Endeavour Asia Pacific

ASIA - PACIFIC

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TIETTO MINERALS LIMITED A Fast-Track To Gold

STEC Going Underground

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EDITOR’S NOTE Heads of Departments Managing Editor Alice Instone-Brewer editor@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Director Alex Hilling-Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Manager Emlyn Freeman emlynfreeman@littlegatepublishing.com Head of Editorial Research Paul Bradley paulbradley@littlegatepublishing.com Project Manager Steven Weller steveweller@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher James Lapping james@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Will Girling willgirling@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Alex Hayes alexhayes@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Dennis Morales dennismorales@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher David Kimberley david@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com Publisher Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com

T

he Asia-Pacific is one of the most

we speak with a broad range of experts,

varied regions in the world, and that

including

talented

makes it one of our most exciting

companies such as Baker Pacific and Shoon Fatt, confectionary providers based

to China, one could fill an entire publication

in Hong Kong, and Malaysia respectively,

with the latest automobile, IT and green

and Indoguna, dealing in produce for high-

technologies, not to mention impressive

quality restaurants throughout Singapore.

urban construction.

Once those have whet your appetite, we also take a look at industrial companies

Add to this South Asia’s rich history and varied news, from oil & gas in Pakistan

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couple of the countries and rich industries

to some of the world’s largest solar farms spreading across India, to name but a

such as several steady names in oil and gas, construction, and the family-owned Eilbeck Cranes, who have provided reliable equipment to Australia for generations

ALICE INSTONE-BREWER

we can explore in the South. Meanwhile, Southeast, we’re spoilt for choice as we speak with countries such as Malaysia, Cambodia and Singapore. Add in the many islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and we have more than enough

Littlegate Publishing Ltd does not accept

to cover here at Endeavour. Yet, on top of

responsibility for omissions or errors. The points

all this, we will also keep you up to speed

of view expressed in articles by attributing

with the heavy industrial developments in

magazine do not necessarily represent those of

deliciously

magazines! In East Asia alone, from Japan

For enquiries or subscriptions contact info@littlegatepublishing.com +44 1603 296 100

writers and/or in advertisements included in this

several

Australasia.

the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of

From shipping to agriculture, software to

the information contained within this magazine,

heavy engineering, Asian-Pacific companies

no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information

have been known to excel to world-wide

published. All rights reserved. No part of this

success. Every quarter, we speak with a

publication may be reproduced or stored in a

cross-section of these companies, bringing

retrievable system or transmitted in any form or

you the latest from industry leaders to

by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Copyright © Littlegate Publishing Ltd 2018

promising

up-and-comers

across

the

region’s booming sectors. This quarter, Endeavour Magazine | 3

CONTENTS

BAKER PACIFIC FEATURES

TIETTO MINERALS LIMITED 4 | Endeavour Magazine

6

12

18

24

33

38

46

Tietto Minerals Limited A Fast-Track To Gold PT Indodrill Indonesia Professional To The Core Ed Zublin AG From The Ground Up Baker Pacific International Solutions, Competitive Costs Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Company Going Underground Indoguna Singapore Quality Taste Eilbeck Cranes Towering Success

SHANGHAI TUNNEL ENGINEERING COMPANY

INDOGUNA SINGAPORE

EILBECK CRANES Endeavour Magazine | 5

TIETTO MINERALS LIMITED WWW.TIETTO.COM // 0061 8 9486 4036

A FAST-TRACK TO GOLD Tietto Minerals is a junior exploration company operating out of West Africa that bills itself as focusing on “fast-tracking the development of gold”. We spoke with Caigen Wang, company Founder and Managing Director, to see how they attempt to achieve this goal.

WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER

TIETTO MINERALS LIMITED

Tietto Minerals was founded in 2010, when Australia-based

Caigen decided to turn his academic involvement with the mining sector into the practical kind. The junior exploration company was originally intended to operate in Western Australia, where Caigen had working in the sector for ten years, following a career in education where he specialised in mining technology.

F

amiliar with the Australian mining world both through

“We really enjoy working in Côte d’Ivoire. They have very

experience and study, Caigen assessed his options, but

good infrastructure and logistical supplies. Finding spare parts

eventually concluded that the industry was bloated, and that

for machinery can sometimes be a challenge, but the country’s

it was too dominated by established names to provide fruitful

Ministry of Mines is very efficient, so we really don’t encounter

opportunities for his new company. So, he turned his attention to

many challenges.” It is partly these working conditions, but largely

the rest of the globe, and soon settled on West Africa. If one was

the promising explorative data, that has prompted Tietto to put

willing to invest the time and the funds, Caigen saw the potential

most of its eggs in the Côte d’Ivoire basket. That said, their projects

in West Africa to yield far greater success; it would be more of a

in Liberia are also starting to explore in earnest.

challenge, but the rewards would be a less glutted market to operate within, and the space to find promising prospects to explore.

“At this stage, we are focusing on resource growth, so will not be rushing towards a mine development at this stage. However, we

Nine years later, Caigen is continuing to apply what he learnt

have a major resource update this month, and another at the end

in Australia, but has also become well-acquainted with his new

of the year. After these, we will then begin to look properly at the

environment. The company started out with a licence in Liberia in

mine development side of operations.”

2010; it now has two projects in the Republic of Liberia, in Dube

“I think it’s going to be a slow growth moving forwards. However,

South and Cestos, and it has also expanded into Côte d’Ivoire.

we’re expecting the transition from exploration to production to be

Despite not entering Côte d’Ivoire until 2012, two years after their

a smooth transition, as we have the support of the community, and

first project began, this has become the most advanced, and is now

of the government as well..”

treated as Tietto’s main focus.

