The Chin Huat Saga
Chinese business acumen, industry and sheer will to succeed are the elements behind the impressive progress of Chin Huat Shipping in Jalan Benaan Kapal in Singapore.
The firm was started by Mr Koh Chaw Siew some eight years ago.
He had vast knowledge of shipbuilding and this he put to use to form the parent ship building company. Now the firm has grown into a conglomerate ot Chin Huat Shipping, Marcom Marine Services and Corporate Marine Pte Limited. What started out as a family business in shipbuilding is beginning to diversify into many sectors of the shipping industry.
Each company within the organisation has more or less very specific functions. Chin Huat, for example, has begun to specialise in ship repairing. It maintains two slipways capable of taking in vessels of up to 1200 tons, 160 ft long and 50 ft wide. Both the slipways are never empty. Their workmanship is in great demand.
At the moment most of the repair work is being done on barges and tug boats.
Chin Huat also carry out floating repairs. This they do through absolute necessity due to the congestion in the Kallang river where their slipways are located. To facilitate floating repairs are the company maintains well stocked boats and experienced technicians.
Despite this inconvenience their charges are very competitive. The company’s operations are not limited to Singapore only. It does carry out work in neighbouring countries as well. Infact, it is sufficiently equipped to repair a ship in any waters. It has done work in Malaysia and in Indonesia. The company has earned a good reputation for being prompt with work.
Marcom specialises in towing services in the Singapore harbour.
It reputedly has the largest single fleet of harbour tugs. These tugs are on 24 hour call and can reach anywork site in Singapore waters within three hours of call. Its towing services not only work 24 hours a day but also through holidays. Each tow-boat is equipped with its own independent communication system monitored through a control centre. This makes it easier and faster for deployment of boats and work to start.
The company has two different bases for its boats. One is in Jurong and the other is in Kallang to serve the eastern part. A few of their boats are doing service in Malaysian waters, particularly in Johore which is at the southern tip of Peninsula Malaysia. Apart from this the rest of the company’s boats are serving in waters as far away as Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Burma.
The last of the conglomerate, Corporate Marine Private Limited, concentrates mainly on the building of ships of up to about 1200 tons, barges and tug boats. It builds these vessels both for the organisation’s own use and for sale.
Corporate also undertakes to build coastal vessels to the specifications of the client. These coastal vessels can be cargo carriers, oil carriers, passenger launches and all forms of ferries. It is capable of preparing blue prints for a vessel as it has a naval architect on contract.
The company has two shipyards. One in Jurong and the other in Ponggol.
Most of the trade, as regards sales of vessels, is being done mainly in Sabah and Sarawak (East Malaysia), the Middle East and Indonesia. Barges, especially, are built, launched, loaded and towed to countries and sold there. These barges are towed by hired vessels.
The most spectacular work the organisation does is to launch oil rigs. This is undertaken by Marcom. It has launched the largest number in Singapore. In fact the organisation as a whole pioneered the oil rig launching industry.
