By Kim Tae-gyu
Which company is responsible for establishing such international landmarks as the world’s highest manmade structure and the largest gas-fired combined cycle power plant on this planet?
The answer is Samsung Construction & Trade (C&T), which completed the 828-meter high Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates and is working on the Qurayyah Independent Power Plant in Saudi Arabia.
Without resting on such great achievements, the Seoul-based contractor is vying to go one step further by becoming a ``global total solutions provider’’ through nurturing unrivaled capacity across the board.
``We strive to become a company that offers wide-ranging services to our global clients ranging from engineering to procurement, construction and operation management,’’ a Samsung official said.
``In particular, the Qurayyah power plant amply demonstrates our attempts of helping our customers throughout all the value chain, which is a unique model in the history of construction.’’
Samsung C&T secured the mega-sized Saudi Arabia project in 2011, of which size amounts to $2.1 billion. On top of the construction works, Samsung would be involved in the operation management.
In fact, the corporation introduced the format for the Shuweihat phase 2 power generation and desalination project in Abu Dhabi, which started in 2008 and is presently undergoing tests.
The constructor now aims to introduce similar lucrative systems to all of its 23 strategic segments including super-tall buildings, roads and bridges, hydrocarbons, urban development, aviation and harbors.
In addition, it is seeking to expand its business horizon into a host of newly-emerging segments including energy storage facilities, renewable energy and eco-friendly power plants.
``Beginning in 2010, Samsung C&T doubled its efforts to create a strong infrastructure geared toward becoming a genuine international powerhouse,’’ the official said.
``Toward that end, one of our top priorities is to be the cream of the crop in a variety of areas including engineering and business planning both at home and abroad.’’
The company started this year on a positive note by winning a $296 million Qatar road construction project in January.
In addition to its conventionally solid markets of the United Arab Emirates and Singapore, the outfit hopes to make a foray into other destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Samsung C&T Vice Chairman and CEO Jung Yeon-joo also reiterated its goal of more proactively taking advantage of offshore opportunities.
``Our goal is to build strong partnership based on trust, always focusing on the client and ways to provide greater value to fulfill their needs,’’ Jung said on the firm’s website.
``To compete on an equal footing with the world’s top construction companies in global markets, we will further strengthen our overseas marketing capability and build a management system that meets international standards.’’