At their Côte d’Ivoire project, Tietto currently employs between

This jewel of their portfolio is still only 5% explored, but they

70-120 people, with the addition of many part-time locals. In their

have high hopes for its prospects. Multiple sections of gold veins

Liberia projects, as well, a full-time team of both local and expat

have been exposed by artisanal mining. All illegal miners have now

employees in complimented by part-time local labourers. In all

been removed from the area by the government, and the company

three areas, this allows Tietto to give back to the local economies in

has set out 11 key areas that it plans to drill. Of these, it has so far

a direct way, as well as helping to address the issue of the artisanal

drilled four. “We are currently working towards a resource update

mining that its operations have replaced. In fact, expats are only

at the end of this month,” Caigen informs us, “And we are expecting

hired in specific cases, where a particular skill cannot be found

to have a mature increase of this resource.”

locally, but the company makes it a priority to hire locally as much

8 | Endeavour Magazine

TIETTO MINERALS LIMITED as is possible. “Working in the community is our main principle.

As well as being careful not the disrupt the local people. Tietto is

We also work to bring awareness of our operations to these

careful not to disrupt the local environment. The two are essentially

communities, to make sure they understand what we are doing.

one and the same, because any damage to the environment has a

So, that cooperation has been quite successful.” This open back

direct impact on the people living in and around it, and in many

and forth has allowed Tietto to navigate local feeling and avoid

cases, relying on it. Currently, there is little fallout to watch out

causing a clash with or damage to the community, which is always

for, but Tietto is still being mindful of it: “At this stage, as we are

an essential focus and concern for a mining company, whether

still in the exploration stage, our impact to the environment is at a

explorational or operational.

minimum, particularly as in West Africa, you have so much rainfall

Tietto’s exceptions to hiring locally are reserved for roles such

that if you cut some grass, say, it is soon back to normal.”

as technical experts, who are brought it to work closely with these

“In Côte d’Ivoire, we did need to cut down a few trees to make

local managers. Both technical knowledge and an understanding

an access road, but we did this is a careful manner. We have experts

of the land and community are essential for overseeing projects

working on an assessment of the cost of the tree – how much it

such as these, and so these two groups are asked to work together

would cost to replace – so that we could prepare the funds and

and combine this knowledge. Sometimes, sourcing technical

deliver them through government officials to the farmers and land

experts has involved Tietto taking on students, offering them the

owners who were affected.” This carefully assessment, combined

opportunity to put their talents into action, whilst providing the

with an open communication with said land owners, has proven

company with the talents it needs. These students assist in the

successful in allowing Tietto to stay accountable for any impact

implementation of the most modern exploration technologies,

they make, and to make this minimal impact whilst maintaining a

combining geophysics and geochemistry. However, this is only a

positive relationship with the community.

handful of staff, compared to the many locals that Tietto employ, from labourers to team supervisors well-versed in the land.

10 | Endeavour Magazine

From working as a university lecturer on the topic to working his way through the sector itself, Caigen feels that the only successful

NOC MAN

Fast D

way for an exploration company to operate is to balance its perspective between a geologist’s mindset, and a mine engineer’s.

Whilst exploration is a geological undertaking, a project must have

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a potential commercial value that justifies the amount of work and investment going into it. Exploration is, essentially, an informed gamble, and when appealing to investors, this gamble must seem as limited as possible. “It is quite hard to find the right project, but the money is there. You have to make sure that your investors understand the industry and the real value of the project. If that can be presented to them, then everything will be fine.” A gamble will always be involved, and you can’t win every time, but through a careful approach and the right level of expert analysis, Tietto does its best to minimise its investors risks and maximise a speedy return on their investment – at least, as ‘speedy’ as anything can be in the world of mining!

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PT INDODRILL INDONESIA WWW.INDODRILL.COM // 62 21 8796 1774

PROFESSIONAL TO THE CORE Operating with integrity and efficiency at every opportunity, PT Indodrill Indonesia has become a respected minerals exploration drilling operation with a reputation for excellence within Indonesia and internationally through parent company Global Drilling and Exploration Group Pte Ltd. WRITTEN BY AMY BUXTON

PT INDODRILL INDONESIA

Look into PT Indodrill Indonesia (Indodrill) and what

you’ll quickly discover is that this is an operation that offers simply the best and actively seeks out opportunities to prove itself as one of the top drilling contractors in Southeast Asia.

F

ounded back in 1993, Indodrill became a company that can be relied upon to complete complex drilling projects for a wide variety of clients. Peter Eaton, the Country Manager for

Indonesia, expanded: “There are a number of different drilling groups in Indonesia, including local companies with basic drill rigs with a certain capability. There are also a number of the major drilling companies operating here. Indodrill is essentially a company that, for most of our clients in the minerals industry, sits in and around the “preferred drilling company” for programmes that require a level of expertise t to drill holes to completion in often difficult drilling conditions and to significant depths. There are certain drilling operations in Indonesia, like coal drilling, that are relatively straight forward that other contractors can do quite cheaply, but we try and work in a niche where there is a level of expertise required.”

Giving more insight into just how specialist the projects undertaken by Indodrill can be, Peter went on to reveal: “In the recent epithermal volcanic terrains that we work in, the ground is often extremely variable – it can be very hard, or it can be very soft, with a lot of fracturing and there are often cavities that are encountered and need to be dealt with. We’re also often called upon to do quite deep drilling, so a lot of the drilling here can be quite technically challenging. We specialise in both reverse circulation drilling and diamond drilling and we see those kinds of ground conditions in both types of drilling. So, compared to somewhere like Australia or Africa, the drilling can be much more challenging. To undertake this work, we have diamond drill rigs that

14 | Endeavour Magazine

PT INDODRILL INDONESIA are capable of drilling to up to 2,000 metres deep, but are still able

looking at new contracts, principally in the Middle East and in

to be transported to remote drill sites by helicopter and reverse

African countries, and we have just won our first contract in Africa,

circulation rigs capable of drilling to over 300m deep.”

which is very promising for the Group. On top of that, Indonesia

Having started in Indonesia, Indodrill went on to expand

is also experiencing quite an upswing right now in activity. We’ve

and reach out into international arenas as part of what is now

seen an increase in our activity in Indonesia and that’s still going up

the Global Drilling and Exploration Group Pte Ltd (GDE) that is

at this point.”

