Eversendai’s iron man takes his chances
KINIBIZ AK Nathan could have turned out to be a success story in the printing or insurance business, if not for a chance meeting with a Japanese executive in the 1980s. Instead, more than 30 years later, he is the founder and executive chairperson of Eversendai, an integrated steel contractor involved in the construction of some of the most iconic high-rise buildings in the world.
“I got into the construction industry by chance and grabbed hold of the opportunity,” said 60-year old Nathan to KINIBIZ .
Some of Eversendai’s prominent construction projects include structural steel works for the Kuala Lumpur Tower, Petronas Twin Tower 2 and KL International Airport in Malaysia, Singapore’s Republic Plaza, Tornado Tower and New Doha International Airport in Qatar, Burj Al Arab, Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Capital Gate Tower in Abu Dhabi, Al Moayyed Tower in Bahrain, Kingdom Centre in Saudi Arabia, Crescent City in Azerbaijan, Empire Tower in Indonesia and Worli Tower in India.
Explaining the history of Eversendai, Nathan said that despite heading a billion ringgit steel construction company, he is not an engineer by training and did not go to university. Before setting up Eversendai, he started off his career as a printing machine operator and shortly after that sold insurance for a living.
“My chance came in 1983. I met a Japanese gentleman, Tameshi Hamaki, who was a general manager at Nippon Steel. He gave me the opportunity to erect the steel structure for the Proton factory in Shah Alam. That was my big break. Subsequently, Eversendai was born in 1984,” said Nathan.
Nathan has not looked back since. He developed Eversendai from a structural steel erection specialist in Malaysia into one of the world’s leading integrated structural steel turnkey contractors.
For the full story go to KINIBIZ .
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