Media Coverage


2006
 

 

	Industry watchers: Strong steel & iron demand this year, price to be steady next year Lianhe Zaobao, ZaobaoBUSINESS, 21 December 06 TV Narendran, Deputy President of Operations at NatSteel Asia, was interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao for a look back at the steel industry this year and a forecast for next year. "I believe the steel prices will continue to be strong next year. The strengthening of the Chinese Yuan will help make Chinese exports more expensive," said Narendran. "NatSteel Asia plans to consolidate and grow its footprint in this region with specific focus on countries like Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia. Today, over 60 percent of steel consumption is in Asia, and Asia's share is going to keep increasing for some years to come." The article also highlighted that demand for steel in 2007 is expected to be strong; Asia's steel consumption will continue to rise, leading to a boost in steel prices in Asia.
	"Steeling" the show wherever he goes Singapore Polytechnic Alumni Network News (SPAN), Issue 27, October 2006 Lim Kok Heng, an engineer from NatSteel Asia's mesh operations and alumni of Singapore Polytechnic (SP), was recently featured in a full-page article in SPAN – an SP alumni magazine. "The engineering field is very challenging. But I obtain great satisfaction each time a technical difficulty is solved and as a result, processes are improved for greater efficiency," said Kok Heng. "At NatSteel Asia, we recognise that continual improvement is essential in today's competitive industry." Besides highlighting Kok Heng's achievements both in SP and at work, the article also showcases NatSteel Asia as a dynamic workplace which provides overseas opportunities and is committed to developing staff potential. Click here to read the full article. (Published with permission from SPAN)
	NatSteel to expand capacity Hindu Business Line, 7 November 2006, by N. Ramakrishnan With a current capacity of two million tonnes per annum, NatSteel Asia has plans for expansion over the next five to six years. The company will focus on Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, where demand for downstream products is anticipated to increase tremendously. The article, written as an offshoot of an Indian Media Junket to NatSteel Asia on 30 October 06, states: “Unlike in India, where the construction industry buys steel rods and fabricates them to their requirement at construction sites, NatSteel offers factory-made cut-and-bend reinforcement bars, wire mesh and prefabricated cages.”
	NatSteel will match Tata Steel in output Daily News & Analysis, 6 November 2006, by Ajoy K. Das NatSteel Asia intends to increase its production capacity to five to six million tonnes per annum – a figure close to Tata Steel’s domestic capacity – and enlarge its market share in the Asean region. One of its strategies for growth is to leverage on its operations in Southeast Asia and China to get closer to regional markets. Said Oo Soon Hee, President & CEO of NatSteel Asia: “Long products, because of dimensions and size, are not travel-friendly and therefore the strategy is to build catchment areas of demand for high value-added long products around each of our production units.”
	NatSteel Asia eyes Vietnam, Indonesia The Business Times, Special Focus, Global Entrepolis Singapore, 3 November 2006 In an interview at the Global Entrepolis Singapore, Oo Soon Hee, President & CEO of NatSteel Asia, highlighted the company's competence in adding value to its steel. "Our capabilities here include cut-and-bend services, producing cages and welded wire mesh to support the construction industry," he said. Besides focusing on downstream operations, NatSteel Asia will also concentrate on the emerging markets of Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines which have immense potential for growth.
	NatSteel Asia forging ahead under new Indian owner The Straits Times, Money, H18, 3 October 2006 NatSteel Asia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, has been flourishing and is poised to continue growing over the next few years. While many in the public remain confused between the company and its former owner NSL, NatSteel Asia has been unfazed and moving ahead in its business strategy. As part of its expansion plans, NatSteel Asia recently purchased Millennium Steel, a listed company and No. 1 steel producer in Thailand. The $273 million purchase was made with financial backing from Tata Steel. Said Lim Say Yan, Deputy President of Corporate Services at NatSteel Asia, in an interview with The Straits Times: "Over the past year, there has been increasing comfort between Tata and ourselves as they interact with us. In two to three years, NatSteel Asia's presence could be three times its current size."
	Stronger than steel HRM Singapore, Issue 6.8 NatSteel Asia is a company committed to cultivating a healthier and productive workforce. This was the crux of an article in HRM which featured Oo Soon Hee, President & CEO of NatSteel Asia. He spoke on the various ways in which the company develops a healthy workforce, which include spending a "major part of our budget on employee welfare", conducting health screenings for "everyone down the line" and holding "regular workplace health programmes such as annual health screenings, weight management workshops and smoking cessation programmes", amongst others. Through this health emphasis, NatSteel Asia has "successfully reduced the average number of medical leave days taken by employees compared to the national average for medical leave". Click here to read the full article. (Published with permission from HRM Singapore)
	Safety starts with a bowl of cereal “My Singapore” – A Straits Times National Day Supplement, 9 August 2006 Fauzie Omar Altway, a safety officer at NatSteel Asia, begins each day at work with a bowl of cereal. One of six persons featured in the section "My Work Space", Fauzie spoke about his average day at work and introduced the various items on his desk, meanwhile also communicating NatSteel Asia's emphasis on safety.
	Where the outlook is as strong as steel TODAY, 4 August 2006 "The steel business is not an industry where you can have a short-term view. You need to be in it long-term and invest a lot of money, be able to bet on developing markets and stay with it," said TV Narendran, Deputy President (Operations), in an interview with TODAY, on being a major player in the steel industry. He was featured in a full-page article in TODAY's business section, which touched on the steel industry, its potential for growth in the Southeast Asian region, and its global trend towards consolidation. The article also addressed the name confusion between NatSteel Asia and NSL. (This article was reprinted in The Business Times.)
	Hot topic — Talk about taxes Human Resources, July 2006 Eng Poh Tzan, Senior Vice-President of Operations (Systems) was quoted. He commented on the nil impact of the newly-passed US law that could triple tax bills for Americans working abroad, particularly in the steel trade as there are "not many Americans in the steel trade in Singapore".
	My Dad, My Inspiration Weekend TODAY, 17 June 2006 Penned in conjunction with Father's Day, this story features Tan Lee Heng's stoic love for his son Tan Pei Terk in their life together as co-workers in NatSteel Asia. Although as a child, Pei Terk did not get to see much of his father who always seemed to be at work, he knew this was because his father was working hard to provide for the family. Till now, Lee Heng's love and perseverance in raising the family has not been forgotten — Pei Terk's admiration and respect for his father continues to grow as they work together. "He was a good father to us when we were growing up, but I appreciated it more after I started working here, because I realised how hard he had to work each day," says Lee Heng. "And he still managed to be a good father to us. He was always there for us."
	Steel Smiling Human Resources, May 2006 What happens when companies from different countries and cultures come together? How has NatSteel Asia got around talent development and recruitment matters? Shirley Lee from Human Resources speaks to Liu Fang Joo, Senior Vice-President of Human Resource/Communications to get the lowdown on how NatSteel Asia has proactively worked its way through these issues. Click here to read the full article. (Published with permission from Human Resources)
	Sprinting Towards Success Scholars’ Choice II, The Straits Times, 18 February 2006 NatSteel Scholar Chong Pek Hoong was promoted five times in five years -- literally sprinting his way to success. Now the vice-president of Meltshop, he worked his way up by getting into the thick of things. It helped too that he could manage people well, always keeping a good feel of what's happening on the ground. And despite his rapid rise up the corporate ladder, Pek Hoong firmly believes that success can come in different ways: "Each person should have his own dreams. These may or may not be related to career development, but one can achieve happiness only when these dreams are fulfilled. To me, that is success."

2005

2007