managed out of the Singapore Head Office. Currently, there is

Enthusiastic, energised staff are the key to development and

a significant presence in Australia, Papau New Guinea and the

diversity in any operation, but professionals need to be supported

Philippines as well as countries like Malaysia and Cambodia, but

and developed, if you want to get the best out of them. According

a lot of investment is also being made to break into new regions.

to Peter:

The Middle East and Africa are areas of keen growth interest for

“It’s important to understand the culture of the people you’re

GDE. Indonesia has proven to be a relatively stable and buoyant

working with, what motivates them and to respond to that. There’s

market, but regulatory challenges have proven to be something of

a big sense of loyalty to the company in Indodrill. Many of our

a stumbling block to reliable foreign investment. Indodrill has been

people have been with us for years, so there is this strong loyalty

able to navigate the more turbulent times and having been focused

factor that builds up within the company. That is largely thanks

on just one project at times back in 2016, there are eight projects

to our principal owner and Chairman, John Horne, who really

on the roster now, which aptly demonstrates the steady growth

developed that. A lot of it was about supporting his people through

trajectory. The newer markets are showing great potential as well

the hard times. Mining is a cyclical business – there are times when

though, as Peter confirmed:

you need 100’s of people and times when you’ve got no work for

“We’ve really just started in Australia. We have an underground drilling contract at a major mine in Western Australia. We’ve also

anybody. John was very loyal to his people, and kept them working as much as he could.”

just started in Papua New Guinea, having purchased the operations

“We source about 50% of our manpower from local villages

of a former drilling company that operated in PNG, so that’s also

close to where we drill, providing many employment opportunities

an expanding region for us. Also, we’ve got a base in Dubai that’s

that would otherwise not exist. When we’re working and living in

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www.alfagomma.com 16 | Endeavour Magazine

those communities, we try to get involved in community efforts,

mines and development projects, as well as a number of other

helping out where and when we can.”

exploration sites, all require different approaches and, as such,

Having been with Indodrill for two and a half years, Peter knows how things work and more than that, he has more than 35 years of

safety has to be the concurrent staple that underpins everything, especially as Indodrill moves into the future.

mining industry experience to draw from, thanks to his qualification

Looking ahead, Peter has a clear vision of the direction that

as a geologist. This particular set of skills has given Peter a real

Indodrill is looking to move in Indonesia, alongside the overall

insight into why Indodrill is different from its competitors,

Group’s push into EMEA and other regions:

“I think the main thing that sets us apart is consistency, in terms

“In the future, we’re also looking to develop into underground

of getting the job done, the quality of our machinery, the skill of our

drilling programmes and are pursuing tenders in the geothermal

people and our ability to work through difficult situations, difficult

space. We’ve had a few tenders come up that we’ve gone for and

drilling conditions, or to work through a particular hole and to get

we’ve talked about strategic alliances with other groups. There are

it to depth. We also like to think that we work with our clients, that

a number of specialised oil and gas geothermal groups that deal

we’re understanding of their requirements and we’re prepared to do

in the large-scale geothermal drilling area, but there is a lot of

what it takes to complete their requirements, be that bringing them

potential for what we call ‘slim line geothermal exploration’, which

the right equipment, or taking on technically difficult challenges.

uses much smaller rigs to drill the first holes to test for geothermal

Because we’re an international company, we also have a range of

potential. We have the deep capacity heli-portable rigs to make

international drilling professionals who we can pull into Indonesia

this possible”

to deal with particular situations.”

He added: “I also think our safety culture and our safety record in Indonesia is at the very least as good as anyone else’s here, if not

It will certainly be interesting to observe Indodrill’s future developments, as they dig a little deeper and enjoy even more success.

superior. We’re a company that’s very serious about safety and it’s reflected in our safety performance record.”

This is a critical concern, especially given the main projects being worked on right now. The current programmes at major gold

Endeavour Magazine | 17

ED ZUBLIN AG WWW.ZUBLIN.COM.SG // 0065 6339 0436

FROM THE GROUND UP Singapore’s skyline is famous: an aesthetic celebration of economic success, its lights shine out from gleaming towers and reflect on still waters, showing off both Singapore’s affluence and the ports that help create it. However, this sleek, colourful image of urban paradise only tells half the story, for everything that goes up must come down. More to the point, for every mighty structure above ground is a maze of infrastructure below ground; that’s where Ed Zublin AG come in.

WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER

ED ZUBLIN AG

Ed Zublin AG was established in 1898 by Swiss engineer

Eduard Zublin. This Stuttgart-based company operates as a valued branch of the European construction giant, STRABAG, operating across the construction and civil engineering sectors worldwide.

T

o explore these operations in more detail, we focused in on Ed Zublin’s Pipe Jacking and Tunnel Lining divisions, which have undertaken colossal projects for international clients in

50 countries including Abu Dhabi, Russia, India and Australia, with contract values in the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, since their inception in 1997, their main arenas were and continue to be Thailand and Singapore.

Both the pipe jacking and tunnel lining industries are in high demand in Southeast Asia, creating a buoyant but highly competitive market. This competition is heightened by the demands of the task: the reality of urban tunneling is far more complex then it may seem to a layman, and especially to a full and thriving city such as Singapore. Contending with earthworks and concrete is only a fraction of the challenge facing such companies; obstacles such as existing sewage and drainage systems, electric cabling and other infrastructure snakes through the dense and developed city, a Gillian-esque controlled chaos powering the lifestyle above. Of course, we can’t complete this list without including Singapore’s advanced underground metro system! Thankfully, with 50 years’ experience in the design and production of all kinds of reinforced jacking pipes and tunnel lining segments, Ed Zublin have the skills they need to not only rise to the task, but to compete.

