Hong Kong: The Contractors' Experience

Foreword

ffi w~}l~~Wr ~ The Hong Kong Construction Association Ltd A member 01 International Feclerltlon 01 Asian And We st.rn Pacif ic COnI/actors ASSociations FOREWORD The 75th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA) would be much less meaningful without this commemorative publication. Since the publication of the first commemorative volume - The Building ofHong Kong - in 1990 as part of the HKCA's 70th Anniversary celebration programme, five years have passed with a lot of changes in the construction industry in Hong Kong. The challenges now faced by contractors would have boggled the minds of our predecessors! Whilst The Building ofHong Kong successfully detailed the significant contributions of the construction industry to the development of Hong Kong, this volume unfolds to the Hong Kong community the contractors' true faces. The fiercely competitive environment demands contractors to exercise professional management skills, advanced technological construction methods and a strong determination to do a good job, not only to make a profit but also to do what a responsible citizen should for the community. In order to survive and succeed, contractors must be able to cope with the increasingly sophisticated contractual obligations and risks associated with complex projects such as those of the Airport Core Programme. They must demonstrate sound abilities to be well aware of the general operational stages to understand the contractual demands, to assess the risk exposures, to develop corresponding contract strategies, and to overcome relevant problems. To enable our community to understand better Hong Kong's complex construction industry, the HKCA Council has carefully selected eight contracting companies to exemplify the effective but different business strategies adopted by Hong Kong contractors. Of course, there are far more than eight companies that have survived and succeeded in this industry. These unnamed heroes work equally hard, if not harder, and their diligence should bring them bigger success in future. 3/F, t80 - 182 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, H.K. Cable "BUCONAS" Tel: 2572 4414 Fax: 2572 7104 The Hong Kong Construction Association Ltd The construction industry is the foundation industry of a society. It lays the hard infrastructure for other industries to build upon. The HKCA is very proud of the industry's success and contribution to Hong Kong, and dedicates this publication to all the contractors who have built Hong Kong into a major metropolitan city and who will continue the work into the coming twenty-first century. The HKCA takes this opportunity to give a great salute to them all! President ...