TEAMBUILD Construction Pte Ltd is no ordinary construction company. It has been amongst the 50 best Enterprises in Singapore for the past five consecutive years. For this outstanding achievement, Teambuild was presented the Enterprise 50 Special Five Year Award in 2008.

The driving force behind this exceptional company, which was founded in 1992, are its managing director Seow Seng Wei and executive director Tang Hee Sung.

Their friendship started during their university days in the United States where they graduated in Civil Engineering.

Years later, over 'a cup of coffee', they decided to set up a business venture of their own. By then, each had accumulated some seven years of experience in the construction industry.

Hungry for talent

Right from the start, both men paid special attention to recruiting the right talent for the company.

'As a small start-up company, we had to convince those who joined us that they had the potential to progress along with us,' said Mr Seow. Some of Teambuild's pioneering staff left their jobs at well-established firms to join the company and have stayed with it till this day.

The war for talent in the construction industry is fierce. Because of this, Teambuild's Human Resource (HR) department has moved beyond its administrative role to take on a more strategic one where it pays special attention to helping the company's employees actualise their career aspirations.

For example, a People Management Team was specially set up to look into the welfare of the staff as well as to be the voice of the employees. Benefits, compensations and reward schemes were all revised to meet the expectations of the employees.

At the same time, HR analysed training needs to equip employees better. These measures have helped the company to keep turnover rate low and to retain its finest talents.

Mr Seow and Mr Tang acknowledge that their former employers and even fellow contractors have supported their company from the start.

'I believe it was the trust that we were able to develop while working with our former bosses and other contractors that enabled us to grow to what we are today. We are fortunate to have quite a number of friends who trusted and supported us with recommendations, as well as projects,' said Mr Seow.

Little things go a long way in the industry. As its suppliers deliver materials on time and customers are prompt with their payments, the company has been able to lower its credit risk and maintain a healthy cash flow. This in turn enables Teambuild to pay its creditors more readily.

Efficient designs

Such support is no accident. The company consciously looks to work with new partners while strengthening existing relationships. It has a Strategic Alliance Team that was set up specifically to form alliances and launch joint ventures with reputable consultants, developers, contractors and specialist suppliers. Leveraging on these partners' business networks and operations has enabled Teambuild to develop more efficient designs and build at a more competitive cost.

Because of this, the company has had many repeat customers from both the public and private sectors. Teambuild is now a regular player in the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) for the Housing and Development Board (HDB) as well as in the construction of schools for the Ministry of Education.

Teambuild's major projects here include LUP 6, 9 & 17, Meridian Junior College, Pingyi Secondary School and School of Art, Design & Media (NTU). In the private sector, Teambuild has been involved in the construction of Ecoville at Balestier Road, Valvista at Chuan View and Chuan Terrace and upgrading of Botanic Gardens Mansion at Taman Serasi.

With the hard yards behind it, Teambuild is now reaping success. Financially, it achieved a revenue turnover of S$150 million in 2008. Awards and recognition have also come its way. These range from commercial awards, such as the E50, the Singapore SME500 and Singapore 1000, to technical ones, such as the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Construction Excellence Award, the HDB Quality Award and the HDB Construction Safety Excellence Award.

'The E50 Awards gave us stronger recognition in the commercial world, especially in the financial sector. Banks are now more willing to support and provide financial assistance to further the company's growth,' Mr Seow explained.

He said the other awards from BCA and HDB were 'bread and butter' recognition that paves the way for business.

Teambuild believes that it is well fortified to face the current economic crisis. Most of the projects it has undertaken are on track. However, Mr Seow and Mr Tang do foresee tougher competition within the industry.

They plan to use this time to improve on the company's capabilities so as to better meet the expected surge in demand once the economy picks up.

Teambuild has set itself the goal of doubling its revenue within five years and Mr Seow remains optimistic about achieving it.

Looking forward, Teambuild Construction has set its sights beyond the shores of Singapore.

It has completed a large scale apartment project valued at $32.1 million in Batu Pahat.

Mr Seow and Mr Tang crystallised for us their formula for success: 'It still boils down to people. The ability to have the right people working together to serve the customers is critical,' Mr Seow said.

It sounds a simple and effective way to build towards success.

The writers are students of the NUS Business School

This article was first published in The Business Times.