VOL- 3 Dec. 20

www.nbtcgroup.com

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focINSIDE

DMD’s Message At the outset I am proud to announce our operations in Abu Dhabi are stabilizing well and our outlook in the market is promising. Abu Dhabi is only the first stop on our journey to becoming a regional business house. Now that our presence is felt in the UAE, we will be marking routes to other sites within the Middle East. The global economy faired better in 2011 than the previous couple of years. Unfortunately the trend is expected to slide again as with the high probability of another recession in the US and Eurozone. This will cast a shadow on the global business atmosphere for the year 2012. “But there are still reasons for contractors to be cautiously optimistic about their prospects, at least in the medium to long term in the Middle East”, according the market reports. The economic outlook for 2011 will add more pressure on our clients. As the Oil & Gas demands are ever increasing; the National Oil Companies and International Oil Companies are under extreme pressure to deliver projects to meet demand with supply. Therefore, it is extremely important for our clients to deliver their projects effectively on-time. This is where we add value to our clients. All our business services will focus on supporting our clients to meet their goals with excellence and highest standards while maintaining a cautious, diligent and frugal operation. With this message, I like to wish all the best for the New Year and I readily look forward to working towards a common goal with all. I have included two articles in this issue for your reading. In Article-1, I want to highlight the difference between cheap operation and a frugal operation. While Article-2 is more comprehensive tips we can use to achieve our strategic plans. This can be used in our personal lives as well.

Happy reading!

Abey Abraham

I N D E X

focINSIDE Page-2 focCAZIA Page-3 Our Green Steps Page-4 A cup of Tea Page- 5 Season Greetings Page-6 & 7 NBTC Time Line Page-8 & 9 focArt - Frugal” Vs “Cheap Page-10 focArt -Tips on achieving our strategies Page-11,12,13 focCAZE Page-14 focCAHSE Page-15 focCOZMOS Page-16

From The Editorial Desk Yet again we find ourselves at the threshold of a New Year. With the advent of New Year, a new era begins and with it comes new hopes and new possibilities. Every year teaches us some of life’s most important lessons, and with that learning we step forward into the New Year. For all the toasts and vows, it is easy to dismiss the New Year as an artificial made-for-party-occasion. If we move past it — and our limited resolutions —it is because life has a profound continuity that has little reference to the calendar’s pages. For most of us, time falls into different patterns, most naturally to measure occurrences in a life time. For most individuals it is not planned; You just grow into it, into the way we leave the past behind us, while the future comes rushing forward. And right now we are in 2012, a year that seemed unimaginable until we find ourselves right at its border. This year NBTC Group, is entering into 35th year of service. As a Corporate House, this is the time to review the past and plan accordingly for future; It also offers the possibility of balancing our life –accomplished Vs not accomplished. And as responsible individuals, in our capacity, each one of us need to do this exercise. Let’s hope for the best and continue our dedicated hard work. With Focuz, we connect people across the organization, offering an opportunity to exchange views and ideas. As we grow in numbers, and with the participation of all, Focuz will also get thicker….., and this time it is THICKER.

Happy New Year !! [email protected] FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY Focuz Team