To navigate around Singapore’s subterranean labyrinths, the company uses a range of technologies, including curve drives to lay curved tunnels where straight drives aren’t possible, and a new inner-sleeve technology to counteract the limitations of concrete piping. Their array of tools and toys also includes a range of gantry

20 | Endeavour Magazine

ED ZUBLIN AG cranes, TBMs, telescopic excavators, de-silting centrifuges and

customers, which in turns encourages companies to confidently

full power plants, to name but some. In fact, the Zublin brand

trust them with multi-million-dollar tenders.

established itself as ahead of the technological curve when it

An example of one of Zublin’s more lucrative international

pioneered the centrifugal process for concrete pipe production

projects is its work on the Alkimos Wastewater Treatment Scheme

in 1923. With this legacy, the company’s reputation for complex

in Western Australia. The AUD$275 million project required

and reliable work has continued, ever developing new production

the construction of a 6.3km main sewer trunk, serving an area

processes whilst providing reliable quality in their tried and tested

of new suburbs 45km north of Perth, 13 jacking shafts, which

methods.

were constructed along the length of the tunnel, and 3.7km of

Ed Zublin have been quoted to say that they consider themselves

76” diameter ocean outfall pipeline. This project saw Zublin AG

“at the forefront of design, development and the production of new

achieve a number of firsts. One was that the pipe jacking works

techniques in our area of operations.” Within the city itself, the

were completed at a record pace, which saw the project reach

company employs 360 highly trained staff, with a wider international

completion three-months ahead of schedule. Another came when

team of over 1,200. Given the complexity of their work, the group

Zublin employed a new Dual Mode Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM)

strives to attract the most experienced and dedicated employees

for the first time during the project – a tool which is perfect for

they can find – a goal they combine with a dedication to developing

tackling challenging geological conditions which are highly variable

those already with the company, both through inhouse and, where

in nature.

needed, specialist external training. Of course, they can also call on

Similarly, Zublin’s work on the East-West Gas Pipeline Project

the expertise of their global team, including top German engineers

on the Gautami Godavari river crossing in Rajahmundry, India, was

(after all, STRABAG, Zublin’s parent company, enjoys a position

also an enterprise that showcased the company’s reputation for

as a German engineering leader.) All of this means that Ed Zublin

excellence. A total length of 2.4km of tunnel, using two Dual Mode

are able to promise the very best in service and results to their

TBM’s, was completed within the space of one dry season – an

22 | Endeavour Magazine

impressive achievement considering and the short construction schedule which Zublin had to work to. The remoteness of the jobsite, and variable geographical conditions including silty sand, clay silt, clay sand and intermittent pockets of sand and clay, meant that an alternate approach to completing the project was required. Rather than relying on its Kota Tinggi production facilities in Malaysia, Zublin instead set up a temporary pipe production site that allowed for timely production and transportation of pipes.

This, along with the importation of two TBM’s, plant and equipment led to the creation of a completely self-sufficient jobsite that was instrumental in the project’s overall success.

However, with all of this global activity and success, it is Singapore that continues to be the highlight for Zublin. With a slate of current projects from sewage works to underpasses and offshore pipelines, they continue to tackle the essential but often unnoticed aspects of city construction – the foundations and veins that keep glamorous developments running. With its culture of success and continued application of the latest technologies, materials, and operational approaches, it’s a safe bet that Ed Zublin’s market dominance and reputation for excellence will continue, both in Singapore and abroad.

www.mc-bauchemie.com

Endeavour Magazine | 23

BAKER PACIFIC WWW.BAKERPACIFIC.COM.HK // 00852 2522 1114

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SOLUTIONS, COMPETITIVE COSTS Delicious and nutritious, biscuits are the first and best convenience food, much-loved by consumers the world over. Following a near continuous period of uninterrupted economic growth, Asia Pacific is booming and the rising disposable incomes of a burgeoning consumer class means that demand for biscuits, snacks and confectionery has soared, to the extent that region’s biscuit and confectionery market is now one of the world’s biggest and fastest growing markets.

WRITTEN BY DJAMIL BENMEHIDI

BAKER PACIFIC

With a booming market that is yet to reach its true

potential, there has never been a better window of opportunity for the region’s domestic biscuit and confectionery producers to capture market share from the industry’s global giants.

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U

ntil recently, the divergence in process knowledge, industry experience, equipment and the capacity to invest between large global producers and the smaller domestic Asian

producers meant that foreign multi-nationals lead the growth in many markets. Bridging this gap became important for Asian producers and this facilitated the growth of Baker Pacific.

“As companies in Asia grow, they need expertise on formulations, ingredient specifications, processes and the development and commissioning of new products. I saw in 2000 many local biscuit production lines and some imported lines and at that time overcapacity. However the capacity was underutilised mainly because of a lack of capability to develop successful new products for a growing market. This is the opportunity which enabled Baker Pacific to start”, explained Iain Davidson, founder and Director of Baker Pacific.

Made up of a small team of industry professionals from UK, China, Korea, each with over 30 years of experience in the food industry, with leading biscuit, confectionery and engineering

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companies, Baker Pacific established a valuable source of expertise and knowhow for the Asian biscuit and confectionery industry.

Even in a market place as competitive as Asia, Baker Pacific’s services have been sought after by leading companies in the industry. Drawing on the experience and skills of its team in production, R&D, project management and engineering the company is capable of providing clients with industrial market

26 | Endeavour Magazine

Burners

BAKER PACIFIC studies based on first-hand experience in Asia, new product

enabled the company to grow. Asian biscuit companies wanted to

development and the transfer of process technology for biscuits,

source equipment locally as it was increasingly difficult to justify

cookies, chocolate, wafer and confectionery.

investment in equipment from Europe and USA. While Asian

Indeed, it is through such work in a consultancy capacity that

companies were able to source good process equipment in Asia,

Baker Pacific first made its name, but as Iain explained it was his

they were reluctant to purchase ovens from China, where, at that

decision to begin manufacturing biscuit ovens that were both high-

time, most ovens were heated by electricity, or India, where the

quality and affordable that took the company to the next level:

predominant fuel was diesel oil. The growing market in Asia was

“At the beginning, the business was consultancy based, and

increasingly using gas fired ovens.

later we began to design and build biscuit baking ovens for a multi-

Iain elaborated on this saying: “ The oven is a critical part of

national company with investment in biscuit factories in China,

the production line and the experience didn’t exist, at that time,

Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan. This was partly because I had,

in China and India to build reliable gas fired ovens to international

with a Japanese colleague, established an oven manufacturing

standards”.

facility for Baker Perkins at Dalian in the north of China.

