Even though M+W Singapore can trace its roots back over a century, there is nothing antiquated about this project management giant. Specialising in complete turnkey solutions from concept development to rapid realisation, there is no reason why it can’t keep going for another 100 years.
CUTTING EDGE CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING
From small and humble beginnings as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning manufacturer established back in 1912, M+W Group has grown into one of the world’s leading global engineering, construction and project management companies. Based in Stuttgart for the past 100 years, M+W Group specialises in the fields of advanced technology facilities, life sciences and chemicals, energy and environment as well as high tech infrastructure. Prominent research institutes and universities as well as organisations in sectors such as electronics, automotive, security, IT and telecoms heavily rely on M+W Group to provide a complete and comprehensive project management solution, from concept development to turnkey services. All the while, the company remains committed to delivering rapid realisation, high quality standards and cost-effective completion. Contributing to the company’s worldwide order intake of €3.58bn in 2012 is M+W Group’s Asia division, which was founded in 1991 and currently based in Singapore. Despite having divisions all over the globe, the entire organisation focuses on delivering the same standard of work in all regions and prides itself on implementing European health and safety regulations for every project it carries out.
ENABLING NEW HORIZONS
At the start of 2013, M+W Group’s former CEO Jürgen Wild was mindful of “economic challenges and uncertainties we may again have to manage this year.” However, as an innovative company that closely follows its corporate mission of ‘Enabling New Horizons’ and constantly looks to utilise the latest in state-of-the-art technology, one of Wild’s primary aims was to solve the problem of tomorrow’s energy supply. “The rising energy consumption is not only a driver for ideas and solutions in the field of energy efficiency, it is also stimulating a lot of research activities for new energy sources,” he said. “One of the largest and most promising projects in this area, ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), wants to demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power and is a real global venture of China, Europe, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.” Having helped M+W Group secure a contract with Fusion for Energy (F4E), the European Union’s organisation managing the region’s contribution to ITER, Wild’s contract with the company expired at the end of 2013. However, his contribution to the company did not go unnoticed by colleagues. “I would like to thank Mr. Wild for successfully steering the M+W Group through six years of change. Under his management, the M+W Group has achieved strong growth, establishing itself as a high-performance global EPC player,” noted Georg Stumpf, Supervisory Board Chairman of the M+W Group.
ACHIEVEMENTS AND ACCOLADES
From a global perspective, M+W Group has received widespread recognition from various industry and trade associations in recent years. However, it’s subsidiaries and departments in Asia deserve a special mention. M+W Singapore was victorious at the SHARP (Safety and Health Award Recognition) awards 2012. Sponsored by the Workplace and Health Council in association with the Ministry of Manpower, this accolade recognised the group’s continued efforts in achieving exemplary workplace health and safety on a national level. For the third year in a row, M+W Malaysia also received a similar award in 2013. The Malaysian Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Association (MO SHPA) presented this regional subsidiary with a Gold award under the ‘Management in Construction’ category. Another accolade that deserves to be mentioned is M+W Group’s Solar Industry Award for Turnkey Supplier of the Year in 2013, which was presented to the company for the third time. “This award validates our efforts to continuously expand our services for the entire global solar value chain,” commented Wild. He also went on to mention the strength and potential in Asia alongside other areas of expansion. “The market is clearly moving toward America, Asia, and the Middle East. Thanks to our global presence and our local networks of suppliers, we are in a position to offer our customers cost-effective turnkey solutions in these regions.”
NOTABLE DEVELOPMENTS
Since the company established a dedicated automotive hub office in Changchun, China in 2011, M+W Group has paid close attention to this industry’s potential due to short project implementation periods and high plant availability. Although the Shanghai region produces the majority of the nation’s vehicles, Changchun is a key area of expansion, as M+W can provide invaluable European knowledge. “We provide our clients with high quality German project management, combined with Chinese local know-how to meet customer’s expectations regarding cost and local standards,” noted Zhai Dong, M+W China. From plant and process control to the supply of materials and installation services, M+W Group’s workforce in China has assisted joint venture car manufacturers in Foshan, Changchun, Peking and Ningbo.
LOOKING FORWARD
The year ahead will be one of notable change for M+W Singapore, as new management will guide the company through 2014 and beyond. In addition to Dr. Olag Berlien, who is replacing the outgoing Jürgen Wild as CEO, the management team will now include a newly appointed COO in the form of Dr. Herbert Demel. “I am delighted that with Dr. Berlien and Dr. Demel, we are able to welcome two globally successful and widely-recognised managers,” revealed Stumpf. “They have demonstrated that they are not only capable of heading international technology enterprises, but also of expanding and managing such companies on a profitable basis.”
