Craft Holdings

ASIA CRAFT HOLDINGS

Embodying unorthodox and progressive construction innovation

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Marina Bay Sands Podium, Singapore (Roof)

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Mastering a

CRAFT A Focused on designing, building and delivering tailored solutions that exceed client expectations, Craft Holdings is championing unorthodox and progressive construction innovation Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Tom Cullum

sia. Home to more than 4.5 billion people and accounting for roughly $30 trillion of global GDP, it is little surprise that this is the world’s largest continental economy.

Rewind to the turn of the decade, however, and the current status quo was entirely different, a time when Asia was bested by both Europe and North America and accounted for merely a third of the GDP that it does today.

Prolonged periods of growth and the rise of a number of emerging regional markets are key to this rapid rise over the past nine years, markets that have come to embrace globalisation, industrialisation and modernisation throughout this period.

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The movement of the construction industry is a key indicator of this, with Euler Hermes citing that over 57 percent of global construction growth over the past decade has come from emerging markets.

To say these recent years alone have dictated this upturn, however, would be untrue, as a number of enterprises with intelligent strategic ideas, such as Craft Holdings, have made the most of the growth in opportunities for prolonged periods.

Now standing as the region’s only specialist contractor able to provide a total solution for façade, unitised

Craft Holding’s expertise are characterised by three defined specialties: FAÇADES

Provides unitised curtain wall and bespoke façade systems utilising all types of materials including glass, stone, free form metal, aluminium cladding and louvers. Within this, Craft can offer a range of solutions such as frameless façades, light weight structures, retail façades and 3D steel and aluminium frameworks.

ROOFING

As standing seam experts, the company is able to design and construct any roof type, shape and configuration with the emphasis on a unitised production and installation approach rather than the conventional site build-up method still favoured by many of its competitors.

INTERIORS

Can build on wide experience with interior architectural features, custom ceiling cladding, lighting and retail shopfronts and interiors.

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roofing and interiors projects, Craft has continued to profit from these positive prospects for a quarter century, largely owed to its innovative and entrepreneurial approach.

“From an industry perspective, thinking outside the box isn’t typical of construction, but it’s a value which is highly regarded within the Craft company culture,” explains Huub van der Staak, Managing Director of Craft Holdings Southeast Asia.

An award-winning ethos

Having started his own career in construction in 1987, van der Staak’s personal journey largely mirrors that of Craft, the two having grown in tandem with the thriving Asian market over the course of many years.

He explains, recapping on an illustrious career to date: “After completing a bachelors degree in Engineering and a mandatory 18-month stint in the Dutch Army, I initially spent some time in New Zealand working for one of the country’s largest façade suppliers, before returning to Europe to find employment in the Netherlands as a project manager.

“It quickly became apparent that good construction opportunities could be found within emerging markets, which in the mid 90s meant moving to Asia. As such, I managed my first project on the continent in 1995, installing aluminium windows and pre-fabricated light concrete units on Shanghai Printemps Department Store.

“What was initially a six-month appointment quickly turned into a permanent stay where I ended up holding senior positions for one of the world’s major International façade companies, then moving to Craft Holdings in 2017.”

For van der Staak, the draw of Craft was the company’s willingness to be creative and proactive in its approach.

Utilising innovative industry practices and processes, and

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ALUFORM

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luform stands for decades of quality aluminum façade and roofing systems. Our high-end systems are used for public buildings, infrastructural projects and prestigious landmarks. Founded in 1910 and based in Germany, we truly rely on a vast experience which enables us to engineer innovative solutions for the dynamic construction market.

With Craft Holdings Ltd. we found an excellent partner in Southeast Asia for our FM-approved FalzRipp standing seam system. With its engineering and installation expertise we are a strong team which can take on any challenge.

Peter Mesman Director Sales & Marketing E peter.mesman@aluform.de Cell +49-1728102015

collaborating closely with architects, consultants and clients in a preconstruction agreement, the company is able to fine-tune project-specific designs in adherence with any demands from the outset.

“This is much more coherent than trying to adopt an existing system which might tick some of the boxes but most definitely not all,” van der Staak adds.

Equally, this outlook has allowed Craft to establish an esteemed reputation over the years, achieving the highest level of customer satisfaction on a consistent basis by providing tailor-made, bespoke construction solutions to meet each of its clients’ individual expectations.

“By looking at issues from a nonconventional perspective, we’re able to offer clients new practices and processes which allow us to deliver their projects on time, within budget and to the highest standards,” the MD continues.

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Aluform System and Craft Holdings: an unbeatable partnership for FalzRipp aluminum standing seam roofing systems.

Architecture in its best form.

