Black & Veatch Establishes Asia-Pacific Headquarters & Global Design Centre For Water In Singapore

Singapore — Black & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, officially opened its Global Design Centre for water in Singapore at a ribbon-cutting ceremony officiated by Mr S Iswaran, Minister of State for Trade and Industry. The Minister also presented Mr Ralph Eberts, Managing Director of Black & Veatch's Asia-Pacific water business, with the Singapore Economic Development Board's (EDB) International Headquarters Award.

In a videotaped message played at the ceremony, Mr Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch's global water business stated: "We're pleased to receive this award in recognition of our development plans, which will see Black & Veatch's Singapore office expand significantly over the next five years. These five-year plans include doubling the number of our professionals in Singapore, as well as investing in a Global Design Centre and establishing a Centre of Excellence for Desalination today.

"The Global Design Centre operates as a key part of our integrated global workforce. Our Singapore office has expertise in implementing world-class engineering projects, which has proved to be valuable to our global clients," Mr McCarthy explained. "The Global Design Centre will help us to apply our broad project expertise to further ensure we can continue to provide our clients with global solutions to their local challenges."

Mr McCarthy added: "We are also seeing increasing use of desalination as a treatment process throughout the world. However, desalination is still constrained by high energy consumption and membrane lifespan. The Centre of Excellence in Desalination will focus on optimising the performance of plants and enhancing membrane life."

Mr McCarthy also confirmed Black & Veatch's commitment to bring in top practice and technology leaders to provide advanced training of the company's local workforce in key water competencies, building up a base of highly skilled professionals to ensure their high standards as the company continues its rapid expansion.

Mr Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director of the Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI) and Chief Executive of PUB, said, "We are pleased to have Black & Veatch as a committed partner and as a vital part of our environment and water industry. By anchoring more of its operations here, Black & Veatch's strategic investments highlight the remarkable progress made in this sector, underpinning Singapore's vision to be a Global Hydrohub."

Mr Kenneth Tan, Executive Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Deputy Executive Director of EWI added, "To continue growing this vibrant industry, it is essential that we also develop and attract a pool of quality talent and manpower. Black & Veatch is dedicated to helping this cause through conducting intensive employee training programs here, as well as sending local employees for training in the U.S. In addition, Black & Veatch continues to engage in active recruitment of many scholars and top professionals for their operations here. All this adds to the growing talent pool in Singapore's water industry."

These new developments follow the announcements Black & Veatch made in December 2006, when it stated plans to make the Singapore office a key hub for its global water infrastructure business, including more than doubling the number of water professionals it employs in Singapore.

"There is excellent talent in Singapore," said Mr Ralph Eberts, Black & Veatch's Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific water business. "Through our integrated global workforce, we are already utilizing these resources on projects in Australia, the United States and Europe, as well as bringing together resources from around the world to benefit our clients.

"It is our plan that the Singapore office will play a larger role in our major projects. We continue to strengthen our technical knowledge and management capacity," Mr Eberts said. "By opening a Global Design Centre here, we will be able to attract more Singapore-based professionals who want to work on exciting global and leading-edge projects."

SOURCE: Black & Veatch