So we brought European technology to start building gas fired

Having agreed to build ovens for this multi-national, we built

ovens in Asia. We were a small team, using contractors, so we didn’t

ovens in India, Indonesia and China where we have continued

have investment in a factory, our overheads were very small and our

our work. We now have a good agreement with a company

costs competitive. At that time steel fabrication work in China was

called Dingson Food Machinery Ltd. in China and we’ve already

purchased for around 50% of a UK factory cost in terms of labour,

transferred some of our technology for a specific oven type to

materials and overheads. We were able to meet the standards

this company. We work closely with them and have built a strong

required by multi-national companies at very competitive costs”.

working relationship.”

These are exciting times as the business develops. Iain has

The rest, as they say, is history. An ability to deliver biscuit

recently written a process and engineering manual titled Biscuit

baking ovens to international standards at very competitive cost,

Baking Technology – a guide to the biscuit baking process and the

28 | Endeavour Magazine

Iain Davidson

Cake Baking

90m biscuit oven

Endeavour Magazine | 29

BAKER PACIFIC design, operation and maintenance of biscuit ovens. The book is

existing commercial companies. From a CSR standpoint, it maybe

based on over 40 years of experience not only by himself, but his

that some of these companies will get more actively involved in our

colleagues, the late Glyn Sykes, who provided all the biscuit process

kind of project”.

knowledge for the company and without which the company’s

In terms of what the future holds, the coming years look

achievements would be less, John Lilley our Chief Engineer and

promising indeed. Certainly, from a market point of view, Baker

Steve Eldridge, our Design Engineer.

Pacific is in a growing market, which is projected to continue

Now that Biscuit Baking Technology has been published by

posting very strong growth in South East Asia, in China, in India

Elsevier, Academic Press and sold widely throughout the industry,

for the foreseeable future. Demand for biscuits continues to rise

Iain next challenge is the BISKAID project – a venture to provide

because by developed world standards, consumption per head in

nutritious biscuits that are fortified with vitamins and mineral to

India, China and Indonesia is very low and these are countries where

refugee camps and disaster zones. In a world that is so characterised

biscuits and confectionery are certainly very much appreciated!

by conflict and geopolitical turmoil, delivering a means of feeding potentially millions of displaced people could be the single most important achievement for the company.

Iain continued: “Biscuits have a long shelf-life, can carry many kinds of nutrients, can be easily baked, packed and distributed, so the biscuit is a valuable food for these camps. Unlike breads, which have a very short shelf-life and are difficult to distribute to large numbers of people in these huge camps”.

“I have now been in contact with organisations such as the World Food Programme, the United Nations Refugee Agency and other such organisations, who are supplying biscuits bought from

DINGSON FOOD MACHINERY LIMITED (“DSM”) is currently the market leader in China on producing high-end equipment for biscuits manufacturers. DSM understands the needs and expectations of its customers in the baking industry, that is why DSM insists on supplying high-quality products and delivering them to its customers in cost-effective ways.

DSM’s success is highly relying on its valuable partners including DSM’s quality oriented customers, which include the largest multi-national corporation in the globe. If you are looking for high quality biscuit production equipment but are hesitated with the price of European machines, why not make an inquiry to DSM.

30 | Endeavour Magazine

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32 | Endeavour Magazine

SHANGHAI TUNNEL ENGINEERING COMPANY WWW.STEC.NET 65 6391 9150

GOING UNDERGROUND WRITTEN BY DJAMIL BENMEHIDI

Nowadays, when news emerges of the next mind-boggling, multi-billion-dollar engineering mega-project, China tends to be the first name on everybody’s lips. Granted, the Middle East isn’t far behind, but nobody would deny that when it comes to building bigger and bolder infrastructure, China undoubtedly has the monopoly.

Endeavour Magazine | 33

STEC

As one of China’s finest experts in this field, Shanghai Tunnel

Engineering Company (STEC) has, to say the least, been keeping busy. As the name implies, STEC’s core business is public infrastructure works and, in particular, transit projects involving both tunneling and expansive civil and structural engineering.

B

ut while STEC’s business focus has traditionally centred around

Hsiung City Metro Line; Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA)

its bread-and-butter public infrastructure and tunneling works,

East-West Line; North-East Line; Circle Line; Downtown Line and

plans are in place which will see the company expand into new

currently the Thomson-East Coast Line,” he says.

ventures in new markets. Endeavour Magazine found out more.

In his current capacity as the Project Director of LTA Thomson-

As one might expect of a glass and steel metropolis of the

East Coast Line T225 Project, the company has granted Eng Leong

stature of Singapore – a city which is quite justifiably recognised as

a relatively free rein to manage the project in terms of cost control,

one of the world’s leading urban centres, and the equal of virtually

manpower recruitment, procurement and administrative matters.

all rivals, barring London, New York, and Tokyo – subterranean engineering works below its bustling streets are ongoing. The nature of the city means that such works are as challenging in their maddening complexity as they are expensive.

With this being the case, STEC Singapore, whilst something of a niche civil engineering company that specialises on underground tunnelling works, is often called upon, according to Managing Director Engineer Leong. As a man with extensive experience in his field and an intimate understanding of the complicated geography on which Singapore is built, he is something of a safe pair of hands for the company.

“I was trained in Civil Engineering and has been working on tunnelling and underground projects for the past 29 years, having been involved in the Hong Kong Tai Lam Tunnel; Taiwan Kao

34 | Endeavour Magazine

CURRENT PROJECTS The construction of Shenton Way station (T225) and its associated tunnels is a vast undertaking which was first awarded to Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co. Ltd in 2014, at a contract sum of approximately S$368 million, thanks largely to STEC’s frequent involvement in similar transit projects within Singapore in the past.

Shenton Way MRT Station (TE19) is an upcoming underground Mass Rapid Transit station on the Thomson-East Coast Line in Singapore, which will be located around Asia Square and Shenton House.

