The
Mitsubishi Monitor talks with Giichi Tanaka,
President of P.S. Mitsubishi Construction, about
the company and the evolution of its business activities
over the 20 months since its establishment through
the merger of Mitsubishi Construction with P.S.
Corporation, which was involved primarily in civil
engineering.
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What synergies
have emerged since the creation of P.S. Mitsubishi
Construction? |
For the former Mitsubishi Construction,
the merger with P.S., which was debt-free, has brought
much-needed improvement in the financial position.
In the area of private construction (the specialty
of former Mitsubishi Construction), this means that
we are now able to win contracts for quality projects.
Despite an overall slowdown in the industry, there
have also been benefits for our civil engineering
operations, including diversification in the scope
of this work into underground structures, where we
can apply our prestressed concrete technology.
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What are the
key features of your flagship range of prestressed
concrete products? |
Once the primary construction material,
steel is giving way to hybrid materials such as reinforced
concrete, which combines the tensile strength of steel
with the compressive strength of concrete. However,
it is hard to avoid cracks, and if water penetrates,
this can lead to rusting. Researchers in Europe have
spent many years developing crack-proof concrete.
The result of that work is our range of prestressed
concrete products.
The initial cost can be high because it
uses multiple strands of special high-strength wire
in a labor-intensive process. Yet, it yields a product
that is five times stronger than reinforced concrete
with superior durability that significantly lowers
the life-cycle cost. This makes it ideal for infrastructure,
where repair and replacement causes major disruptions.
For that reason, prestressed concrete is used in railways,
expressways, water pipes and sewer lines. It has also
seen wide use in stadiums and other structures, including
most of the major soccer stadiums constructed recently
in Japan.
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You are developing
your business overseas, especially in Southeast
Asia. What is the outlook? |
Our first overseas projects were
in Iran and Iraq 29 years ago, followed by work in
Algeria, and subsequently Southeast Asia. The majority
of bridges in Southeast Asia are concrete, so it is
an ideal market for us.
A key difference between ourselves and
general contractors is our emphasis on localization.
In Japan, 10 of our plants serve construction sites
around the country. Overseas, we are also building
plants to manufacture our products locally, and we
are developing our overseas operations in collaboration
with local companies. We have already localized our
operations in Indonesia, and we plan to do so in Vietnam,
and in Taiwan, where we now manufacture track slabs
for high-speed rail systems.
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You have built
a wide spectrum of structures in Japan. How
do you view your role in the development of
society and communities? |
Structures that are durable provide
excellent resistance to earthquakes and are also environment-friendly.
Such structures are in tune with the needs of current
society. Prestressed concrete lasts for a century,
and I believe that our mission is to improve communities
and society by supplying structures that combine low
life-cycle costs with consideration for the environment
and safety. In this regard, we have obtained ISO9001
certification, as well as ISO14001 certification,
at all of our plants. Our work becomes part of the
infrastructure that the public depends on, so we must
absolutely assure the highest possible product quality.
We are striving to be the strongest link in the public
works chain.
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What is your
vision for P.S. Mitsubishi Construction? |
I want us to be highly respected
for our strong technology base. In terms of size,
we rank near the middle among the 58 companies that
belong to the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors.
How can we excel from that position? I want this company
to demonstrate uniqueness as a technology-centered
organization.
Our overseas activities are important
in this context, as well. In Japan, the system is
so developed that companies can narrowly specialize.
Overseas, the systems and conditions are more challenging.
Our reputation often depends on the technical accomplishments
of our staff rather than on our corporate name. We
can harness these overseas projects to challenge ourselves
and apply this expertise to our operations in Japan.
At the same time, as a company so involved
in infrastructure development, we have a strong sense
of social responsibility, so we are committed to full
compliance with all laws and regulations. |
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