K. C. Chacko, Roji Varghese, Thanuja, Nirmala, Jisha & Sathesh.

focCAZIA Continuing the tradition of success: NBTC Projects The year 2011 has been one of great significance to NBTC projects division, where we have a number of projects progressing successfully. A few of our landmark projects are: LPG Train-4 Project, MAA Refinery, KNPC: Working in the capacity of principal sub-contractor to M/s. Daelim, NBTC has been awarded the project involving site preparation, ISBL civil works, underground piping works (RTRP) and mechanical installations & piping works. Construction works are well underway, and a timely finish within the schedule is expected. New Office Building, Saudi Arabian Chevron: Taking a deviation from our tried-and-tested area of expertise (industrial construction), NBTC took on the New Office Building project at Mina-Zour as a challenge. It is a matter of great pride that we have completed the work on time, and with high praise from the Client. BS-132, SKEC: NBTC also undertook the BS-132 project in North Kuwait with M/s. SKEC, and have commenced construction of the ISBL civil, pipeline civil works and mechanical piping packages. Ruwais Refinery Expansion Project – Construction of RCC substations: NBTC Abu-Dhabi took over this project from main contractor M/s. GS E&C, and the works involve building construction and finishing works for 3 substations. Isomerate Quality Improvement Plant project: The project work scope involves civil, structural, piping, equipment erection, painting, insulation and E&I works. The Client is Takreer, and the main contractor is Litwin.

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Natural resources are often characterized by amounts of biodiversity existing in various ecosystems. There are limited amounts of resources on earth. We are using them heavily as if they were never ending and are going to last forever. Thus it is very important to draw the lines between how much to be used and how much to be left in order to give nature the time and chance to reproduce the used-up resources. NBTC had undertaken, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), an awareness campaign on ‘Go Green, Save the World’. Go Green campaign was initiated and released on 01-Jan-11 and a Green Club was formed to take it further. The campaign was initiated with the following objectives: • To spread general awareness among the people on the concept of going Green. • To educate people that the natural resources are limited and hence it shall be preserved. • To make aware that nature need to be given time to recoup the used resources. • To promote efficient use of natural resources. Here is a recap of the major steps taken towards this cause: 1. Various awareness programs were conducted at various levels, throughout the year. 2. One of the major medium was the awareness programs /presentations at the Quarterly Supervisory Meetings involving all Supervisory staff from all Operational Divisions & Support Divisions of the Group. 3. Recycling Plant commissioned for recycling the waste water generated from the Galvanizing Plant and Equipment Maintenance Garage. 4. Air purifying equipment installed at the Fabrication Workshop & Galvanizing plant. All stationeries were made with Go Green theme or Logo • T-Shirts issued for Sports Meet • Table Calendars for 2011 • News coverage of Go Green initiative • Corporate Profile • E-mail signatures • All advertisements of 2011 was with the Go Green logo • Green page in Quarterly News Bulletin - Focuz • 2011 trees were planted at various facilities of NBTC in the year 2011

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For centuries, many of the problems of mankind have been solved over a cup of tea.

My trip to the Dilmah tea state in SRI LANKA had more to do with my personal passion towards tea. It was an opportunity to learn & see how the finest teas are made.

A cup of Tea from

Dilmah Sambhav Kumar, Director – F & B Crowne Plaza, Kochi

Tea is the highest consumed beverage in the world after water; albeit not taken very seriously around the world. The Dilmah School of Tea has taken this responsibility to educate people around the world about how serious this beverage is.

DID YOU KNOW? Tea originated in China, as legend has it, 5000 years

• A tea bush can produce tea upto 70 years.

ago. Tea cultivation was brought to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) during English rule in 1820 by English man

• In the tea nursery when the plants are 9-12 months

named Mr. James Walter. It was Ceylon that made

of age are ready to be planted in the tea fields.

tea famous in 19th & 20th century. Ceylon tea is prized for its quality and variety. In assessing the value of

• It takes 2-3 years depending on the elevation

Ceylon tea, some of the properties which tea experts

& climate condition, these plants are ready to

take in top consideration are appearance of the tea

produce.

when it is made, color of the infused leaf, strength, quality, aroma & flavor of the brewed liquor.

• Tea bushes are pruned every 2-3 years tomaintain bush height & stimulate tender shoot growth.

There is a story in tea that is inspiring in its expression.

• A tea bush can grow up to 10 meters if not pruned.

It is a tale that starts with a tiny seedling which evolves through the influence of soil, rainfall, sunshine,

• Each tea plucker needs to pluck or pick two tender

temperature & the skill of the tea planter. Eventually

leaves & a bud. A tea picker picks 16-18 kilos per

it offers the tender green shoots of the now matured

day on average.