The Mass Rapid Transit, or MRT, is a rapid transit system forming the major component of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio

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STEC

Chu Kang and Toa Payoh, opened on 7 November 1987, making it

August 2014 by the Land Transport Authority as the merger of the

the second-oldest metro system in Southeast Asia, after Manila’s

Thomson Line (TSL) and the Eastern Region Line (ERL). The total

Light Rail Transit (LRT) System. The network has since grown rapidly

cost of the system stretching from Woodlands North to Gardens

in accordance with Singapore’s aim of developing a comprehensive

by the Bay has been set at S$18 billion, and will open in five stages

rail network as the backbone of the public transport system in

from 2019 onwards. Upon the completion of the first three stages

Singapore, with an average daily ridership of 3.031 million in 2015

of TEL, it is anticipated that the system will serve in the region of

(including the Light Rail Transit), approximately 78% of the bus

500,000 commuters daily.

network’s 3.891 million in the same period.

The line, which is 43 km (27 mi) long and consists of 31

The MRT network encompasses 170.7 kilometres (106.1

stations, will run through the north-south corridor, starting in the

mi) of route, with 101 stations in operation, on standard gauge.

northern Woodlands area, passing through the estate of Sin Ming

The lines are built by the Land Transport Authority, a statutory

Avenue, down to the residential Thomson area and the shopping

board of the Government of Singapore, which allocates operating

districts of Orchard and Marina Bay, then running eastwards along

concessions to the profit-based corporations, SMRT Corporation

the east coast through Siglap, Marine Parade and Bedok South,

and SBS Transit. These operators also run bus and taxi services,

before ending at Sungei Bedok. Residents in the heartlands of

thus facilitating full integration of public transport services. The

Sembawang, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan-Toa Payoh, Moulmein-

MRT is complemented by a small number of local LRT networks in

Kallang, Tanjong Rhu and Bedok South will benefit from faster

Bukit Panjang, Sengkang and Punggol that link MRT stations with

and more direct connections to the city. Its depots are located at

HDB public housing estates.

Mandai, south of Woodlands, and near the south-eastern terminus

The Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) will be the sixth Mass

of the line at Tanah Merah. If built, the planned Singapore-Johor

Rapid Transit system,(MRT) and the fourth fully automated and

Bahru Rapid Transit System is also likely to offer interchange to the

driverless system line in Singapore. The line was announced on 15

line’s Woodlands North terminus.

36 | Endeavour Magazine

The scope of work that they are involved in with LTA includes the design and construction of Newton station and associated tunnels for Downtown Line 2, the construction of tunnels between Tampines East station and Upper Changi station for Downtown Line 3 and the construction of Gul Circle station and viaducts for Tuas West Extension.

Not that STEC’s work stops with the Thomson Line. According to Eng Leong, the company will is poised to venture into new markets further afield across the South East Asian region. “We are actively looking into possible business opportunities in Malaysia; Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia,” he says. “By further expanding the operations into other parts of Southeast Asia, it would raise the stature of the company and may even create overseas job opportunities for the locals here as the plan is to gradually increase the team strength and resources as required in the process of this expansion plan.”

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INDOGUNA SINGAPORE WWW.INDOGUNA.COM // 65 6755 0330

QUALITY TASTE For Helene Raudaschl, Managing Director of Singapore’s Indoguna, food is a passion. It is her hobby as well as her business; combining this genuine enthusiasm with a savvy business sense, she has seen the company grow in variety whilst always maintaining impeccable standards that only other foodlovers would hold their products to. The company is dedicated to their products - a dedication that fellow gourmands can trust.

WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER

INDOGUNA SINGAPORE

“We import, evaluate the product, and then we

distribute and market it. We’re based in Singapore, and we don’t have any natural resources in this country,” explains Helene Raudaschl, Indoguna’s Managing Director. “Everything has to be imported.”

W

ith this sort of challenge before them, Indoguna had a stack

operations in the meat market, to become the wide-reaching

of challenges ahead of them, but with them, a ripe market

provider they are today? In part, it was their confidence in their

with a serious demand, and gap where that demand was

abilities, and the ambition to secure themselves an ever-bigger

not being filled. “When we started in 1993, our concentration and

position in the industry. However, it was also a gutsy and timely

focus was in high quality meats – particularly chill and fresh. The

response to a period of crisis. “We ran into some problems with

marketplace at that time was all frozen and was very commodity

diseases during the European mad cow crisis, and suddenly the

driven. There was a need at that time for hotels and restaurants

government shut down a lot of importation products.” With a

who wanted fresh, smaller quantity, high quality products.”

portion of their imports barred, and anxiety spreading regarding

Rising to this need, Indoguna began importing fresh meats,

red meat, Indoguna took a risk and expanded their line to stave

soon gathering a loyal pipeline of restaurants, hotels and other

off a loss of business. “It was seafood first. We identified seafood

kitchens that came to rely on their fresh, top standard imports. For

in chill, in frozen and in live format. Once again, we sourced those

the first five years, the company stuck purely to the meat business,

products from everywhere, supplying our clients who were buying

but over their 25 years they have diversified into many categories,

our meat items, to explore with them the possibility of supplying

including seafood, dairy and bakery products. Now, they are a go-

them seafood.”

to for clients searching for that mark of originality and excellence

Diversifying was not without its challenges. Despite the need

in their menus. “Basically, we could supply 80% of a menu in most

for meat alternatives in the market, convincing customers to

restaurants.” Whilst their focus is not in canned goods or base

explore a new product can take time, and the logistical sides of the

vegetables products, Indoguna is committed to provide all of the

product were occasionally more complex than meat – particularly

harder-to-source elements that make a meal distinctive. “In general,

the live seafood! “When we started the live seafood, we didn’t

we aim to almost become a one-stop shop for most clients, and to

have a strong customer base for the product yet, and it’s highly

also provide the center of the plate. So, the variety is very extensive

perishable. Once we found a constant stream of customers, we

We bring in products from around the world.”

were able to stabalise mortality, write-offs and that kind of thing.”

