Issue 8
SosaJB Property Management
Preferred property managers in the Philippines SosaJB Property Management says that investing in their staff is one of the key components for success Writer Matt Bone Project Manager Arron Rampling Sosa JB Property Management Corp. is a 100% Filipino-owned and family-run, management company, formed in 2010. The company's deep understanding of the culture, needs and expectations of the local market coupled with an inherent sense of Filipino hospitality, gives them a distinct edge over the competition in their ability to promptly and appropriately satisfy and exceed client expectation. Jeff Sosa, Founder and CEO of SosaJB, is keen to point out that the company is not just another property management company, but one that offers so much more to its clients: "We are committed to provide superior property management services through the unmatched value we place on service excellence, innovation and continuous improvement – all of which are values that differentiate us from our competitors." Investing in Staff As well as being proud of their customer care, SosaJB are proud of their employee care. Sosa has been instrumental in creating a new company culture by driving forward a strong commitment to human resources, and to find and train the best possible employees for the company. Now this does not mean that Sosa will only hire the best. He is a firm believer that if you are willing to spend the time and money training people to become the best, then that is exactly what they will do. "We truly care for our staff and employees. We want…
Alfa Tech VestAsia
A Vested Interest in Project Management Alfa Tech Vest Asia delivers excellent customer service and project managing capabilities for Projects in Singapore and SE Asia Writer Matt Bone Project Manager James Mitchell Alfa Tech Vest Asia (ATVA) is a vertically integrated consultancy firm that focuses on turnkey design and build projects. The company, based in Singapore, offers a service from start to finish on projects and is usually appointed directly by a client with specific needs. ATVA is part of the Alfa Tech Consulting Enterprise, first established in California's Silicon Valley in 1987; today the company has offices throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. ATVA prides itself in its excellent customer service and project managing capabilities, often going so far as to step into the Owner's Representative role for their clients in order to negotiate with the government, utilities or helping settle leases with landlords. As a representative for many companies based in the United States, ATVA is able to translate the differences in culture and lifestyle between the West and East to facilitate the move to an ASEAN base of operation. Managing Director Zach Wilson, explains that the dominant factor that differentiates the company from the competition is that: "At all levels of the company, staff are not just project managers they are technical experts who manage projects bringing high skill levels and always looking at new and innovative ways to serve our clients on their projects." Always on Hand Project managers from other companies may have to coordinate many different experts to bring…
Jian Huang
Constructing Singapore Jian Huang are delivering high quality projects for the burgeoning construction market in Singapore Writer Matt Bone Project Manager Ben Wigger Since they began operating in 1996, Jian Huang have built up a striking track record of strong construction projects, performance and have consistently delivered a high quality end-product and service to their clients. However, not only do the company work on construction projects, Jian Huang also have vast experience in project management services, rental and sale of equipment and green building material supply. Yew BC, General Manager, Construction Division of Jian Huang, believes that what sets Jian Huang apart from other construction companies in Singapore is that they do not just build the project, but rather help the design and enhance the value of the project alongside the client. "We have a team of highly skilled managers who work very closely with our clients and panel of consultants to create the perfect building project," BC states. Consultancy and Construction Jian Huang have been completing, on average, 3-4 projects in the role of main contractor each year since 2007 and show no signs of slowing down. Now this may not sound like a lot, but when you consider that one of these projects was to design and construct a multi-million dollar, 5 storey, multiple user industrial development for US semi conductor manufacturers Kulicke & Soffa - which will include areas for the company's corporate, manufacturing R&D departments- the numbers are much more impressive. Jian Huang have become a vertically integrated construction company, boasting a…
Jaya Tiasa Holdings Berhad
Branching out Jaya Tiasa are one of Malaysia's fastest growing oil palm players Writer Matt Bone Project Manager Tom Cullum Jaya Tiasa Holdings Berhad is a company listed on the Main Board of Bursa Securities Berhad, with a market capitalisation exceeding RM2.5 billion. The Group started off as a downstream wood processing company in Tanjong Ensurai, Sarawak in 1983. By 1994, Jaya Tiasa had constructed another four processing mills and proceeded to open them. Dato' Wong Sie Young, CEO of Jaya Tiasa, outlines how the Group have grown over the last 12 years: "Our timber processing operations have grown significantly over the years. In 2002, we diversified into the oil palm business. Our first Crude Palm Oil (CPO) mill commenced operation in 2009. Today, we are one of Sarawak's leading oil palm players with an estimated plantable area of about 70,900 hectares, as well as being one of Malaysia's foremost fully integrated timber producers, with access to over 1.76 million acres of timber concessions and an annual turnover of more than RM1 billion." As of May 2014, the Group have a workforce of about 4,500 employees who have a diverse mixture of backgrounds, experiences and expertise across its operations. To meet future challenges, remain competitive and ensure continued growth of their business, Jaya Tiasa strive to be an attractive employer with the ability to recruit, develop and retain the best people. "We develop our employees through training and education, respect individual integrity and human rights, offer fair pay and advancement opportunities and maintain a safe and…