Camellia Sinensis plant which is skillfully harvested by hand.

• Plucking cycle is within 5-6 days where the tea bushes grow new shoots & then re-plucked.

God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change; Courage to change the things we can; and Wisdom to know the difference My best wishes for a prosperous2012 Mohd. Al- Baddah Chairman

My most sincere wishes to every member of the NBTC family, that we be bestowed with the faith and hope to face all challenges in the coming year. I wish each of you a very happy and prosperous New Year 2012. Let us herald this New Year with a view to rise K.G Abraham above the little things; Let us focus, instead, on the Managing Director big picture. May 2012 be a year of growth and prosperity for NBTC. Abey Abraham Deputy Managing Director

May this New Year bring us plenty of opportunities to enrich our wisdom with more good experiences. Compliments of the season

Let this New Year bring us many opportunity to K.S Vijayachandran better ourselves and be the best we can Corporate Director - Operations be. Happy New Year 2012. Ahmed K Ismail General Manager - Technical Services

Let the mistakes of our past not be a hindrance for our growth; Let it be a stepping stone to even greater successes in our future. Wishing everyone success and happiness in 2012

Milestones signify the achievement of a goal, the completion of targets and the aspiration that tomorrow holds more promise. May we George Varghese reach many more milestones in 2012. General Manager - MBTC Best wishes KG Ghevarghese As 2011 draws to an end, and with the festive season General Manager- Workshop Division now upon us, I would like to wish each one of you a blessed New Year, to revive all the good Wishing you all a prosperous tidings and to rectify the darkness of the New Year 2012 previous year. Jaison Varghese Hussain Kotait DGM - Finance & Admin General Manager-E & I

May 2012 be filled with opportunities for our continued growth and development. Best wishes KG Alexander Deputy General Manager-Operations

May everyday of the New Year glow with good cheer and happiness R. Dinesh Manager- Operations Gr. I

New year brings in new hopes; And hopes and dreams always drive us forward. Let this new year shower all the blessings to make your dreams come true and May you all have a wonderful year ahead. K.C Chacko Manager - Administration Wishing all NBTC family members’ safe & secure days ahead. Happy New Year Hilal Al- Fadhli Manager - HSE

Let’s bury all our bad memories, feelings, and evilness of the past along with the past year and let this New “Quality is the result of a carefully constructed Year lead us to the path of a better tomorrow. My cultural environment. It has to be the fabric of the best wishes for a fabulous time ahead. organization, not part of the fabric”. Wishing you all a happy and prosperous Prince John Mathew new year. Manager, Operations Gr. II Alex Joseph Manager-Material Management Division Wishing you all a new year filled with peace, love & hope Vincent Mampally Manager- Operations Gr. III Wishing you a year of growth & prosperity Marwan Hafeez Manager- Operations Gr. IV

New Year’s Day is the first chapter of the Book of Opportunity. Let’s grab all the opportunities and be successful in life. Wish you all love and peace. Gijoe Mathew Manual, Manager, Maintenance (ED) Every year brings wonderful opportunity to enhance our life. Let us thank the year we just passed and welcome the New Year 2012. I wish you all Prosperous and Happy New Year 2012.

May 2012 be a year of blessings George Yousef Manager-F.R.P Division

Prabu Rengarajan Manager- Projects, MBTC

May this New Year open up new horizons, bring us new opportunities and fill our tomorrows with hope and happiness. We wish you aII happy and prosperous New Year 2012. TEAM FOCUZ

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focART “Frugal” Vs “Cheap” 1

