May 22, 2001

Hyundai goes yee-haw! Koreans appoint a Houston go-between

The new vice president's mission is to forge relationships with US-based oil and engineering companies.

According to a statement from Hyundai, Hill's appointment will be the first of many steps within the company's "Vision 2010" plan to improve relationships and communications with US-based customers.

He will be responsible for winning engineering, procurement, construction and installation projects involving floating production, storage and offloading vessels. Downstream thermal power development projects are also on his list.

Hill said: "Hyundai has had somewhat of a terrible reputation with American oil companies because the culture is so different and the communications have been such a problem. I'm the first American they've hired to try to give it an American image and improve the communications with the major oil companies and our partners and sub-contractors; to try to bridge a little bit of the cultural difference between Korea and Houston, Texas."

Lately, Hill has succeeded in getting Hyundai named as a prime contractor on EPCI bids in West Africa within the last two months. In addition, he is interested in allying with US Gulf coast fabricators and local engineering outfits on FPSO contracts.

Building an FPSO in the Gulf is not part of the plan but "outfitting a ship and buying topsides and equipment and engineering services from the Houston area that is part of the plan".