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By Mike Lee
YEW Choon, an integrated onshore and offshore heavy lift transportation specialist, serves its main clientele in the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation and marine industries.
Its managing director, Mr Neo Hock Chong, says: 'Our experience in multi-modal conveyance, together with our extensive range of transportation, lifting, skidding and jacking equipment, enables us to manage all necessary handling of cargoes and structures to provide comprehensive 'one-stop' tailored made solutions.
'Our customers enjoy the convenience, cost savings and efficiency from our provision of vertically integrated solutions,' he adds.
The company's good track record and reputation are reasons why customers and suppliers keep returning to Yew Choon.
The company started with a fleet of just four lorries in 1972, transporting pipes for oil and gas companies.
1975 was a milestone year during which the company clinched its first major contract. The Ministry of Defence engaged the company's service to transport tanks weighing up to 60 tonnes.
One year later, Yew Choon was the exclusive onshore transportation services provider for all of JTC's tenants operating within Jurong Marine Base.
In 1978, the company scored a major contract with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to lift and transport equipment such as transformers for PUB's power stations and sub-stations.
The work done for PUB further established Yew Choon's reputation for reliable service, and the company went on to secure new customers in the power generation industry, such as the Alstom Group and Mitsubishi Corporation Group.
When Singapore's international airport was relocated from Paya Lebar to Changi in 1981, Yew Choon was engaged to provide packing, lifting, transportation and installation of the whole airport's administrative operations and ground services equipment. The project was completed in three days.
From 1987 to 2000, Yew Choon was also involved in transporting a total of 576 Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train carriages arriving from Japan and Germany to the MRT train depot at Bishan.
In 1988, the company expanded its business to include offshore transportation services, and began providing tugboat and barge services to the surrounding Asian region, to locations as far as China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Guam.
Another important year for the company was 2001, when it relocated to its present premises at Pioneer Sector 1. With a private waterfront jetty, client shipments can be loaded directly using the company's in-house facilities, without going through a third party's jetty.
One of the most notable overseas projects for the company was the bridge installation for the Inner Ring Road project in Thailand. Sixty bridge deck units, each weighing 500 tonnes, were transported by land and sea to the Chao Phraya River site. The project was successfully completed within 180 days, to the satisfaction of the clients.
Mr Neo is optimistic about the future.
He says: 'Increasing demand for energy consumption in developing countries in the region - resulting in the upgrading of ageing facilities or the acquisition of new facilities in power stations - would increase the need for our services for transportation, skidding and installation of oversized equipment.'
Another positive development is the increase of oil and gas exploration activities in countries such as Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam.
'This, in turn, increases the demand for our services for the transportation, installation and positioning of heavy and oversized offshore rig components,' he adds.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
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