Abey Abraham Deputy Managing Director

How to differentiate between the two? According to the dictionary, if you don’t like to spend money unnecessarily, you may simply be economical, which means that you manage your finances wisely and avoid any unnecessary expenses. If you’re thrifty, you’re both industrious and clever in managing your resources. Frugal, on the other hand, means that you tend to be sparing with money—sometimes getting a little carried away in your efforts—by avoiding any form of luxury or lavishness. Being frugal might be considered a virtue, being parsimonious is usually considered to be a fault or even a vice. And no one wants to be called miserly, which implies being stingy out of greed rather than need. It is not our aim to buy the least expensive raw materials or tools, regardless of quality. A frugal business house will get good quality materials/tools but will bargain for the best price or payment terms for a cash payment or for referral for other orders, etc. So the cost might be the same as the business that bought the cheapest material but the frugal business house will have the advantage of better quality. The cheap companies use shoddy material to save a few bucks. The frugal companies takes informed decisions to spend and save wisely to achieve their goals.

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ISBN-13: 978-1-4195-9391-8

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focART

Get – Set – Go

Abey Abraham Deputy Managing Director

Tips on achieving our strategies 2 The first step on the road to success of any business house is to have a strategic business plan and align & integrate all plans to meet our strategic business plans. We should also have a team in place and encourage smarter working habits at all levels within our team.

i.

Long Term Plan If you haven’t thought about your long-term/career plan, it is a good time to start. A good plan must be simple, sensible and useful, with progressive steps and contingency built-in for the unexpected. We all should be aware of the industries/sectors/markets we are in, to identify the positions we want to occupy and the progressive steps that will take us there: • Work-out how many steps it will take • Work-out what you want from each step • Work-out how to achieve & move through each step • There must be a final goal

Training and Development Officer (HR) may be contacted for guidence in career planning.

It is also important to be informed on the industry movements in order to amend & update the long-term/career plans in advance. Without a plan it is easy to end up adrift in a sea of events and end up where the currents take us.

ii.

Short Term Plan A short-term plan is to plan your workload. This will help you to accommodate plans that affect your family (holidays, festive events, hobbies, schooling, etc.). Try to divide your short-term plans into three categories:

• The Month Plan This is for work actually being carried out; maintain a list of current work projects – deadlines, prioritized tasks and basic routines.

• The Annual Calendar This plan should be to identify projects/works being planned, developed, upcoming, expected, etc.

• Five-year Milestones This plan should take into it any steps we need to carry out the long-term/career plan. Also this should be for ideas, dreams, wishes, wants, etc (for work we intend to execute). ISBN 978-0-273-73026-2

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Contd...

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focART Tips on achieving our target iii.

(contd...)

Set Objectives We need to streamline our daily operations through “objective-based management”. An Objective is a simple one-sentence mission statement that you can use to get through your day. An Objective will outline what is critical and help us to focus our finite resource, energy & time on a daily basis. Use an objective for every area of your working life. They take but seconds but helpsto highlight: • The issues/agenda at hand, • The solutions for the issues, • The actions to be taken to resolve the issues, and • The ways to prevent the issues recurring. Here is a sample Objective for a meeting – “I will present my report and, once comments have been made, will make excuse and leave. If the committee insists on discussing matter that are irrelevant to my being there I shall assertively point this out and leave”. Another more straightforward Objective is: “We will achieve our daily production target by executing the following activities with the following resources …”.

iv.

Know your role We are here to do a job, carry out a function, perform certain tasks, follow set procedures, and all that. But what is our role? Basically your role is how you fit into the team – and we all have to be team players in this day and age. There could be nine distinct team roles: • The Plant – Original thinkers; they generate new ideas; they offer solutions to problems; they think in radically different ways, laterally, imaginatively. • The Resource Investigator – creative; they like to take ideas and develop them; they are extrovert and popular; • The Coordinator – highly disciplined and controlled; they can focus on objectives; they unify a team.