What prompted this expansion from the company’s specialist 40 | Endeavour Magazine

It wasn’t a simple product to take on under any circumstances,

Carne Meats by Indoguna

With our many years of experience, comes understanding of the challenges that our customers face in meeting the constantly changing tastes of end consumers.

That’s why Thomas Foods offers such a broad product range. One that’s diverse enough to satisfy the needs of customers around the world – yet flexible enough to adapt to change.

And as we drive new product development, our commitment to quality assurance, food safety and deliverability will not waiver.

Level 2, 170 Fullarton Road, Dulwich SA 5065, T: +61 8 8165 5100 thomasfoods.com Endeavour Magazine | 41

INDOGUNA SINGAPORE but especially not when the company did not yet have an existing

it’s the restaurants that get the recognition – the guys who deliver

seafood pipeline. However, Helene feels the gamble is what set

the things in the back door don’t really get recognized.” However,

them apart, and set a president for Indoguna’s operations in the

someone has clearly taken notice – earlier this year, Indoguna were

years to come. “I think one of the things that made us a success

awarded The Hall of Fame for Gourmet Distributor of the Year in

was that we dare to go into areas that are risky. At that time,

World Gourmet Summit: Award of Excellence 2017. That mouthful

most people in Singapore were gearing for frozen, because there’s

is one of an impressive lineup of awards, including Helene being

less risk. It was the ‘90s, so live seafood was not very common in

surprised by receiving the EY Entrepreneurs of the Year award

Singapore. We were probably the first ones to bring in live oysters,

2016. “These awards show that we’re recognized as a serious

live muscles and those kinds of products.”

business. In terms of motivation and moral, it’s a significant thing

25 years into business, Indoguna’s pipelines are secure, with long-

for our team.”

standing relationships and a reputation for excellence. However,

Around 65% of Indoguna’s business is in restaurants and

given the nature of the stock they deal in, business is never without

hotels, but it doesn’t stop there. 12% of their business goes into

its complications. “In every category we started, there were always challenges – even today, we still have challenging moments. We’ve had weather changes, short supply; we’re dealing with natural things, so sometimes we don’t have catches, or a harvest might not be as good.” Despite these variables, it is essential that Indoguna deliver consistency to their clients. “In our business, quality has to be the first consideration of any product that we bring in. It’s highly competitive in the restaurants, and our customers need to know that the raw materials they’re getting have consistency, so they provide the same consistency to their own customers.”

This competition between restaurants naturally creates competition in Indoguna’s part of the market. “There’s no doubt about it. However, it’s a small market too, so we co-exist in a friendly manner.” Whilst competing companies are amicable, however, consumer trends can be unforgiving. “It’s a very sophisticated market, and it is getting increasingly difficult to stay fresh, so that customers don’t get bored with your product line. We constantly have to work double hard to find products and concepts that will excite the menus.”

This calls for non-stop innovation, and isn’t something Indoguna was going to leave to fate. Instead, they took matters into their own hands, investing in their own manufacturing facility from which they enhance their goods and develop a range of in-house brands. These include Carne Meats, their butchery and charcuterie range; Ocean Gems, their seafood range; and Masterpiece, their range of dim sum and ready to use products for meal preparation.

“It is a lot of butchery products, value-added meat, poultry, seafood

‘’We are delighted to enter in this second year of partnership with Indoguna Pte Ltd Singapore, which is aiming at creating even more closeness with all our consumers, and reinforce the premium position of Evian and Badoit in Singapore.’’

Olivier Verdelet, Zone Director of Asia Pacific for Evian Volvic International

products, and we produce a whole range of chocolatery products, high-end sausages, air-dried items – I mean, we’re constantly continuing to innovate the product lines and what we are sourcing.

What was doing well five years ago might not be doing well today because trends change.”

Despite the work in sourcing, quality checking and even putting their own unique stamp on their products, the behind-the-scenes nature of Indoguna’s work means their innovation and hard work can often go unnoticed. “More often than not in our business, we’re very much behind the scene. It’s the chefs that get the recognition, 42 | Endeavour Magazine

“It’s such an honour to have Evian and Badoit be part of the Indoguna Singapore family. We are now capable of being a one- stop shop for all F&B food & water needs.”

Helene Raudaschl, Managing Director of Indoguna Singapore

“The perfect duo to complement your Fine Dining experiences” Official Waters Partner of the 2018 MICHELIN Guide Singapore Partner zone

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INDOGUNA SINGAPORE supplying supermarkets, and the remaining 23% is split between

households. I think the first improvement will be logistics – how

airline caterers, clubs, traders, wholesalers and independent

we can shorten the timeframe of delivery for customer experience.

households. As well as this blend of commercial and domestic

Currently, 95% of our logistics is from in-house, and then 5% of our

consumers, despite their belief that nothing but the best is good

requirements are sourced from outside.”

enough, the company successfully caters to a full range of budgets.

Pushing the home front is just one of Indoguna’s many

“I wouldn’t say we operate only in the luxury market. We offer the

development plans. They are currently looking at Just Meat, a store

best value for money in terms of products across all classes. So, for

front butcher’s shop that the company owns in Hong Kong, with a

example, if we have a product for the economy class market, we

view to turning the one-off store into a Hong Kong based chain.

pride ourselves on providing the best products for that economy

They are also turning their attention to potential customer groups

class sector.”

that they have previously been unable to provide for. “The company

The domestic household market is currently a small portion

is definitely planning on growing. For example, we’re looking at

of Indoguna’s business, but as we have seen, the company

doing Halaal business. I can’t share too much, because it’s still

are always pushing themselves and reaching out to the next

on our drawing board, but we’re definitely looking to the Muslim

frontier.

market in Singapore, and into new facilities to cater to them.”

Household market. Greengrocer is an online delivery

for households, run by ourselves. Currently under development

With Helene’s passion never faltering, the avenues ahead

as part of a push to grow their household market. They access

are sure to be just some of the innovations we can expect from

this customer base through Greengrocer.com.sg, an online order

Indoguna in the coming years. Unwilling to release their hold in a

delivery service that the company owns and runs. In a bid to expand

competitive market, they know that they must move ever forwards

this side of the business, they are currently investing in developing

to keep up with the tide of trend and demand. With the whole

this online service. “We’re expanding our lines and services, and

world to import from and only their ingenuity as a limit, our mouths

developing our digital platform to make delivery much easier to the

are watering at the possibilities.

