Kang Duk-soo, the Chairperson of STX Group, takes the Gold Tower home on the 46th anniversary of Trade Day
KANG Duk-soo, the chairperson and CEO of STX Group, received the Gold Tower, also known as the Gold Order of Industrial Service Merit as well as the US$3 Billion Dollar Export Tower, US$500 Million Dollar Export Tower, and the US$200 Million dollar Export Tower for STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, STX Heavy Industries, and STX Enpaco, respectively on November 30 at COEX in Seoul. The selection committee of the Gold Tower, which was hosted by The Korea International Trade Association and sponsored by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, evaluated STX Offshore & Shipbuilding’s managerial outcomes and export earnings as a representative shipbuilding company in Korea.
Kang Duk-soo has raised the world’s fourth-largest shipbuilding company by paying attention to sustainable development, such as R&D investment, innovative new technologies and new markets. In particular, he helped establish a global production network from Korea and China through Europe by building up the production base in Dalian, China and purchasing the STX Europe corporation. Purchasing the company and building up its production base are known as one of the most important factor for the company to be a global shipbuilding firm with highly competitive technologies for cruise ships, special ships and offshore boats.
The corporation is also aiming at viable outcomes from various new projects, such as offshore shipbuilding and resource development by taking an active role in economic missions to Latin America and Africa in order to establish long-term relationships with them. In addition, Mr. Kang’s leadership in responsibility management, including the ‘STX Members program’ which promotes a win-win relationship with mid-sized outsourcing companies, and social welfare activities through STX Welfare Foundation and STX Scholarships have come into the spotlight.
Meanwhile, STX Europe delivered the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas, to the Turku Shipyard in Finland, on October 28. The Oasis of the Seas was ordered by global cruise brand Royal Caribbean International in 2006. Priced at euro 1.013 billion, the cost is equivalent to seven or eight mega-container ships. The Oasis of the Seas, with 225,000 GT has a length of 360m, a breadth of 47m and a depth of 72m. The ship can accommodate 6,360 passengers and 2,100 crew members with 2,704 staterooms. In addition, construction of the Allure of the Seas, a cruise ship of the same class as the Oasis of the Seas, is already 50% complete as of October 2009 and is scheduled for delivery in November 2010. STX Europe occupies more than 30% of the world’s cruise ship and ferry market based on its order backlog.
STX Europe has delivered or has under construction all of the world’s 14 largest cruise ships. The company has attained its global competitive power in the cruise ship and offshore businesses through its accumulated technologies and know-how, and plans to solidify its position as a world leader by maximizing the synergies of STX Business Group’s global production system connecting Korea, China and Europe.