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Tips on achieving our target (contd...) • The Shaper – they are very achievement orientated; they like to be challenged and to get results; • The Monitor Evaluator – they analyze and balance and weigh; they are calm and detached; they are objective thinkers; • The Team Worker – they are supportive and co-operative; they make good diplomats as they only want what is best for the team; • The Implementer – they have good communication skills; they display common sense; they like to get the job done; • The Completer – the check details; they tidy up after them; they are painstakingly conscientious; • The Specialist – they are dedicated to acquiring a specialized skill; they are extremely professional; they have drive and dedication.

v.

Know yourself – Strengths & Weakness Modifying our attributes – strengthens or weakness is a time taking process. We should aim to work with our strengths and weakness. This is the real world after all. Consciously fall into the roles that will best suit us. Gradually plan your developments to upgrade your skills in a structured manner.

vi.

Identify key times and events There is no point using all your energy and power when it isn’t necessary. We should be like a cobra, showing the hood only when necessary; other times we hardly see a cobra.

vii. Anticipate threats / issues Spotting a threat that will turn into a reality is the skill. Threats are many and we need not react to all but realities are few but we need to react to all. With a positive attitude we should see threats as opportunities to prove ourselves through change, growth, etc. If we are not challenged we will not grow.

viii. Make Learning a lifelong mission Make learning a life-long mission. If we don’t learn we get stagnate and cannot change. And if we cannot change what is the point of being here? Any learning keeps our mind open and free and exercised. So whatever excites you go-on learning. Training and Development Officer (HR) may be contacted for guidence.

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focCAZE PROMOTIONS

Evelyn Maria D/o Lalu

Seirra Elyn Jacob D/o of Blessy & Jacob

Krishika D/o of Ganesh

Niya D/o Rijo George

Reji Kunjyukutty Sr. Manager (PD GRP B)

Prabu Rengarajan Project Manager (PD GRP B)

Samuel Kuzhikalayil Project Manager (PD GRP B)

Pari Kandasamy Construction Manager (PD GRP B)

Sibu & Gincy

Shibey & Nitha

ISO 17025 Accreditation for TSD NBTC-Technical Services Division was awarded ISO 17025 : 2005 for Metallurgical Testing by DAC (Dubai Accreditation Center). NBTC is the first Mechanical Testing Laboratory in Kuwait to have accredited with ISO 17025. The DAC Audit Team conducted a rigorous inspection audit on 06th October, 2011 & 22nd October, 2011 respectively and recommended for certification. The Technical Services Division is already accredited with ISO 9001:2008 since two years. The Accreditation Certificate was handed over in a luncheon ceremony organized at the NBTC Auditorium. Congratulations to the TSD Team !!

NEW JOINESS

Hussein Kotait General Manager – E & I

AbdulRahim M.A Manager - Construction

Manoj Krishnan Finance Controller

Melorcode Atherisa Moosa Head – Civil Lab (TSD)

M. R Shekhar Manager- Sales

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focCAHSE New Year’s Resolution: A commitment towards SAFETY

We must all live by the motto — “What you have done is not as important as what you are about to do.” The future is what drives us ... and the opportunities seized and accomplishments made good are the measures of our success. All of us must be committed to practice the following by:

4caring about the lives of the working men. 4knowing the value of safety and health. 4possessing the ambition to make a difference. our fellow workers, and our families. It’s all integrated.. Preventing injuries and illnesses must be a paramount and strategic part of the way we do business in the upcoming year and the years to follow. Over the last 30 years, and because of the hard work of safety professionals and commitment of the management - occupational injury and illness rates have declined. The good news is occupational injuries and illnesses keep declining; but the reality is - too many workers are still going home hurt or sick. We must all work hard and be committed to drive the injury and illness statistics to the bottom. It’s not that people are not aware of the HSE requirements, we must all refresh and renew our commitment to the core value of safety and health, and we need to show that commitment so that everyone realizes the value. I know you share the fundamental belief — safety and health add value to every business, every workplace and every life. We need to drive home this message

it’s all related... it’s all important to our way of life. Also the organization benefits from an enhanced corporate reputation as a caring employer. Valuing your people adds value to your company. The best companies, large and small, build a brand reputation that is synonymous not only with an excellent product, but also an outstanding management philosophy where safety and health is a core value. The message is simple, yet the implications are profound.