Singapore Sports Hub, Singapore (roof)

One Central Park, Sydney - Australia (faรงade)

T-Park, Hong Kong (roof)

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“In an industry where safety is considered a key aspect of anything we do, Craft has also moved this requirement right to the front of the design process, resulting in several award winning installation methods that have since become industry standards, but which at the time were considered quite unorthodox.”

Opportunity in abundance

This modus operandi has seamlessly facilitated Craft’s natural expansion, its

SHOWCASING EXCELLENCE Some of Craft Holding’s most prestigious projects include, but are not limited to: • The National Stadium which is a multi-purpose stadium located in Kallang, Singapore.

presence now spanning nine countries.

In the face of this rapid rise, however, the company has remained humble all the same, no better reflected than by its extensive CSR practices.

One such example of this is the firm’s membership within the Lighthouse Club Hong Kong (LCH), a non-political organisation which supports the national construction industry, providing charitable assistance to distressed enterprises and individuals.

“LCH also promotes health and safety in HK, and its annual Health & Safety Awards ceremony is highly regarded in the industry, showcasing how safe work can be achieved on even the most challenging projects,” adds van der Staak.

Outside of these activities, the continent benefits from Craft’s substantial presence in other

• The Mactan–Cebu International Airport located in Central Visayas region in the Philippines.

Venetian Casino West Podium & Tower, Taipa, Macau

• Australian National Maritime Museum Warships Pavilion, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

• North Satellite and Midfield Concourse among some 16 projects completed at Chep Lap Kok, HKIA, Hong Kong.

• Venetian Casino West Podium & Tower, Taipa, Macau.

• One Central Park in the Sydney suburb of Chippendale, Australia.

• The Emerald Resort and Casino at Lapu Lapu City Cebu, the Philippines.

• The redevelopment of the University of Sydney’s Engineering and Technology Precinct at Darlington campus, Australia.

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ways, again evident through the organisation’s esteemed employment, training and talent retention strategies that help to uphold each of the local economies in which it operates.

“We recognise that a firm understanding and appreciation of each country’s cultures and business practices is essential, something that can only be achieved by hiring the best local talent available,” van der Staak continues. “And when we do hire internationally, we ensure that these employees have worked locally for the majority of their professional careers prior to joining the Craft team, and so have an adept understanding of the market and what we’re trying to do.”

Each of these employees are provided with both short- and long-term incentives and equal opportunities for progression that are achieved solely through merit and hard work.

Australian National Maritime Museum Warships Pavilion, Darling Harbour, Sydney

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Cathay Dragon Headquarters, Hong Kong (faรงade)

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Singapore Sports Hub, Singapore

Mactan Cebu Airport, Cebu The Philippines (façade)

Van der Staak continues: “Building on this communitive experience, young managers are given the opportunity to move up within the organisation, not only to gain experience but to fully understand the challenges and more importantly the benefits that a company such as Craft offers.

“With pan-Asia coverage and projects in various disciplines, from façade to roofing to interiors,

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National Arboretum, Canberra Australia (roof & façade)

the opportunities for growth and development are widely available.”

Taking strides

Moving forward, Craft’s status as a champion of coherent, progressive construction seems unlikely to change.

The company is partnered and working with major developers and architects in Asia, for example, to ensure its design and engineer projects have a minimised ecological footprint,

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recognising the environmental, economic, health and productivity benefits.

Further, March saw Craft sign a joint venture agreement with one of India’s leading building and construction materials suppliers to create an entity, named Aparna-Craft Exteriors Pvt, that will manufacture and retail aluminium exterior solutions.

“This latest cooperation with a wellestablished and extremely successful

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International Exhibition Centre HKIA, Hong Kong (roof)

Mactan Cebu Airport, Cebu The Philippines (façade)

Green Square Library, Sydney Australia (façade)

local entity is a continuation of Craft’s proven strategy of leveraging its own designing and engineering expertise with the execution capabilities of local teams to create the right type of synergy in order to successfully enter these new markets,” van der Staak says.

And it is this that will be a crucial part of Craft’s strategy moving forwards, the company looking to both grow and consolidate its position over the coming months.

Van der Staak concludes: “With the newly established joint venture in India we are entering the third biggest economy in Asia, where in the next three years we are planning to move from having regional coverage to full pan-India involvement.

“We’ll also continue to bolster our position in areas such as Australia, Philippines and HK, while closely monitoring the regions around us, in particular Thailand, which appears

to be on its way back up, and the ever-growing needs of the Indonesian construction market.”

Craft Holdings Tel: +852 2620 5168 info@craft-group.com www.craft-group .com

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B304, 3F, Block B, Sea View Estate, 4-6 Watson Rd, North Point, Hong Kong Tel: +852 2620 5168 info@craft-group.com www.craft-group.com

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