Woolim Construction Uses
Unique Style to Success
- Embraces field- and profit-oriented knowledge management

Despite the sagging construction market, Woolim Construction Co. made a splash last year with an impressive bottom line: 680 billion won and a projected 22 billion won in net income.
The housing distribution market was frozen in the wake of the government's countermeasures against real estate speculation, but Woolim Construction, a mid-size company of 440 employees, demonstrated its capability by supplying some 5,000 apartment units and apartment-type factory structures with combined floor space of about 20,000 pyeong (66,000 sq. meters) during last year. In particular, the successful distribution of 2,722-unit Ochang Apartments, riding on its differentiating marketing strategies, became the subject of admiration from other construction companies.
Thanks to its impressive achievement, Woolim Construction is expected to climb up from 88th place in 2003 to 45th this year in the rankings of the value of construction firms.
Woolim Construction has put more energy into field-oriented management, realizing unit price management and profit-oriented strategy on landing orders, as Shim Young-sup, Woolim Construction CEO-president, declared his company's business plans during his New Year message early this year. At that time, Woolim Construction President Shim made it clear he will "steer his company toward field-oriented, profit-oriented and cost-saving management."
Regarding field-oriented management, Woolim Construction is employing what it call a practical, hands-on marketing strategy aimed at sounding out consumers' trends and tastes and reflecting them in stages ranging from design to distribution.
Woolim is exerting its efforts to enhance its competitive edge by trimming unnecessary expenses, implementing thorough unit cost management and overhauling in-house operation systems.
During the year 2005, the construction company plans to supply 4,351 apartment units and apartment-type factory structures with a combined floor space of 10,000 pyeong (33,000 sq. meters).
Attracting the public limelight during this year are Woolim Construction's two projects : the Techno Valley area in Daejeon, one of Korea's largest industrial clusters, and the Gwangju area in Gyeonggi Province. The Techno Valley project involves the opening of 493 units - 33-pyeong-type and 43-pyeong slated for this month. Starting with the distribution of 413 units in Gwangju this month, 569 units in Taejeon-dong and 351 units in Jangji-dong for sale. Gwangju has emerged as one of the most popular areas in the Seoul Metropolitan area due to its well-equipped traffic networks linking its neighboring cities - Seoul, Seongnam, Suwon and Yongin - and a pleasant environment with a vast natural preservation zone.
In addition, Woolim Construction plans to implement projects for building ordinary apartments or reconstruction projects, mostly concentrated on the Seoul Metropolitan area, including 493 units in Ansan City, 554 units in Seongnam City, 165 units in Anyang City.

Brand "Lumiart"

Woolim Construction's new brand "Lumiart," created by architect Yang Chin-seok in 2001, is a combination of two words - luminous (light) and art. Reflecting Woolim CEO-President Shim's management philosophy, the brand indicates Woolim Construction's bid to build an apartment as a comfortable space illustrating life, company officials' note. The brand concept follows: a comfortable, leisurely space; a living space for realizing beautiful dreams, a "Korean" style apartment and a differentiating environmentally-friendly landscape.
Under the concept, Woolim Construction strives to make the facade of structures replete with Korean architectural features - soft images combined with linear and curved lines, employing a new design corresponding to the different lifestyle of each family member. The apartment also introduces landscape features with Korean beauty like a pavilion, a stone-laid road and pond, with the use of such finishing materials and products with beautiful tastes designed to ensure the health and safety of occupants.
The brand carries a butterfly with a yellow color on a green background, symbolizing environmental-friendliness and purity, adding that the brand indicates that Woolim Construction's small changes could bring about a tremendous force to the living environment in the so-called "Butterfly Effect," a terminology made by American meteorologist E. Lorentz.
Woolim Construction has its own unique culture. A case in point is a vacation system for refreshing all company employees. Under the system, the staff members are given a short vacation for reflection and personal growth under full support of the company. They practice yoga or meditation, explore remote areas and render public services.
Unlike other construction companies, Woolim Construction is a knowledge-oriented concern. The company has offered culture lectures, including renowned artists' performances on more than 110 occasions in the past decade. Woolim construction also distributes to its staff and families 10 books the company selects in consideration of their age groups each month. nw