Everyone

must

acknowledge

understand this — if we want to drive occupational injuries, illnesses down: Zero is the perfect number. It’s also a fact that statistics are just numbers; caring about safety and health, makes a BIG difference. Let’s all strive to begin the new year with a renewed enthusiasm and commitment to uphold the safety and health of all.

— we need to articulate the message in ways we have never done before —protecting people on and off the job is in everyone’s best interest — our economy, our businesses,

and

Abraham Mathew Engineer - HSE

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focCOZMOS While Halloween is playfully frightful, a sneak-peek into our environment can prove to be truly scary. Around 250 million cases of water-based diseases – 10 million deaths, in a year due to water pollution. 2010 -- hot as the hottest years the world has ever witnessed since 130 years of record - keeping. What’s more, even if the increase in the world’s green house emissions were to stop today, the long-lived nature of these gases means ‘expect to see continued warming for decades to come.’ We use 50 million tons of paper annually -- consuming more than 850 million trees. The Earth has been around for 4.6 billion years. Scaling time down to 46 years – we have been around for 4 hours and our Industrial Revolution began just 1 minute ago. During this short time period, we have ransacked the planet of fuels and raw materials, causing the extinction of an unthinkable number of species of plants and animals, and multiplied our population to the scale of a plague. “No single raindrop believes it’s to blame for the flood.” The NBTC group of companies spotlights our environmental responsibilities as a core brand pillar. One way in which we demonstrate our commitments is by reducing our energy and water use and waste generation. As a part of our initiative in 2010, we have installed a successfully functioning air purification system and waste water treatment plant. Concerns on the surroundings and health of the employees centered us towards setting up air filter units that offer adequate solutions during welding jobs and situations that require dust and smoke extraction. The purpose of the chemical-physical plant is to purify mainly the acidic wastewater from the galvanization plant and car wash and make it relevant for further reuse. The chemical and physical G.O.S.T plant is highlighted because it is the only one to play in all its functions of a “physical chemical plant”: Chemical: Wastewater is oxidized chemically with reagents selected Physical: Separation of pollutants - settleable / floating solids Separation and recovery of oils/fats The filtration of the clarified water with quartz filters and charcoal

Jisha Philip Environmental Engineer The waste water plant has a system capacity of 1 CBM/hrs. The chemical – physical GOST plant is fully automatic and submits to a sequence of water purification treatments based on different chemical and physical principles. There are a total of four stages in this process. The first stage removes easily settle able suspended solids, oils. The second, generally floatable substances (grease, floating solids…etc). The third clarifies the liquid removing suspended or emulsified substances and all those remaining perceptible reaction chemistry. The fourth removes all soluble substances remaining little polar (mainly organic matter). The association acts as a purifying individual and can get particularly high yields. Moreover, chemical – physical methods, as opposed to biological ones, require shorter time of action allowing treating large quantities of wastewater plants using small size. Another great advantage of these systems is the almost complete independence of returns adjusted for variation in the composition of the discharge. Thus we have a physical-chemical treatment plant that is unique in its kind, with all the functional components contained within it, easy to control, clean and protect. NBTC’s abiding Environmental Commitment is to be an environmentally-responsible corporate citizen and neighbor by making every effort to conserve natural resources, minimize waste and honor the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle. “Green” is in. The state of Kuwait is onto the idea. NBTC cheers for it. Environmentalists are basking in the new sunshine on their cause. But are you for it – or even interested? Protecting the planet and conserving nature takes everyone to get involved. Join with NBTC to make the difference. Hand in hand, let’s strive to reduce emissions and wastage, encourage recycling and pave the way for pure and clean surroundings for our future generations. So what’s the wait for ?? Join the green side….