Busan: Wärtsilä's long established presence in South Korea has been further strengthened with the inauguration today of its new service centre and office in Eomgung, Busan. By opening these premises, Wärtsilä will be able to centralize its business units in Korea, as Services, Ship Power, Power Plants and Industrial Operations, together with finance and administration, will eventually relocate to the new office.
"Our operations in Korea have expanded exponentially. To ensure a very high standard of services for our customers, we found it necessary to bring together our business units under one roof," says Tage Blomberg, Group Vice President, Wärtsilä Services. "The new centre will also allow for further expansion and development of our services in engine reconditioning, special measuring and analysing, automation, and the repair of heavier components. This will enable us to meet the very latest needs of our customers, and thereby add value to their business."
The new facility, located close to the new port in Busan, covers a vast area of 12,000m2 and will be fully operational by July 2009, by which time all workshop equipment will be in place.
The global demand for Wärtsilä services in the ship power sector continues to grow. This growth is reflected in the increasing number of personnel employed by Wärtsilä in Korea. During 2008 alone, Wärtsilä's personnel in Korea has increased by more than 25% to about 350, with plans to further employ more than 70 people in the coming year. Most will be located at the new Eomgung facilities.
"Of the many non-Korean companies operating in Busan, Wärtsilä is one of the largest employers. This is a reflection of our commitment to both Korea and to the region as a whole, and it also emphasises the confidence we have in the competence and technical skills of the Korean workforce," says Mr Blomberg.
Wärtsilä's involvement in Korea goes back to 1986 with the establishment of the Wärtsilä Korea Liaison Office, which organised License Agreements with SsangYong Heavy Industries for engine production under licence. Wärtsilä Korea Ltd was established in 1993. In May 2007, Wärtsilä opened its Land & Sea Academy in Busan, which was followed in September, 2007 by a new service centre at Incheon. The new centre now opening in Eomgung, Busan, will consolidate all of the Korean operations to better serve our customers. The new facility means that Wärtsilä now has four locations in the world's principal shipbuilding country. [9/12/08]
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