China Financing $3.8bn East African Railway Development
$3.8bn railway project will connect the capitals of the East African Community (EAC) trade block to the Kenyan port of Mombasa. East Africa has commenced a new push for regional economic integration and announced on May 11th a $3.8bn railway project that is to be financed by China's Exim Bank. The Chinese bank will fund 90 percent of the project while Kenya will contribute the remaining 49 billion KSh ($560m). In addition to providing most of the financing, the principal contractor on the deal will be state-owned construction conglomerate China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). African economies have long been plagued by a lack of infrastructure, poor transport links and trade barriers. Former UN Secretary General and Ghanaian national Kofi Annan said: "If we can build infrastructure to link up our countries by road and rail, to open up and trade amongst ourselves, then within a decade we can expand trade by $250-$300bn." The proposed East African rail lines are due to begin construction in October 2014 and are projected to take 42 months to complete. The railway will generate links between Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. The region's current railway lines were built on different gauges, making it difficult to build links between them to create an efficient network; therefore the transport ministers of these countries have signed an agreement to develop a standard gauge railway system. The existing lines are all slow, underutilised and in dire need of upgrades. For instance, Kenya's main line which runs from Mombasa through Nairobi and into Uganda…
SingTel and StanChart Launch Mobile Money Service
SingTel and Stanchart has jumped on the mobile payment bandwagon and have created a new app. The new app created by Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) and Standard Chartered will allow customers to transfer funds, pay for purchases and services, and apply for loans, the companies say. The new app, named Dash, revealed on June 3 2014 is a joint venture that allows users to store money on their phones and pay friends and merchants with the available funds. The smartphone users will be able to make payments at around 20,000 acceptance points in Singapore by the end of this year, including retail outlets, convenience stores and taxis. To ensure security, the phone user must enter a 6-digit PIN before making a transaction, which is capped at S$999 - the maximum capacity of the mobile wallet. The companies added that, Dash will also let users apply for loans of up to four times their monthly salary through their mobile phones, up to a maximum of S$200,000. Those wishing to use Dash -which is also available to subscribers of M1 and StarHub - can download the mobile application from Apple's App Store or Google Play.
Singapore Employees Work out of the Library
Three public libraries in Singapore allow workers to access office facilities in Smart Work Centres. The first Smart Work Centres opened their doors to the public on Friday 30 May. The centres are based at libraries in Jurong, Geylang East and Toa Payoh and the development is part of an Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) initiative to enable people to work closer to home and facilitate better work-life balance and productivity. The scheme will be operated by flexible workspace provider Regus, in collaboration with the IDA and National Library Board. These work centres offer a professional work environment designed to cater to different modes of work and are equipped with typical office facilities such as private workstations, meeting spaces and facilities such as secure WiFi, printing and video-conferencing services, the IDA stated. Employers who offer flexible work arrangements will be able to tap on a more diverse recruitment pool such as home-makers, which may be especially beneficial in light of the tight labour market, IDA noted. Companies can also benefit from more flexibility in workspace planning and be more agile in matching real estate needs to dynamic conditions, it added. Individuals can choose various payment schemes ranging from pay-by-hour to a monthly membership offering that provides unlimited access to the work centres. Some start-ups told Channel News Asia they found this to be a cheaper alternative to renting a physical office space, at least in the initial phase of starting a business. Mr Steve Leonard, Executive Deputy Chairman at IDA, said in a statement: "The Smart Work…
First Liquefied Natural Gas Power Plant has Begun Operations
Singapore based company, PacificLight Power's first power plant that fully operates on liquefied natural gas (LNG) has begun operations, the company CEO Yu Tat Ming announced. Reuters cited Ming as saying, "Traditionally, we only rely on piped natural gas coming from our neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia whereas LNG is international so you can source it from every part of the world." Thus it is a much more accessible form of fuel. PacificLight Power is a joint venture between Petronas Power (30%) and FPM Power (70%), which is owned by MGen and First Pacific. The S$1.2bn ($955m) plant is located on Jurong Island, Singapore. Additionally, earlier, in 2014, Singapore announced its plans to construct a second LNG receiving terminal which will complement the first terminal which has a capacity of 9 million tonnes per year. The 800MW facility on Jurong Island is expected to be the largest LNG consumer in the state. Currently, the company supplies electricity to industrial users only and is the sole aggregator of Singapore's LNG. According to an Energy Market Authority (EMA) spokesperson the electricity demand for Singapore is likely to increase about 2-4% annually over the next few years. So, the new power plant comes at the right time to provide this extra energy.
