics as well as the extensive knowledge in the field of 40 years of experience has developed heavy diesel mechanic and through his Our director, Luke Forbes is a qualified

privately owned equipment distributors in Australia. has built a reputation as one of the most successful markets for almost three decades, CJD Equipment Supplying Volvo Construction Equipment to Australian

business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting • Production

• Development

METALLIFEROUS SERVICES: TRADITIONAL UNDERGROUND

Pacific region. These include: the country and wider Asia a range of services throughout Redpath Australia is able to offer

LOOKING AHEAD

roadmap over the next three years.” the implementation of our technology reinforces our commitment towards emerging technology such as this blasting times. The adoption of consistent across shift change and as it allows productivity to remain innovation component of our business “Automation is an important

more. freestanding diesel drive mixers and swing augers, solar powered eyewash, customers such as hydraulic drive supplying specialty jobs for various We have extensive experience in

Asia Pacific businesses across all industries.

BREAKDOWN KEY SERVICES

Mixers Australia

our customers. endeavour to source it as quick as possible for build and if we don’t have it in stock we will cement mixers but also the specialty jobs we We stock a range of spare parts not just for our Australia and abroad. trucks for both mining and building industries in the manufacture of cement mixers and cement Australia. We have over 40 years’ experience in owned transit mixer manufacturing business in Mixers Australia is the largest 100% Australian

PROUDLY SUPPORTING

YOUR PARTNERS IN EXPERIENCE

CJD EQUIPMENT

REDPATH AUSTRALIA

MINING

Reaching an audience of over 220,000 readers, your company can take advantage of exposure in APAC Outlook with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

REDPATH AUSTRALIA

MINING

w w w. a p a c o u t l o o k m a g . c o m

MESINIAGA BERHAD

Issue 46

www.apacoutlookmag.com/work-with-us A mainstay in Malaysia’s technological story

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Futureproofing businesses postCOVID-19

Complementing the production of APAC Outlook, Africa Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same

Outlook Creative Services

specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

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DESIGN:

E D I TO R I A L :

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Tom Wadlow +44 (0) 1603 959 657 tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

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Dani Redd +44 (0) 1603 959 667 dani.redd@outlookpublishing.com