Company Announcement - Redis Construction Afrika has announced that it has been awarded the SMP contract for the construction of the Asanko Gold Mine in Ghana, a milestone step in the company’s West African and pan-African growth strategy. The contract is a ground-breaking one for Redis, as it is the first time the company will be operating in Ghana, and it is also its first project with project owner, Asanko Gold Inc and EPCM, DRA. “We were extremely excited to be awarded the contract for the Asanko Gold Mine. This award will see us working very closely with DRA, one of the largest EPCM companies working in Africa. It is the culmination of focused relationship-building, and proving our worth in the construction contracting and project delivery arena across Africa,” says Paul Edwards, Managing Director of Redis Construction Afrika.
Within a decade, Redis Construction Afrika has established a reputation for excellence and a solid safety track record throughout the continent. Despite challenges associated with working in the frequently harsh and logistically demanding environments typical in Africa, Redis has built an enviable reputation for high-performance project delivery. “We are proud of our track record on a number of industrial projects in Africa,” says Edwards, pointing out that Redis has had a presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2006, securing repeat contracts for several blue-chip mine owners. “We have also recently completed a highly successful mineral sands construction project in Kenya, and further project work is underway constructing a sugar refinery in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.” The scope of work for the Asanko Gold Mine includes supplying and erecting 1,000 tons of structural steel and 1,300 tons of plate work, the erection of 2,000 tons of mechanical items, and the installation of 7,000 meters of HDPE overland piping. Completion is scheduled for October 2015.
For Redis, having established an operational base in Accra, Ghana earlier this year, it is ‘all systems go’. “Construction contracting in Africa can be highly challenging and unforgiving, and there are no second chances. You are only as good as your last project,” notes Edwards. “We are excited and confident about our future in Africa, and believe that Asanko’s project is an ideal opportunity to prove ourselves in West Africa particularly.” Diversifying the business into other geographical regions on the continent is part of the company’s risk mitigation and growth strategy and West Africa has been firmly on the agenda for a number of years. The company has been targeting opportunities and building relationships with key clients in the region since 2009, according to Edwards.
Redis adopts a strongly collaborative approach to client relationships, understanding that its clients typically invest significant sums of money, and assume substantial risk, when undertaking projects in Africa. The company is not just contracted to build plants, but is committed to working with its clients to ensure the overall viability of the end product. “Successful project delivery is based on building trust with our clients and working towards a common goal. With DRA, we believe there will be a good organisational ‘fit’, a similar work ethic and client-centric focus,” comments Edwards. The company refers to its philosophy on partnership-building as ‘the Redis way’, and this is the basis on which it embarks on work in new countries. “We believe in immersing ourselves in the local business environment, identifying strategic partners locally, leveraging and developing local business capability,” Edwards notes.
“Our efforts in Ghana will be no different. We will be working very closely with our Ghanaian partners and almost all project personnel - management, supervision, and skilled – will be local. The long-term success of any pan-African project depends on making a positive socio-economic impact, both in terms of reality and perceptions. This philosophy goes to the very core of our business and can be witnessed in action throughout every one of our operations,” Edwards says.
He continues: “We believe any partnership should be symbiotic. While Redis can provide access to skilled resources, logistics, proven business systems, health and safety systems, our local partners are essential to our understanding of local customs, the business environment, and issues such as legislation. Partnering with a local entity in this manner helps to mitigate some of the risks related to working in a foreign environment.” Redis is embracing the Asanko Gold Mine project as a significant opportunity to further its vision of becoming the construction contractor of choice on the African continent. “We have worked hard to achieve our reputation for high-performance project delivery across Africa and are very enthusiastic about our presence in Ghana. We see this contract as marking the start of a fruitful, long-term relationship with both DRA and Asanko Gold,” Edwards concludes.