HK firm to invest $10M on Saipan construction plant
The cargo vessel MITO is docked at the Port of Saipan to offload equipment and materials for Hong Kong firm Win Win Way Construction Co. (Joel D. Pinaroc)
A Hong Kong construction company is planning to invest $10 million for a batching plant and warehouse on Saipan.
Win Win Way Construction Co. has already identified an area in Lower Base to set up the batching plant and warehouse. A batching plant is used to manufacture materials used for construction projects.
Dr. Kan Hou-Sek Jim, company president and technical director of Win Win Way Construction, said the company is also looking to hire 200 personnel to man the ready-mix batching plant and warehouse.
The executive said the company is looking to hire and train locals.
He said the company has brought in heavy equipment and raw materials from Hong Kong via a chartered cargo ship, which docked at the Saipan Port on Sunday afternoon.
The ship was carrying about $2 million to $5 million worth of supplies and equipment.
Win Win Way Construction held a port call on Tuesday, attended by CNMI lawmakers and government officials.
Department of Public Lands Secretary Pete A. Tenorio said Win Win Way Construction already secured a temporary permit for the plant and warehouse.
A leasing agreement between the Hong Kong company and the CNMI government is also expected to be signed, Tenorio said.
Saipan Resort Hotel construction
Win Win Way Construction Co. is the main contractor for Saipan Resort Hotel, owned by Honest Profit International, another Hong Kong firm.
With the arrival of heavy equipment via the chartered ship, Win Win Way Construction is set to start working on the foundation of the high-end hotel.
“Work on the foundation will start in May. Expected completion of the hotel is between 18 to 24 months,” Elaine Kwok, contract manager of Win Win Way Construction Co. said.
In September 2014, Honest Profit International held a groundbreaking for its $130-million, 300-room hotel in San Antonio.
The hotel is seen to help solve the lack of hotel rooms on Saipan, particularly in peak seasons when tourists flock to the island.
Honest Profit earlier said it has retained the name “Saipan Resort Hotel” for the project.
The new hotel is located immediately north of Pacific Islands Club Saipan in San Antonio. The lease is for 25 years, with an option to extend by 15 years for a total of 40 years.
I don’t know why they brought their own batching plant when there is clearly enough capability for the local companies to support this…
So it would also seem that the will have to quarry their materials. Where are they going to have their quarry?
Also by investing tis much it would also seem they are planning to stay around for a while on Saipan.
It is not unusual to set up a batching plant etc. for a construction project but the ones that we have set up over the years at different projects through out the Pacific have not been close that much investment even when our projects have been longer than one year. We also demantle and take them with us upon demobilizing along with clean up and replanting the area.
Also hiring 200 people local people? It will be interesting to see just how many they actually hire and also just how many are still there after 1-3 months.
I would bet that they have hundred from China on a “short list” ready to go when they submit that they cannot get and/or keep qualified workers.
BUT I do hope that many of these positions are taken by our people. especially since this will be a long term employment along with training.
BTW what is the pay scale? Maybe that could be posted for the different positions and how many and what position are available.
OR arwe all of this employment for labor only?
Buenas Captain,
Maybe they see something that we don’t see. Usually when someone throws money away, they would get something in return directly or indirectly. The Chinese are muscling their economic power world wide and there must be catch with all the investment in the CNMI.