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Star Sanitaryware eyes major revenue boost
Star Sanitaryware has set a sales target of more than Bt200 million for this year, 40 per cent higher than last year’s performance.
Sales in the second quarter came in at Bt44 million, up 21 per cent year on year, chairman Somchai Wongaroon said yesterday.
The company also plans to expand its customer base in Asean, and has already started exporting to the Philippines.
Star Sanitaryware has customers in 10 countries, including European markets, Australia and Hong Kong, as well as some Asean member states.
Bangkok a ‘City Climate Leadership Awards’ finalist
Bangkok has been named as one of the 29 finalists in the “C40 & Siemens City Climate Leadership Awards”.
The 29 cities are competing in 10 categories for the initial City Climate Leadership Awards: urban transportation, waste management, finance and economic development, carbon measurement and planning, sustainable communities, green energy, adaptation and resilience, energy-efficient built environment, air quality, and intelligent city infrastructure.
The annual awards will provide global recognition for C40 (climate leadership group) cities that are demonstrating climate-action leadership.
Five award categories – including urban transportation, waste management and sustainable communities – are open to C40 cities only. Five other categories – including resilience, air quality and intelligent city infrastructure – are open both to C40 cities and the 120 cities in the Siemens and Economist Intelligence Unit “Green City Index” research project. An independent, seven-member judging panel consisting of former city mayors, architects and representatives of the World Bank, C40 and Siemens will select the award winners, which will be named in London on September 4.
Grand Canal upbeat on Rama IX mixed-use project
Grand Canal Land is pressing ahead with the development of a mixed-used project worth Bt24 billion on Rama IX, which the company says will become a new central business district in 2015. The overall project comprises a Bt14-billion condominium with 2,000 units, and three office buildings together worth Bt10 billion.
The listed company posted revenue of Bt1.5 billion and a net profit of Bt185.83 million for the first half of the year.
AP has successful Live More Condo opening
AP (Thailand) had a successful opening of its Bt1-billion Live More Condo project last weekend thanks to continuing strong demand for condominiums, despite the country’s economic slowdown.
Vittakarn Chandavimol, chief marketing officer of the listed developer, said the four-day event at Siam Paragon had seen positive feedback from customers interested in buying a property close to the mass-transit system.
Following the continued strong demand, the company plans to launch four more projects worth Bt6.23 billion combined by year-end: the Rhythm Asoke, Aspire Sathorn-Taksin, Rhythm Sukhumvit 36-38 and Aspire Pisanulok.
Klang Plaza plans major revamp, expansion
Klang Plaza Korat, a Nakhon Ratchasima-base mega-department store under the management of Klang Plaza, plans to outgrow other retail outlets in the provincial capital. The company has announced a marketing stance aimed at making its stores the most modern and integrated retail destinations with more than Bt3.5 billion available to revamp their image, starting with Klang Plaza Jormsurang department store.
New BOT chairman Ampon to remain member of MPC
The Bank of Thailand’s newly appointed chairman Ampon Kittiampon remains a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, said BOT Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul.
Prasarn said Ampon should be able to attend the MPC meeting today. He said Ampon had resigned as a director of the BOT board but was allowed by law to remain a member of the MPC.
The Cabinet yesterday officially endorsed Ampon as the BOT’s chairman. Ampon, who is now the Cabinet’s secretary-general and chairman of Thai Airways International, will hold his new position at the central bank until May 2015. He succeeds Virabongsa Ramangkura, whose term ended when he turned 70 on August 1.
Nod to CAT/TOT spectrum plan
The Cabinet yesterday approved the Information and Communications Technology Ministry’s proposal for CAT Telecom and TOT to upgrade their use of spectra whose concession terms have yet to expire to provide broadband cellular service, according to Pakdeeharn Himathongkam, deputy PM’s Office spokesman. The Cabinet authorised the ministry to negotiate with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to coordinate the matter.
ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap will talk with the NBTC next Monday to seek ways to allow CAT to use the currently unutilised 25 megahertz of the 1,800MHz spectrum of Total Access Communication to provide a broadband cellular service. DTAC’s con¬cession will end in 2018. TOT wants to keep using the 470MHz, 900MHz and 2.3-gigahertz spectra.
Job hopping plaguing companies
A total of 82 per cent of companies are facing job-hopping problems, mostly by employees aged 21-30 years, according to a recent Jobstreets.com survey.
The survey, covering more than 500 employers and 7,800 employees, showed job hopping to be a serious problem for companies, as many young peo¬ple change jobs after less than a year. Such people are demanding higher wages and are looking for new opportunities and challenges.
Nearly 90 per cent of employees pointed out that changing jobs frequently was not illegal. They also said job-hopping was how they found satisfaction in their careers. Changing jobs is a way to gain new experience and a chance to move up.
Sixty-five per cent of employees have worked for their current companies for less than two years, and three-fourths of them are already looking for new jobs.
Thanaporn Satitpunwaycha, country manager of Jobstreet.com Thailand commented: “Job hopping might increase self-motivation and improve job experiences for the Gen Y employees, but it also reflects low patience and intentions at work. Also, these behaviours will be logged into your profiles, and employers may not want to hire applicants who have frequently changed jobs during recent years.”
Job hopping not only makes employees look bad, but wastes company resources. The high turnover directly affects productivity, along with the cost of job interviews and training.