Personal Robots on Sale Next Year in Japan
SoftBank, a Japanese Corporation, announced on Thursday that as of February next year it will start selling human-like robots for personal use, addressing labour shortages in one of the world's fastest ageing societies. The company who are best known for their mobile phone and internet technology foresees the robots acting as baby-sitters, nurses, emergency medical workers or even party companions. These robots will cost 198,000 yen ($1,900) and are designed to be able to learn and express emotions, SoftBank CEO, Masayoshi Son told a news conference. A prototype will be deployed this week, serving customers at SoftBank mobile phone stores in Japan, he added. The sleek, waist-high robot, named Pepper, accompanied Son to the briefing, speaking to reporters in a high-pitched, boyish voice. Son said: "People describe others as being robots because they have no emotions, no heart. For the first time in human history, we're giving a robot a heart, emotions." Japan's population is one of the most rapidly ageing in the world and the government hopes that companies can offset a decline in available labour force by using robotics. In fact several Japanese technology manufacturers are entering this expanding robotics market. Panasonic Corp and robotics research subsidiary ActiveLink Co Ltd this week showcased robotic suits and vests to assist in arduous manual tasks such as carrying heavy loads or picking fruit from trees. Personal or household robots, such as the Asimo robot that Honda Motor Co has been developing for more than a decade, are seen as potential elderly care providers. French robotics company…
World Environment Day
Yesterday, June 5th, was World Environment Day (WED). In an attempt to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the environment the United Nations introduced this platform. Over the years this celebration has grown into a global phenomenon that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also operates as a 'people's day' empowering individuals to do something positive for the environment, thus creating a collective force that generates a positive impact on the planet. The UN has also designated 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and because of this WED adopted SIDS in the broader context of climate change as its theme. The United Nations Environment Programme website states that it is hoping to promote "the urgency to help protect the islands in the face of growing risks and vulnerabilities, particularly as a result of climate change. We believe WED will be an excellent opportunity to raise a call for solidarity with the islands." WED is the opportunity for everyone to realise the responsibility of caring for the Earth and to become agents of change.
Retailers Favour China for Expansion
The Chinese mainland continues to be favoured by retailers eyeing expansion in the Asia-Pacific this year while emerging markets in Southeast Asia are also attracting rising attention, global real estate adviser CBRE said in a report released on Tuesday. The report's second annual edition found that 64 percent of the retailers plan to open a new store on the mainland this year, ahead of Vietnam, Hong Kong and Singapore, which came in joint second with 33 percent seeking new openings, according to CBRE. Beijing and Shanghai top the list with 36 percent of retailers surveyed planning to open stores in the two cities this year. Electronic City to Open up 20 More Stores this Year in Indonesia Indonesian electronic goods retailer PT Electronic City (ECII) aims to open 15-20 more stores this year as part of its capital expenditure program for 2014. Electronic City vice president director Andreas Susanto revealed that the company would allocate IDR400 billion (USD34 million) in capital expenditure to open the new stores and upgrade its IT system. Most of the funds were gathered from the company's initial public offering (IPO) last year. SOURCE: Shanghai News and The Jakarta Post
Nissan Unveils New All-Electric Car
On Monday, Nissan revealed its second all-electric vehicle in the Japanese car-market's latest nudge towards the eco-friendly car sector, despite disappointing sales figures over the last year. The company said its e-NV200 – a zero-emission commercial van – can drive 190 kilometres (120 miles) on a full charge, and doubles as an on-board power source to supply emergency lighting or power to an outside unit. Nissan was the first company in the world to sell a mass-production electric passenger vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, in 2010. The vehicle that was unveiled this week comes with either five or seven seats and goes on sale in some European countries before its October Japan launch. Prices start at 3.88 million yen ($37,900). However, retail prices could be lower after accounting for government subsidies on green-vehicle sales, Nissan said. The new van can be fully recharged in eight hours or to 80 percent of its battery capacity in half an hour when using the quick-charge system. Nissan stated that it hopes to log monthly sales of 200 units in Japan, which is a somewhat modest target after the LEAF sold just 115,000 units globally since its launch nearly four years ago. Japan's number two automaker also has plans to release a different electric vehicle for the Chinese market, however demand has been disappointing largely due to their short driving range, high prices and a lack of re-charging infrastructures in place across the country. Pictured: Nissan LEAF