Franklin Offshore International

MS ANGIE TANG had a tough childhood. She grew up with three brothers and a younger sister in a village in Hougang.

Her father, a hawker, died when she was six and her mother was a washerwoman and did not earn enough to raise the children. Two of her older brothers stopped schooling to work for their uncles so that they could earn money for their other siblings to stay in school.

Ms Tang cooked and ironed clothes for the family and took care of her sister, who was just 18 months old when their dad passed away. She learnt to be an independent survivor. She and her sister worked hard to complete their secondary education.

"We did not end up as bad hats despite the tough times we faced," she says. "I picked up one important lesson when I was growing up: You can do whatever that is within your capabilities and do it well.

"I am grateful to my family for the sacrifices they made to give my sister and me a decent education. They helped me to be what I am today. I also thank my husband and two children for their support."

Ms Tang, 50, is chief executive officer and director of Franklin Offshore International. She started the company after the rigging equipment firm she had been working for since 1978 folded up during the economic slump in 1984.

Confident about her knowledge of the industry and its growth potential, she decided to take loans from relatives and business associates to set up her own company, making and supplying rigging equipment and services for the offshore oil and gas industry.

Franklin Offshore International is now one of the 14 subsidiaries of Franklin Offshore Holdings group, which has a current annual revenue of approximately $240 million. The group is the global oil and gas industry's biggest provider of lifting, mooring and marine equipment and services.

It has a workforce of 450 employees in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Europe, Qatar and the United States.

It has grown over the years and is more than a maker and supplier of heavy lift cable-laid and cable-laid grommet slings, steel ropes, wires, anchors and shackles. It also provides deep water mooring systems and offshore installation contractor services for major oil and gas firms and drilling contractors.

Franklin's prelaid deep-water moorings can be hooked immediately to a rig when it reaches the location. There is no delay in the drilling operations, thus saving costs for its customers.

The group also installs permanent deep-water moorings for offshore oil and gas production vessels operating in different locations.

It is successful because of the high quality of its staff, products and services. Its ability to finish projects and deliver equipment according to customers' schedules also contributes to its competitive edge.

Ms Tang says her staff are the group's biggest asset. They provide the best workmanship, do their jobs safely and share the rewards of the group's success.

Despite the heavy manual work carried out by many employees, the staff turnover is "almost zero", she declares.

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