Hertel acquires Willich Asia Ltd. and Kok Chang Scaffolding PTE Ltd.
European based industrial services company Hertel recently acquired a majority of the shares (60%) of two companies that will enforce its strategic position in the Far East; industrial services company Willich Asia in Thailand and scaffolding company Kok Chang in Singapore.
Joost Knoll, CEO Hertel: ‘We are very proud to welcome both Willich and Kok Chang into the Hertel group. These companies, led by professional management, each made their mark in the industry by offering high quality services. The outlook for the Far East is extremely well and Hertel seeks to develop a full professional organisation in the region. The international expansion of our blue chip clients speeds up our strategy to become a global end-to-end player in the field of engineering, construction, project and maintenance services for the oil & gas, process and power industry, offering our clients total service solutions. Nowadays, Hertel already employs some 1200 professionals in Asia. In China Hertel operates under the name Hertel-Yanda, a successful joint venture with Yanda Engineering. Our Chinese production company, Faro, fabricates amongst others panels and naval furniture for the defence and offshore industries.
Training
To be able to offer our clients best-in-class project and maintenance services, Hertel will establish training areas in the region. Recently we celebrated the ground-breaking ceremony of our first Hertel training centre in Rayong, Thailand, where we will train both blue and white collar workers in essential skills such as project and contracts management, scaffolding, insulation etc. This way our clients are assured of the best services, carried out by skilled professionals that are dedicated to exceed expectations and outperform in the field of quality, reliability and safety’.
Willich Asia
Willich Asia has been active in Thailand and its surrounding countries since 1982. The company first specialised in insulation and over the years developed into a multidiscipline services company. Willich Asia employs some 350 people, headed by Mr. Joerg Huppertz. Willich Asia carries out projects and maintenance services in amongst others Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, China and Singapore. The company will introduce a new logo per 1 May 2008.
Kok Chang
Kok Chang has been active in Singapore and its surrounding countries for more than 20 years. The company was founded by Mr. Ang Chwee Chang, who successfully developed the company into the scaffold specialist in the region, by delivering safe and efficient scaffold services. Kok Chang employs some 500 people. Kok Chang will be renamed to Hertel Kok Chang as per 1 may 2008.
Both companies will report to Far East Hertel’s headquarters in Singapore, headed by Mr. Simon Kramer.
About Hertel
In 1895 Hertel was founded by Mr. Alexander Hertel in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, supplying gaskets to the maritime industry. Today, Hertel constructs, maintains, modifies and dismantles plants and installations for the oil & gas, (petro)chemical, process and power industries. For the defence and offshore industries Hertel designs, fabricates and installs architectural outfitting, accommodation modules and containerised solutions. Hertel has established operations throughout the world. Training and education of our people is focal point. Each day, over 7500 employees enrich our customer’s business. Our annual turnover is over M€ 700 mio.
Should you require more information, please contact Suzanne Brussaard, Manager Corporate PR &and Communications, T +31 646078 258, Suzanne.brussaard@hertel.com. Illustrations are available