The Indoguna Team

44 | Endeavour Magazine

Ocean Gems by Indoguna

EILBECK CRANES WWW.EILBECKCRANES.COM // 0061 2 9829 3700

TOWERING SUCCESS A great many companies claim to have the best interests of their clients at heart, but few can rightly state that they’ve been living up to that mantle for over 100 years. Eilbeck Cranes is a one-ina-million operation that sets the standard for global machining and support manufacturing, which is why Endeavour Magazine was keen to discover the secret to the company’s success.

WRITTEN BY AMY BUXTON

EILBECK CRANES

A 100% privately owned company, located in Australia,

Eilbeck Cranes has garnered itself an enviable reputation, but not merely on a regional level; we’re talking globally here. So here’s the big question; what’s the secret to the covetable position as a market leader? The answer is as simple as having a natural talent for not only meeting and exceeding customers’ needs and expectations, but also actually predicting them and offering totally tailored and customised solutions.

H

aving been in operation for a staggering 110 year (seriously, how many companies can you interact with, safe in the knowledge that their methodology has been proved out over

a century?), Eilbeck has become the premier choice for a range of commercial clients, from SME’s all the way through to government and high-level corporate institutions. With this in mind, it can’t

Protection for tough cranes in tough conditions...

come as any surprise that long-lasting relationships, a vested interest in clients’ successes and a proactive approach to customer service are the pillars that underpin every contract undertaken

by Eilbeck. Nor can you be shocked that so many clients return,

We are proud to support Eilbeck Cranes as a long term supplier of high performance surface coatings to colour and protect their manufactured products.

This kind of protection helps deliver a great platform for business, but doesn’t come easily! It involves collaborative development work, extensive field trials and performance characteristics verified to ensure that all application criteria and product specifications are achieved.

Whatever the conditions, we innovate and adapt coatings that work for you as you expect, in any situation.

without hesitation, time and time again.

26, Paramount Drive, Wangara, Western Australia 6065 Tel: +61 8 9302 2577 email@cameleon.com.au www.cameleon.com.au

father of the company, Tom Eilbeck has certainly not looked to upset

48 | Endeavour Magazine

Perhaps it’s the family-run element to the company that offers that extra nuance of credibility and peace of mind that clients find so irresistible? When you learn that the current CEO, Tom Eilbeck, is the third consecutive family CEO to take the reins, you get a real sense of the steadfast and uncompromising family tradition that steers the company as a whole, but the company was no flight of fancy, back at the moment of conception. Engineering runs though the veins of every Eilbeck and being the grandson of the founding a successful apple cart with radical ideas that would undermine the incredible reputation enjoyed by the company for a century.

With six manufacturing plants located throughout Australia, Eilbeck Cranes has certainly grown over the last 110 years,

EILBECK CRANES but the initial founding principles remain the same; hard work,

plainly reflected in the numbers of repeat clients and the complexity

determination and family values. The proof is in the pudding, as

of projects undertaken.

they say, as these seemingly commonsense and simple principles

With cutting edge machining workshops in place, kitted out

have directly contributed to the company gaining not only national,

with state of the art CNC technology, the company is in a unique

but also international recognition as “the only organisation to

position to be able to confidently offer exemplar services, but

provide a serious challenge to the traditional European domination

this is by no means all that Eilbeck relies on to retain its enviable

within the crane industry”. We assume that this is what direct;y

reputation. A spokesperson for the company revealed that:

lead to the company motto of “One Company, Many Locations, Global Service”.

“With our fabrication capabilities, we additionally have both a granite blast booth, steel shot blast unit, a completely equipped

Knowing that Eilbeck Cranes enjoys a comfortable monopoly

paint bay to all different paint specs, shrink fitting, a first-class

of the local market and is also a high-ranking contender in wider

CNC machining workshop, electrical and assembly capabilities.

spheres, perhaps we need to gain a better understanding of exactly

Alongside this capacity, our team have the ability to design and

what the company does?

engineer, if required. Our team believes in the upmost quality and

In a nutshell, Eilbeck Cranes can offer a one-stop solution for any and all crane and winch manufacturing needs. If that sounds

have ITP’s in place and QA systems for all fabrication, paint and machining work available to offer to the client.”

even remotely simple to you, then think again! As the saying goes,

With a longstanding spotless reputation, an enviable client

it takes a village, and in this case, the population of said village

base and a team of industry-leading professionals in place, Eilbeck

is a highly proficient team of experienced and carefully sourced

is well-placed to continue on for not only another 110 years, but

operators and engineers. With enormous fabricating, welding

endlessly, but what does the future hold? A piquant mix of family

and machining ability at its fingertips, the quality of workmanship

heritage (bolstered by the current CEO sharing the name of the

carried out at Eilbeck is nothing short of staggering, a fact that is

original founder) and future-proofed technology means that the

50 | Endeavour Magazine

potential for continuation and more importantly, development, is unlimited and it appears that the team is extremely excited about what’s to come, “As we now expand our capabilities further into CNC machining, we become further independent being able to engineer and machine products for our leading crane and winch divisions.

“As Eilbeck have operated as machinists before, we are drawn back to our roots, and we can guarantee to provide accurate products which will suit your needs and work time and time again.”

How about we make a prediction about the future of Eilbeck Cranes? Given that there is an exceptional amount of history and a vested family interest in the continuation of the company, coupled with the all-encompassing market domination already in place, we think that the coming years will see Eilbeck rise to the top of the global marketplace. Not only that, we will put our necks on the line and say that we firmly believe that in the future, when crane and winch manufacturing is being discussed, in any country, it will be impossible not to hear the name Eilbeck cranes and we honestly can’t wait to see that prediction come true.

Endeavour Magazine | 51