China to begin construction of expressway along proposed Asia-Europe route

Another important step has been taken in building a transport route from Asia through Mongolia to Europe, as China announced it has received credit to upgrade the Urumqi-Kashgar road.

Located in the northwest of China, the enhanced road will become a four-lane divided highway. Carrying cargo and passengers, this new highway will be an important part of the road and rail system heading into Mongolia.



Assistance for construction of the expressway will come from a $150 million USD loan from The Asian Development Bank.

The entire expressway project is expected to cost $594 million USD. Besides the loan from the Asia Development Bank, the PRC's Ministry of Communications, China Development Bank and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Government will cover the remaining costs.

The Urumqi-Kashgar road is being developed as part of the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation Program connecting Xinjiang with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, and Tajikistan. Additionally, it will become part of the Asian Highway 4 corridor designated by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, linking China with Pakistan.

Source: Mongolia-web.com

How the Web is Shaping the Construction Industry

If you research construction firms that are embracing technology, particularly Web-based technology, to cut costs and improve productivity, you will see that their profit margin per project is significantly higher than their low-tech counterparts that still have many labor-intensive, repetitive manual processes that take up a lot of time and leave more room for error.

The construction industry has taken longer than most to enter the technology era. However, more traditional firms are utilizing Internet applications to cut costs than ever before. In a recent survey conducted by George Hedley, owner of a $75 million construction company, determined that seventy-five percent of construction companies communicate with clients via email, while 66% of them use email to correspond with engineers and architects. Although email has clearly made its way into the construction realm, most companies are reluctant to use the Web for other business tasks. Only 50% of construction companies use the Internet for job correspondence and only 10% for invoicing procedures. In an age where technology, once adopted, makes our lives so much easier and enables us to do more with less, construction managers will soon be turning from reluctance to relief.

Out of the same survey, 50% of construction firms have begun using scheduling software.

“A few years ago, we upgraded our scheduling software to a more comprehensive package. Now when we bid on projects, our schedule puts us ahead of our competitors and often is a major factor in winning the job,”

quoted one company surveyed. Technology is rapidly becoming a delineating factor between industry leaders and lower performers. Investments in technology reduce paperwork, increase productivity, significantly increase revenues, and promote higher quality work due to tighter, more transparent project management/operational processes.

If you would like more information on Web-based technologies for the construction industry call us at (877) 268-7356, ext. 204, visit NuRelm.com and sign up for our free virtual library.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com expert - Heather Jewell

How To Market To Construction Industry

The dreadful events like Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and Tsunami have eaten a large number of buildings and dwellings. Due to this, there are chances of gigantic growth in the construction industry. It is expected that the industry will grow to $1.1 trillion in 2006 and $1.2 trillion in 2007.

Moreover, within this, the growth opportunities are great in the segments like residential, retail, office, hospitals and schools. Builders are looking for people who are responsible, sincere, punctual and trustworthy and can supply them efficient and quality products and services.

Therefore, you area a contractor or material supplier or technology vendor, take advantage of the situation. Make money out of this simply imbalance equation of demand and supply.

How Can You Do This? If you want to reach these builders or other executives operating in the construction industry, you can use traditional methods like trade shows, local sales forces and brochures. Along with these, websites also deliver promising and profitable results.

Some marketers have tried and found customer relationship management a better and advanced technique to reach their customers and provide them customized products.

A well designed and well developed website also raises the chances of getting contract. If the website contains all the product information, price list, delivery mode and useful tips, it is considered as an advantage. Online marketing, thus, can play an important role in getting profitable contracts.

Advertisement, in its traditional way, always proves to be helpful. It can be done both on regional and national levels. Like all other advertisers, you also need to use various advertising strategies like recalling and persuading, but in your own way.

You also need to be different in your approach. If you want your customers to come back, you have to provide some special services like warranty for used products. You can also guarantee a particular price for fixed period. You can win a larger market share by providing cost-effective and time saving products.

Remember, once you get a good contract, you work for it whole-heartedly and sincerely; you can easily create a loyal customer base for your business. Builders demand a good package including availability of materials, on-time delivery and strong pricing commitments. Moreover, you have to offer them to be in their contractors’ list. Your low pricing offers should not make them feel that the quality of product and services is also low.

If you are confused and do not know where to start with, you can take help of marketing advisers and various websites. Their valuable tips can help you customize your marketing programs for the construction industry.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

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Article Source: EzineArticles.com expert - Alexander Gordon

Singapore's Temasek still seeking stake in China Construction Bank

BEIJING (AFX) - Singapore state investment company Temasek is still pressing to buy a substantial stake in China Construction Bank even after Bank of America came up with a three bln usd deal for nine pct of the Chinese lender last week, the Financial Times reported, citing a person close to the deal.

The newspaper said Temasek's determination to secure a holding in China's second-largest bank, which is planning a five bln usd overseas listing, underlines its desire to increase its presence in the country's fast-growing economy.

However, the paper said BoA is likely to oppose a second investor gaining a substantial stake in CCB, leaving Temasek to consider whether a small stake of five pct or less is worthwhile.

The paper said BoA has an option to raise its stake in CCB to 19.9 pct over the next five-and-a-half years, under the terms of the deal announced last Friday.

That would in theory leave only another five pct of equity in CCB available for a second investor, as China caps collective foreign ownership in local banks at 25 pct.

However, the 25 pct limit can be exceeded after an IPO.

The paper said that although Temasek is understood to have been willing to put more than three bln usd into CCB, BoA's banking expertise and its willingness to commit significant skilled staff to work in the Chinese bank swung the deal in its favour.

It said people close to the situation said BoA would also get a role in the IPO following the exclusion of Citigroup from a lead underwriting role.

However, BoA, which has limited experience of Asia IPOs, is likely to be given a junior role beside Morgan Stanley and its local partner CICC, the paper added.

By Forbes.com

Volvo sees China construction equipment mkt downturn ending

STOCKHOLM (AFX) - Volvo AB construction equipment unit VCE believes that the downturn in the construction equipment market in China is about to end.

At the same time, it believes the European market is about to reach the top of its present cycle, while the North American market is growing strongly at 10 pct a year.

In its first-quarter earnings report, Volvo said it expected 5-10 pct growth in the North American construction equipment market this year, and growth of about 5 pct in Europe.

At Volvo's capital markets day in Gothenburg, VCE head Tony Helham said that the downturn in the China market now appears to have ended.

'We're starting to see the bottom of the market and hope for a gradual increase in volume in the coming year,' he said according to newswire Direkt.